States of Germany since 1918

Note: state flags (and anthems) were abolished 15 Sep 1935 - May 1945.

               18 Jul 1919 - 15 Sep 1935 

 

Capital: Dessau

State Anthem "Dessauer Marsch"

Population: 351,485 (1925)

12 Nov 1918                Free State of Anhalt (Freisaat Anhalt).
 9 Jul 1945                Merged into Sachsen-Anhalt.

Ministers of state
 8 Nov 1918 - 14 Nov 1918  Max Gutknecht                      (b. 1876 - d. 1946)  SPD
14 Nov 1918 - 23 Jul 1919  Wolfgang Heine                     (b. 1861 - d. 1944)  SDP
23 Jul 1919 -  9 Jul 1924  Heinrich Deist (1st time)          (b. 1874 - d. 1962)  SPD
 9 Jul 1924 - 25 Nov 1924  R. Willi Knorr                     (b. 1878 - d. 1937)  DNVP
25 Nov 1924 - 21 May 1932  Heinrich Deist (2nd time)          (s.a.)               SPD
21 May 1932 -  8 Jan 1940  Alfred Freyberg                    (b. 1892 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
 5 May 1933 - 23 Oct 1935  Friedrich Wilhelm Loeper           (b. 1883 - d. 1935)  NSDAP
                             (Reichsstatthalter)
Nov 1935 - 20 Apr 1937     Fritz Sauckel                      (b. 1894 - d. 1946)  NSDAP
                             (acting Reichsstatthalter)
 8 Jan 1940 - Apr 1945     Rudolf Jordan                      (b. 1902 - d. 1988)  NSDAP
                             (also Reichsstatthalter from 20 Apr 1937)

Capital: Karlsruhe

State Anthem "Badner Lied"  (Song of Baden)

Population: 2,312,462 (1925)

 

22 Nov 1918                Republic of Baden

 7 Jul 1945                Divided into two parts: northern part merged into Württemberg-Baden

                             and southern part becomes state of Südbaden.

 2 Dec 1946                Südbaden renamed Baden.

 7 Sep 1949                Part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

25 Apr 1952                Merged into Baden-Württemberg.

                  Adopted 2 Aug 1954

25 Apr 1952                Constituted by the merger of Baden, Württemberg-Baden, 
                             and Württemberg-Hohenzollern.

Minister-presidents
25 Apr 1952 - 30 Sep 1953  Reinhold Maier                     (b. 1889 - d. 1971)  FDP/DVP
30 Sep 1953 - 17 Dec 1958  Gebhard Müller                     (b. 1900 - d. 1990)  CDU
17 Dec 1958 -  1 Dec 1966  Kurt Georg Kiesinger               (b. 1904 - d. 1988)  CDU
16 Dec 1966 - 30 Aug 1978  Hans Filbinger                     (b. 1913 - d. 2007)  CDU
30 Aug 1978 - 22 Jan 1991  Lothar Späth                       (b. 1937)            CDU
22 Jan 1991 - 21 Apr 2005  Erwin Teufel                       (b. 1939)            CDU
21 Apr 2005 -              Günther Oettinger                  (b. 1953)            CDU

