President of the German Bundesrat

The President of the Bundesrat usually is elected in October of a given year, and serves from November 1 until the 31 October in the year that follows. The Basic Law merely provides, in Article 52.1, that "the Bundesrat elects its President for one year". However, in practice the position rotates among the states equally, in accordance with a predetermined order. The order in which the position rotates from one Land to another is altered periodically and is determined by population, the presidency descending in order from the most populous states to the least. This rotation is a constitutional convention known as the “Königstein agreement” (Königsteiner Vereinbarung), having been formulated at a 1950 seating in Königstein im Taunus, Hessen.

The Königsstein agreement also states that, if the sitting President of the Bundesrat exits his office as Minister President of his or her state (for example, if they loses a state election, dies or resigns from his office) the new Minister President of that state is elected President of the Bundesrat subsequently, but only to complete his or her predecessors term; the last time this occurred was in April 1999, when Hans Eichel, President of the Bundesrat and Minister President of Hesse, had lost the 1999 Hesse state election and his successor Roland Koch served the end of his term until October 1999. The current order of rotation of the presidency of the Bundesrat - related to the number of inhabitants, from highest to lowest - is as follows:

1. North Rhine-Westphalia
2. Bavaria
3. Baden-Württemberg
4. Lower Saxony
5. Hesse
6. Saxony
7. Rhineland-Palatinate
8. Berlin
9. Schleswig-Holstein
10. Brandenburg
11. Saxony-Anhalt
12. Thuringia
13. Hamburg
14. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
15. Saarland
16. Bremen

Article 57 of the Basic Law provides that:

If the Federal President is unable to perform his duties, or if his office falls prematurely vacant, the President of the Bundesrat shall exercise his powers.

If the office of the Federal President falls vacant, the President of the Bundesrat fills in as acting head of state. If the president resigns, dies, or is removed from office, a successor is elected within thirty days.

Three Presidents of the Bundesrat have served as acting head of state:

1. Karl Arnold (from 7 September 1949 to 12 September 1949 after he was elected as President of the Bundesrat and before Theodor Heuss was elected as the first President of Germany. With a tenure of only six days he is yet the shortest serving head of state in German history)
2. Jens Böhrnsen (from 31 May 2010 to 30 June 2010 after the resignation of Horst Köhler and before the election of Christian Wulff)
3. Horst Seehofer (from 17 February 2012 to 18 March 2012 after the resignation of Christian Wulff and before the election of Joachim Gauck)

If the Federal President is abroad on a state visit the President of the Bundesrat does not assume all of the Federal President's responsibilities but may "deputise" for him or her, performing on the Federal President's behalf merely those tasks that require his or her physical presence, such as the signing of documents.

