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Vice Chancellor of Germany
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The Vice-Chancellor of Germany (Vizekanzler) in Germany is the second highest position in the cabinet. In case of the Chancellor's absence, the Vice-Chancellor acts in his place, for instance heading cabinet meetings. The Vice-Chancellor will not automatically become Chancellor for the rest of the term if the Chancellor dies or becomes unable to fulfill his duties in any other way.
The Vice-Chancellor is not an independent office, but a Cabinet minister, often but not always as Minister of Foreign Affairs (see below for exception).
Since coalition governments are usual in German politics, the Vice-Chancellor usually represents the junior coalition partner and is often the chairman of that party.
The prefix "Vize-" is derived from the Latin "vicis" meaning "in place of".
List of Vice-Chancellors
Deutsches Reich 1871-1945
Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers (Deputy General to the Chancellor)
- Graf Otto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, 1 June 1878 - 20 June 1881.
- Karl Heinrich von Boetticher, 20 June 1881 - 1 July 1897, also Secretary of the Interior.
- Arthur Graf von Posadowsky-Wehner, 1 July 1897 - 24 June 1907, also Secretary of the Interior.
- Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, 24 June 1907 - 14 July 1909, also Secretary of the Interior.
- Clemens von Delbrück, 14 July 1909 - 22 May 1916, also Secretary of the Interior.
- Karl Helfferich, 22 May 1916 - 9 November 1917, also Secretary of the Interior (until 23 October 1917).
- Friedrich von Payer (FVP), 9 November 1917 - 10 November 1918.
Vice-Chancellor
- Eugen Schiffer (DDP), 13 February - 19 April 1919 (as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
- Bernhard Dernburg (DDP), 30 April - 20 June 1919 (as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
- Matthias Erzberger (Centre Party), 21 June - 3 October 1919 (until 14 August 1919 as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
- Eugen Schiffer (DDP), 3 October 1919 - 27 March 1920; also Minister of Justice.
- Erich Koch-Weser (DDP), 27 March 1920 - 21 June 1920; also Minster of the Interior.
- Rudolf Heinze (DVP), 25 June 1920 - 4 May 1921; also Minister of Justice.
- Gustav Bauer (SPD), 10 May 1921 - 14 November 1922; also Minister of the Treasury.
- vacant 1922-1923
- Robert Schmidt (SPD), 13 August 1923 - 3 November 1923; also Minister for Reconstruction.
- Karl Jarres (DVP), 30 November 1923 - 15 December 1924; also Minister of the Interior.
- vacant 1925-1927
- Oskar Hergt (DNVP), 28 January 1927 - 12 June 1928; also Minister of Justice.
- vacant 1928-1930
- vacant 1932-1933
- Franz von Papen (non-partisan), 30 January 1933 - 7 August 1934; no government department.
After Papen's resignation, the office of Vice-Chancellor remained vacant until the demise of the Third Reich.
Federal Republic of Germany
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