 8 Nov 1918                People's State of Bavaria
 7 Apr 1919 -  1 May 1919  Bavarian Soviet Republic or Conciliar Republic
                             of Bavaria (Räterepublik Baiern), in rebellion.
15 Sep 1919                Free State of Bavaria (Freistaat Bayern).
 8 - 9 Nov 1923            Attempted (Beer Hall) Putsch by Adolf Hitler.
 7 Sep 1949                Part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Minister-presidents
 8 Nov 1918 - 21 Feb 1919  Kurt Eisner                        (b. 1867 - d. 1919)  USPD
 1 Mar 1919 - 17 Mar 1919  Martin Segitz (acting)             (b. 1853 - d. 1927)  SDP 
                            (not recognized by provisional assembly) 
17 Mar 1919 - 16 Mar 1920  Johannes Hoffmann                  (b. 1867 - d. 1930)  SPD
                            (7 Apr 1919 - 1 May 1919 in Bamberg)
16 Mar 1920 - 21 Sep 1921  Gustav von Kahr                    (b. 1862 - d. 1934)  BVP
21 Sep 1921 -  8 Nov 1922  Hugo Graf von und zu Lerchenfeld   (b. 1871 - d. 1944)  BVP
                             auf Köfering und Schönburg
 8 Nov 1922 - 30 Jun 1924  Eugen Ritter von Knilling          (b. 1865 - d. 1927)  BVP 
26 Sep 1923 - 18 Feb 1924  Gustav von Kahr -Staatskommissar   (s.a.)               Non-party
27 Sep 1923 - 23 Oct 1923  Otto von Lossow -Reichskommissar   (b. 1863 - d. 1938)  Mil
 8 Nov 1923 -  9 Nov 1923  Ernst Pöhner                       (b. 1870 - d. 1925)  NSDAP
                            (appointed by Hitler; not recognized)
30 Jun 1924 - 16 Mar 1933  Heinrich Held                      (b. 1868 - d. 1938)  BVP
16 Mar 1933 - 12 Apr 1933  Franz Xaver Ritter von Epp         (b. 1868 - d. 1946)  NSDAP
                            (also Reichskommissar 9-16 Mar 1933 and 
                             10 Apr 1933 - 29 Apr 1945 Reichsstatthalter)
12 Apr 1933 -  1 Nov 1942  Ludwig Siebert                     (b. 1874 - d. 1942)  NSDAP
 2 Nov 1942 - 28 Apr 1945  Paul Giesler                       (b. 1895 - d. 1945)  NDAP
28 May 1945 - 28 Sep 1945  Fritz Schäffer                     (b. 1888 - d. 1967)  BVP
28 Sep 1945 - 21 Dec 1946  Wilhelm Hoegner (1st time)         (b. 1887 - d. 1980)  SPD
21 Dec 1946 - 14 Dec 1954  Hans Ehard (1st time)              (b. 1887 - d. 1980)  CSU
14 Dec 1954 - 16 Oct 1957  Wilhelm Hoegner (2nd time)         (s.a.)               SPD
16 Oct 1957 - 26 Jan 1960  Hanns Seidel                       (b. 1901 - d. 1961)  CSU
26 Jan 1960 - 11 Dec 1962  Hans Ehard (2nd time)              (s.a.)               CSU
11 Dec 1962 -  6 Nov 1978  Alfons Goppel                      (b. 1905 - d. 1991)  CSU
 6 Nov 1978 -  3 Oct 1988  Franz Josef Strauss                (b. 1915 - d. 1988)  CSU
19 Oct 1988 - 28 May 1993  Max Streibl                        (b. 1932 - d. 1998)  CSU
28 May 1993 -  9 Oct 2007  Edmund Stoiber                     (b. 1941)            CSU
 9 Oct 2007 -              Günther Beckstein                  (b. 1943)            CSU

 7 Apr 1919 -  1 May 1919  Bavarian Soviet Republic or Conciliar Republic
                             of Bavaria (Räterepublik Baiern), in Munich rebellion.

Chairmen of the Central Worker's, Soldier's and Peasant's Council
22 Feb 1919 -  8 Apr 1919  Ernst Karl August Niekisch         (b. 1889 - d. 1967)  USPD
 8 Apr 1918 - 12 Apr 1919  Ernst Toller                       (b. 1893 - d. 1939)  USPD
Chairmen of the Action Committee
13 Apr 1919 - 27 Apr 1919  Eugen Leviné-Niessen               (b. 1883 - d. 1919)  KPD
27 Apr 1919 - 28 Apr 1919  Ernst Toller                       (s.a.)               USPD
                            (Chairman of Provisional Presidium)
29 Apr 1919 -  1 May 1919  Rudolf Eglhofer                    (b. 1896 - d. 1919)  Mil
                            (Commander-in-Chief of the Army)