Political Party

  CDU   SPD   CSU   FDP   Green

No.		President of the Bundesrat	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	State
1		Arnold, KarlKarl Arnold (1901–1958)	7 September 1949	8 September 1950	1 year, 1 day	CDU	North Rhine-Westphalia
2		Ehard, HansHans Ehard (1887–1980)	8 September 1950	7 September 1951	364 days	CSU	Bavaria
3		Kopf, HinrichHinrich Wilhelm Kopf (1893–1961)	7 September 1951	6 September 1952	365 days	SPD	Lower Saxony
4		Maier, ReinholdReinhold Maier (1889–1971)	7 September 1952	6 September 1953	364 days	FDP	Baden-Württemberg
5		Zinn, GeorgGeorg August Zinn (1901–1976)	7 September 1953	6 September 1954	364 days	SPD	Hesse
6		Altmeier, PeterPeter Altmeier (1899–1977)	7 September 1954	6 September 1955	364 days	CDU	Rhineland-Palatinate
7		Hassel, KaiKai-Uwe von Hassel (1913–1997)	7 September 1955	6 September 1956	365 days	CDU	Schleswig-Holstein
8		Sieveking, KurtKurt Sieveking (1897–1986)	7 September 1956	31 October 1957	1 year, 54 days	CDU	Hamburg
9		Brandt, WillyWilly Brandt (1913–1992) [lower-alpha 1]	1 November 1957	31 October 1958	364 days	SPD	Berlin
10		Kaisen, WilhelmWilhelm Kaisen (1887–1979)	1 November 1958	31 October 1959	364 days	SPD	Bremen
11		Röder, FranzFranz Josef Röder (1909–1979)	1 November 1959	31 October 1960	365 days	CDU	Saarland
12		Meyers, FranzFranz Meyers (1908–2002)	1 November 1960	31 October 1961	365 days	CDU	North Rhine-Westphalia
13		Ehard, HansHans Ehard (1887–1980)	1 November 1961	31 October 1962	364 days	CSU	Bavaria
14		Kiesinger, KurtKurt Georg Kiesinger (1904–1988)	1 November 1962	31 October 1963	364 days	CDU	Baden-Württemberg
15		Diederichs, GeorgGeorg Diederichs (1900–1983)	1 November 1963	31 October 1964	364 days	SPD	Lower Saxony
16		Zinn, GeorgGeorg August Zinn (1901–1976)	1 November 1964	31 October 1965	364 days	SPD	Hesse
17		Altmeier, PeterPeter Altmeier (1899–1977)	1 November 1965	31 October 1966	364 days	CDU	Rhineland-Palatinate
18		Lemke, HelmutHelmut Lemke (1907–1990)	1 November 1966	31 October 1967	364 days	CDU	Schleswig-Holstein
19		Schütz, KlausKlaus Schütz (1926–2012)	1 November 1967	31 October 1968	365 days	SPD	Berlin
20		Weichmann, HerbertHerbert Weichmann (1896–1983)	1 November 1968	31 October 1969	364 days	SPD	Hamburg
21		Röder, FranzFranz Josef Röder (1909–1979)	1 November 1969	31 October 1970	364 days	CDU	Saarland
22		Koschnick, HansHans Koschnick (1929–2016)	1 November 1970	31 October 1971	364 days	SPD	Bremen
23		Kühn, HeinzHeinz Kühn (1912–1992)	1 November 1971	31 October 1972	365 days	SPD	North Rhine-Westphalia
24		Goppel, AlfonsAlfons Goppel (1905–1991)	1 November 1972	31 October 1973	364 days	CSU	Bavaria
25		Filbinger, HansHans Filbinger (1913–2007)	1 November 1973	31 October 1974	364 days	CDU	Baden-Württemberg
26		Kubel, AlfredAlfred Kubel (1909–1999)	1 November 1974	31 October 1975	364 days	SPD	Lower Saxony
27		Osswald, AlbertAlbert Osswald (1919–1996)	1 November 1975	20 October 1976	354 days	SPD	Hesse
28		Vogel, BernhardBernhard Vogel (born 1932)	3 December 1976	31 October 1977	321 days	CDU	Rhineland-Palatinate
29		Stoltenberg, GerhardGerhard Stoltenberg (1928–2001)	1 November 1977	31 October 1978	364 days	CDU	Schleswig-Holstein
30		Stobbe, DietrichDietrich Stobbe (1938–2001)	1 November 1978	31 October 1979	364 days	SPD	Berlin
31		Klose, HansHans-Ulrich Klose (born 1937)	1 November 1979	31 October 1980	365 days	SPD	Hamburg
32		Zeyer, WernerWerner Zeyer (1929–2000)	1 November 1980	31 October 1981	364 days	CDU	Saarland
33		Koschnick, HansHans Koschnick (1929–2016)	1 November 1981	31 October 1982	364 days	SPD	Bremen
34		Rau, JohannesJohannes Rau (1931–2006)	1 November 1982	31 October 1983	364 days	SPD	North Rhine-Westphalia
35		Strauß, FranzFranz Josef Strauß (1915–1988)	1 November 1983	31 October 1984	365 days	CSU	Bavaria
36		Späth, LotharLothar Späth (1937–2016)	1 November 1984	31 October 1985	364 days	CDU	Baden-Württemberg
37		Albrecht, ErnstErnst Albrecht (1930–2014)	1 November 1985	31 October 1986	364 days	CDU	Lower Saxony
38		Börner, HolgerHolger Börner (1931–2006)	1 November 1986	24 April 1987	174 days	SPD	Hesse