(West) Berlin
 

Capital: Berlin

State Anthem

Population: 3,392,000 (2002) 4,013,588 (1925)

 1 Oct 1920                Separated from Brandenburg; Gross-Berlin (Greater Berlin)
                             (see under Prussian provinces; de facto to 5 Aug 1944).
28 Apr 1945 -  3 Oct 1990  Allied occupation.
17 May 1945                Appointment of municipal government under occupational
                             authorities as Stadt Berlin (Berlin City).
20 Oct 1946                Renamed Gross-Berlin (Greater Berlin).
30 Nov 1948                Separate administrations for East and West Berlin.
                             West Berlin was not part of Federal Republic of Germany ("West
                             Germany") and remained under allied control, but was represented
                             in the federal legislature and internationally represented by
                             the West German government.
 1 Oct 1950                Name changed from Gross-Berlin to Berlin (provision proclaiming
                             Berlin part of the Federal Republic of Germany are included,
                             but become operational only on 3 Oct 1990).
 3 Oct 1990                East and West Berlin are reunited and incorporated into the
                             Federal Republic as a state.

Lord mayors
 2 May 1945 - 17 May 1945  Vacant
17 May 1945 - 10 Dec 1946  Arthur Werner                      (b. 1877 - d. 1967)  Non-party
10 Dec 1946 - 31 May 1947  Otto Ostrowski                     (b. 1883 - d. 1963)  SPD
31 May 1947 -  7 Dec 1948  Louise Dorothea Schroeder (f)      (b. 1887 - d. 1957)  SPD
                             (acting [for Ostrowski from 8 May 1945]) 
14 Aug 1948 -  1 Dec 1948  Ferdinand Friedensburg             (b. 1886 - d. 1972)  CDU
                             (acting for Schroeder)
 7 Dec 1948 - 18 Jan 1951  Ernst Rudolf Johannes Reuter       (b. 1889 - d. 1953)  SPD
Governing mayors
18 Jan 1951 - 29 Sep 1953  Ernst Rudolf Johannes Reuter       (s.a.)               SPD
30 Sep 1953 - 11 Jan 1955  Walther Schreiber                  (b. 1884 - d. 1958)  CDU
                             (acting to 22 Oct 1953)
11 Jan 1955 - 30 Aug 1957  Otto Suhr                          (b. 1894 - d. 1957)  SPD
30 Aug 1957 -  3 Oct 1957  Franz Amrehn (acting)              (b. 1912 - d. 1981)  CDU
 3 Oct 1957 -  1 Dec 1966  Willy Brandt                       (b. 1913 - d. 1992)  SPD
 1 Dec 1966 - 19 Oct 1967  Heinrich Albertz                   (b. 1915 - d. 1993)  SPD
                             (acting to 14 Dec 1966)
19 Oct 1967 -  2 May 1977  Klaus Schütz                       (b. 1926)            SPD
 2 May 1977 - 23 Jan 1981  Dietrich Stobbe                    (b. 1938)            SPD
23 Jan 1981 - 11 Jun 1981  Hans-Jochen Vogel                  (b. 1926)            SPD
11 Jun 1981 -  9 Feb 1984  Richard von Weizsäcker             (b. 1920)            CDU
 9 Feb 1984 - 16 Mar 1989  Eberhard Diepgen (1st time)        (b. 1941)            CDU
16 Mar 1989 - 24 Jan 1991  Walter Momper                      (b. 1945)            SPD
24 Jan 1991 - 16 Jun 2001  Eberhard Diepgen (2nd time)        (s.a.)               CDU
16 Jun 2001 -              Klaus Wowereit                     (b. 1953)            SPD 

30 Nov 1948                City government convened in Soviet sector, Berlin is partitioned
                             de facto into separate East and West Berlin.
 7 Oct 1949                Gross-Berlin (Greater Berlin) becomes de facto capital and
                             is declared, contrary to international agreement, to be
                             incorporated into German Democratic Republic ("East Germany")
                            (the western allies and the West Germany do not recognize
                             incorporation of East Berlin into East Germany).
1952                       Becomes a district with special status.
 7 Sep 1961                Officially declared a district
1977                       Name changed from Gross-Berlin to Berlin; formally declared
                             to be the capital of East Germany (not recognized by
                             western allies or West Germany).
 3 Oct 1990                Reunited with West Berlin as a state of the Federal 
                             Republic of Germany.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party (SED)
21 Apr 1946 - 1948         Hermann Matern                     (b. 1893 - d. 1971)
1948 - 1953                Hans Jendretzky                    (b. 1897 - d. 1992)
1953 - 1957                Alfred Neumann                     (b. 1909 - d. 2001)
1957 - 1959                Hans Kiefert                       (b. 1905 - d. 1966)
1959 - May 1971            Paul Verner                        (b. 1905 - d. 1986)
May 1971 - Nov 1985        Konrad Neumann                     (b. 1929 - d. 1992)
Nov 1985 - Nov 1989        Günter Schabowski                  (b. 1929)
Nov 1989 - 1989            Heinz Albrecht                     (b. 1935)

Lord mayors
30 Nov 1948 -  5 Jul 1967  Friedrich Ebert                    (b. 1894 - d. 1979)  SED
                             (provisional to 17 Oct 1954)
 5 Jul 1967 - 11 Feb 1974  Herbert Kurt Fechner               (b. 1913 - d. 1998)  SED
11 Feb 1974 - 15 Feb 1990  Erhard Krack                       (b. 1931 - d. 2000)  SED;
                                                  15 Dec 1989: SED-PDS; 4 Feb 1990 PDS
15 Feb 1990 - 23 Feb 1990  Ingrid Pankraz (f)(acting)         (b. 1948)            PDS
23 Feb 1990 - 30 May 1990  Christian Matthias Wilhelm         (b. 1948)            PDS
                             Hartenhauer
30 May 1990 - 11 Jan 1991  Tino-Antoni Schwierzina            (b. 1927 - d. 2003)  SPD
11 Jan 1991 - 24 Jan 1991  Thomas Krüger (acting)             (b. 1959)            SPD

28 Apr 1945                Soviet forces begin invasion of Berlin.
 2 May 1945                Berlin surrenders to Soviet forces.
 8 May 1945                Germany surrenders to the allies.
 5 Jul 1945                British forces arrive.
11 Jul 1945                American and French forces arrive.
 3 Oct 1990                After reunification of Germany, allied military sectors of
                             Berlin are dissolved.