39		Wallmann, WalterWalter Wallmann (1930–2013)	15 May 1987	31 October 1987	169 days	CDU	Hesse
40		Vogel, BernhardBernhard Vogel (born 1932)	1 November 1987	31 October 1988	365 days	CDU	Rhineland-Palatinate
41		Engholm, BjörnBjörn Engholm (born 1939)	1 November 1988	31 October 1989	364 days	SPD	Schleswig-Holstein
42		Momper, WalterWalter Momper (born 1945)	1 November 1989	31 October 1990	364 days	SPD	Berlin
43		Voscherau, HenningHenning Voscherau (1941–2016)	1 November 1990	31 October 1991	364 days	SPD	Hamburg
44		Gomolka, AlfredAlfred Gomolka (born 1942)	1 November 1991	19 March 1992	139 days	CDU	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
45		Seite, BerndtBerndt Seite (born 1940)	15 May 1992	31 October 1992	169 days	CDU	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
46		Lafontaine, OskarOskar Lafontaine (born 1943)	1 November 1992	31 October 1993	364 days	SPD	Saarland
47		Wedemeier, KlausKlaus Wedemeier (born 1944)	1 November 1993	31 October 1994	364 days	SPD	Bremen
48		Rau, JohannesJohannes Rau (1931–2006)	1 November 1994	31 October 1995	364 days	SPD	North Rhine-Westphalia
49		Stoiber, EdmundEdmund Stoiber (born 1941)	1 November 1995	31 October 1996	365 days	CSU	Bavaria
50		Teufel, ErwinErwin Teufel (born 1939)	1 November 1996	31 October 1997	364 days	CDU	Baden-Württemberg
51		Schröder, GerhardGerhard Schröder (born 1944)	1 November 1997	27 October 1998	360 days	SPD	Lower Saxony
52		Eichel, HansHans Eichel (born 1944)	1 November 1998	7 April 1999	157 days	SPD	Hesse
53		Koch, RolandRoland Koch (born 1958)	30 April 1999	31 October 1999	184 days	CDU	Hesse
54		Biedenkopf, KurtKurt Biedenkopf (born 1930)	1 November 1999	31 October 2000	365 days	CDU	Saxony
55		Beck, KurtKurt Beck (born 1944)	1 November 2000	31 October 2001	364 days	SPD	Rhineland-Palatinate
56		Wowereit, KlausKlaus Wowereit (born 1953)	1 November 2001	31 October 2002	364 days	SPD	Berlin
57		Böhmer, WolfgangWolfgang Böhmer (born 1936)	1 November 2002	31 October 2003	364 days	CDU	Saxony-Anhalt
58		Althaus, DieterDieter Althaus (born 1958)	1 November 2003	31 October 2004	365 days	CDU	Thuringia
59		Platzeck, MatthiasMatthias Platzeck (born 1953)	1 November 2004	31 October 2005	364 days	SPD	Brandenburg
60		Carstensen, PeterPeter Harry Carstensen (born 1947)	1 November 2005	31 October 2006	364 days	CDU	Schleswig-Holstein
61		Ringstorff, HaraldHarald Ringstorff (born 1939)	1 November 2006	31 October 2007	364 days	SPD	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
62		Beust, OleOle von Beust (born 1955)	1 November 2007	31 October 2008	365 days	CDU	Hamburg
63		Müller, PeterPeter Müller (born 1955)	1 November 2008	31 October 2009	364 days	CDU	Saarland
64		Böhrnsen, JensJens Böhrnsen (born 1949)	1 November 2009	31 October 2010	364 days	SPD	Bremen
65		Kraft, HanneloreHannelore Kraft (born 1961)	1 November 2010	31 October 2011	364 days	SPD	North Rhine-Westphalia
66		Seehofer, HorstHorst Seehofer (born 1949)	1 November 2011	31 October 2012	365 days	CSU	Bavaria
67		Kretschmann, WinfriedWinfried Kretschmann (born 1948)	1 November 2012	31 October 2013	364 days	Green	Baden-Württemberg
68		Weil, StephanStephan Weil (born 1958)	1 November 2013	31 October 2014	364 days	SPD	Lower Saxony
69		Bouffier, VolkerVolker Bouffier (born 1951)	1 November 2014	31 October 2015	364 days	CDU	Hesse
70		Tillich, StanislawStanislaw Tillich (born 1959)	1 November 2015	31 October 2016	365 days	CDU	Saxony
71		Dreyer, MaluMalu Dreyer (born 1961)	1 November 2016	31 October 2017	364 days	SPD	Rhineland-Palatinate
72		Müller, MichaelMichael Müller (born 1964)	1 November 2017	31 October 2018	364 days	SPD	Berlin
73		Günther, DanielDaniel Günther (born 1973)	1 November 2018	31 October 2019	364 days	CDU	Schleswig-Holstein
74		Woidke, DietmarDietmar Woidke (born 1961)	1 November 2019	Incumbent	236 days	SPD	Brandenburg

• Politics of Germany

• The Bundesrat - President and Presidium (Official Bundesrat website)
• "Präsidenten des Bundesrates seit 1949" (in German)
• Official Bundesrat website (English).