American Sector

City commandants
 4 Jul 1945 -  2 Sep 1945  Floyd L. Parks                     (b. 1896 - d. 1959)
 3 Sep 1945 - 10 Oct 1945  James M. Gavin                     (b. 1907 - d. 1990)
11 Oct 1945 -  1 May 1946  Ray W. Barker                      (b. 1889 - d. 1974)
 1 May 1946 - 13 May 1947  Frank A. Keating                   (b. 1895 - d. 1973)
14 May 1947 - 23 Sep 1947  Cornelius E. Ryan                  (b. 1895? - d. 1972)
24 Sep 1947 - 30 Nov 1947  William Hesketh                    (b. 1895 - d. 1986)
 1 Dec 1947 - 31 Aug 1949  Frank Leo Howley                   (b. 1903 - d. 1993)
31 Aug 1949 - 31 Jan 1951  Maxwell D. Taylor                  (b. 1901 - d. 1987)
 1 Feb 1951 -  2 Jan 1953  Lemuel Mathewson                   (b. 1899? - d. 1970)
 3 Jan 1953 -  4 Aug 1954  Thomas S. Timberman                (b. 1900 - d. 1989)
 5 Aug 1954 -  9 Sep 1955  George B. Honnen                   (b. 1897 - d. 1974)
10 Sep 1955 -  3 Jun 1957  Charles L. Dasher
 4 Jun 1957 - 15 Dec 1959  Barksdale Hamlett                  (b. 1908 - d. 1979)
20 Dec 1959 -  3 May 1961  Ralph M. Osborne
 4 May 1961 -  2 Jan 1963  Albert Watson II                   (b. 1909 - d. 1993)
 2 Jan 1963 - 31 Aug 1964  James H. Polk                      (b. 1911 - d. 1972)
 1 Sep 1964 -  3 Jun 1967  John F. Franklin, Jr.
 3 Jun 1967 - 28 Feb 1970  Robert G. Fergusson                (b. 1911 - d. 2001)
28 Feb 1970 - 12 May 1971  George M. Seignious II             (b. 1921 - d. 2005)
12 May 1971 - 10 Jun 1974  William W. Cobb
10 Jun 1974 - 11 Aug 1975  Sam S. Walker                      (b. 1925)
11 Aug 1975 -  7 Jun 1978  Joseph C. McDonough
 7 Jun 1978 -  5 Jul 1981  Calvert P. Benedict
 5 Jul 1981 - 27 Jun 1984  James G. Boatner
27 Jun 1984 -  1 Jun 1988  John H. Mitchell
 1 Jun 1988 -  2 Oct 1990  Raymond E. Haddock

City commandants
 5 Jul 1945 - 30 Aug 1945  Lewis O. Lyne                      (b. 1899 - d. 1970)
30 Aug 1945 - 13 Jun 1947  Eric P. Nares                      (b. 1892 - d. 1947)
13 Jun 1947 - 23 Jan 1949  Edwin Otway Herbert                (b. 1901 - d. 1984)
23 Jan 1949 - 24 Oct 1951  Geoffrey K. Bourne                 (b. 1902 - d. 1982)
24 Oct 1951 - 13 Mar 1954  Cyril Frederick Charles Coleman    (b. 1903 - d. 1974)
13 Mar 1954 - 30 Apr 1955  William Pasfield Oliver            (b. 1901 - d. 1981)
 1 May 1955 -  6 Feb 1956  Robert Charles Cottrell-Hill       (b. 1903 - d. 1965)
26 Mar 1956 - 20 Mar 1959  Francis David Rome                 (b. 1905 - d. 1985)
23 Mar 1959 -  3 May 1962  Rohan Delacombe                    (b. 1906 - d. 1991)
                             (from 1961, Sir Rohan Delacombe) 
May 1962 - Dec 1962        Claude Ian Hurley Dunbar           (b. 1909 - d. 1971)
Dec 1962 - Jan 1966        David Peel-Yates                   (b. 1911 - d. 1978)
Feb 1966 - Feb 1968        Sir John Nelson                    (b. 1912 - d. 1993)
Mar 1968 - Nov 1970        F. James C. Bowes-Lyon             (b. 1917 - d. 1977)
Nov 1970 - Jul 1973        Alan Cathcart, Earl Cathcart       (b. 1919 - d. 1999)
Aug 1973 - Nov 1975        David W. Scott-Barrett             (b. 1922 - d. 2004)
Nov 1975 - Jan 1978        Roy M.F. Redgrave                  (b. 1925)
Jan 1978 - Sep 1980        Robert F. Richardson               (b. 1929)
Sep 1980 - Oct 1983        J. David Frederick Mostyn          (b. 1928)
Oct 1983 - Dec 1985        B.C. Gordon Lennox                 (b. 1932)
Dec 1985 - Jan 1989        Patrick G. Brooking                (b. 1937)
1989 - 1990                Robert J.S. Corbett                (b. 1940) 

City commandants
11 Jul 1945 - 12 Mar 1946  Geoffroi du Bois de Beauchesne     (b. 1883 - d. 1957)
12 Mar 1946 -  4 Oct 1946  Charles Lancon                     (b. 1890 - d. 1956)
 4 Oct 1946 -  5 Oct 1950  Jean Ganeval                       (b. 1894 - d. 1981)
 1 Oct 1950 - 31 Dec 1952  Pierre Carolet
 1 Jan 1953 - 31 Dec 1954  Pierre Mançeaux-Demiau
 1 Jan 1955 - 30 Sep 1958  Amédée J.B. Gèze                   (b. 1898 - d. 1988)
 1 Oct 1958 - 25 Feb 1962  Jean Lacomme
1962 - 1964                Edouard Toulouse
1964 - 1967                François Binoche                   (b. 1911 - d. 1997)
1967 - 1970                Bernard Huchet de Quenetain
1970 - 1973                Maurice Routier
1973 - 1975                Camille Metzler
1975 - 1977                Jacques Mangin
1977 - 1980                Bernard d'Astorg                   (b. 1921)
1980 - 1984                Jean P. Liron
1984 - 1985                Olivier Le Taillendier de Gabory
1985 - 1987                Paul Cavarrot
1987 - 1990                François Cann                      (b. 1932?)

City commandants
 2 May 1945 - 16 Jun 1945  Nikolay Erastovich Berzarin        (b. 1904 - d. 1945) 
17 Jun 1945 - 19 Nov 1945  Aleksandr Vasilyevich Gorbatov     (b. 1891 - d. 1973) 
19 Nov 1945 -  1 Apr 1946  Dmitry Sergeyevich Smirnov         (b. 1901) 
 1 Apr 1946 -  7 Jun 1950  Aleksandr Georgiyevich Kotikov     (b. 1902 - d. 1981) 
 7 Jun 1950 - Apr 1953     Sergey Alekseyevich Dengin 
Apr 1953 - 23 Jun 1956     Pyotr Akimovich Dibrova            (b. 1901 - d. 1971)
28 Jun 1956 - 26 Feb 1958  Andrey Chamov
26 Feb 1958 -  9 May 1961  Matvey Vasilyevich Zakharov        (b. 1898 - d. 1972) 
 9 May 1961 - 22 Aug 1962  Andrey Soloviev
22 Aug 1962 - 31 May 1971  Helmut Poppe                       (b. 1926 - d. 1979)
 1 Jun 1971 - 31 Aug 1978  Artur Kunath                       (b. 1914)
 1 Sep 1978 - 31 Dec 1989  Karl-Heinz Drews                   (b. 1929)
 1 Jan 1989 - 30 Sep 1990  Wolfgang Dombrowski
30 Sep 1990 -  2 Oct 1990  Detlef Wendorf

21 Jul 1947                Former Prussian province of Brandenburg becomes a state.
 7 Oct 1949                Part of the German Democratic Republic.
23 Jul 1952                State dissolved into districts (Potsdam, Frankfurt, and Cottbus).
 3 Oct 1990                Reconstituted as state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party
21 Apr 1946 - 23 Jul 1952  Willy Sägebrecht                   (b. 1904 - d. 1981)

President of the provisional administration
 4 Jul 1945 - 20 Dec 1946  Karl Steinhoff                     (b. 1892 - d. 1981)  SPD
Minister-presidents
20 Dec 1946 -  5 Dec 1949  Karl Steinhoff                     (s.a.)               SPD;
                                                                      21 Apr 1946: SED 
 5 Dec 1949 - 23 Jul 1952  Rudi Jahn                          (b. 1906 - d. 1990)  SED
 1 Nov 1990 - 26 Jun 2002  Manfred Stolpe                     (b. 1935)            SPD
26 Jun 2002 -              Matthias Platzeck                  (b. 1953)            SPD

 6 Nov 1813                Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.
10 Jan 1919 -  4 Feb 1919  Independent Socialist-Communist Republic of Bremen
                            (Bremer Räterepublik).
 7 Sep 1949                Part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

First Mayor
 1 Jan 1918 - 10 Jan 1919  Hermann Christian Ferdinand        (b. 1849 - d. 1939)  DDP
                             Hildebrand 
Chairman of the Workers' and Soldiers' Council
14 Nov 1918 - 10 Jan 1919  Alfred Henke                       (b. 1868 - d. 1946)  USPD
10 Jan 1919 -  4 Feb 1919  Rat der Volksbeauftragten
                           - Alfred Henke                     (s.a.)               USPD
                           - Adam Frasunkiewicz                                    USPD
                           - Johann Knief                     (b. 1880 - d. 1919)  KPD
                           - Karl Jannack                     (b. 1891 - d. 1968)  SPD
First Mayors
 4 Feb 1919 - Dec 1920     Karl Deichmann                     (b. 1863 - d. 1940)  SPD
                             (provisional to 10 Apr 1919)
Dec 1920 - 18 Mar 1933     Martin Donatus Ferdinand Donandt   (b. 1852 - d. 1937)  Non-party
18 Mar 1933 - 23 Oct 1934  Richard Markert                    (b. 1891 - d. 1957)  NSDAP
                             (Reichskommissar 6 Mar - 13 May 1933)
 5 May 1933 - 15 May 1942  Karl Röver (Reichsstatthalter)     (b. 1889 - d. 1942)  NSDAP
23 Oct 1934 - 22 Jun 1937  Karl Hermann Otto Heider           (b. 1896 - d. 1960)  NSDAP
22 Jun 1937 - 16 Jun 1944  Johann Heinrich Böhmcker           (b. 1896 - d. 1944)  NSDAP
27 May 1942 - Apr 1945     Paul Wegener (Reichsstatthalter)   (b. 1908 - d. 1993)  NSDAP
Jun 1944 - 26 Apr 1945     Richard Duckwitz                   (b. 1886 - d. 1972)  NSDAP
26 Apr 1945 - 30 Apr 1945  Johannes Schroers (acting)                              NSDAP
Governing mayor
 4 May 1945 -  1 Aug 1945  Erich Vagts                        (b. 1896 - d. 1981)  Non-party
Mayors and Presidents of the Senate
 1 Aug 1945 - 20 Jul 1965  Wilhelm Kaisen                     (b. 1887 - d. 1979)  SPD
20 Jul 1965 - 28 Nov 1967  Willy Dehnkamp                     (b. 1903 - d. 1985)  SPD
28 Nov 1967 - 18 Sep 1985  Hans Koschnick                     (b. 1929)            SPD
18 Sep 1985 -  4 Jul 1995  Klaus Wedemeier                    (b. 1944)            SPD
 4 Jul 1995 -  8 Nov 2005  Henning Scherf                     (b. 1938)            SPD
 8 Nov 2005 -              Jens Böhrnsen                      (b. 1949)            SPD

   6 Jan 1922 - 15 Sep 1935; 1945 - 1946
 

Capital: Brunswick (Braunschweig)

State Anthem

Population: 501,675 (1925)

 8 Nov 1918                Free State of Brunswick (Braunschweig).
 9 Dec 1946                Part of Niedersachsen.

President
10 Nov 1918 - 22 Feb 1919  August Ernst Reinhold Merges       (b. 1870 - d. 1945)   USPD
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissioners
10 Nov 1918 - 17 Apr 1919  Sepp Oerter                        (b. 1870 - d. 1928)   USPD
                            (de facto [most powerful member])
Chairman of the Cabinet
17 Apr 1919 - 21 Oct 1919  Heinrich Otto Jasper               (b. 1875 - d. 1945)   SPD
Minister-presidents
21 Oct 1919 - 22 Jun 1920  Heinrich Otto Jasper (1st time)    (s.a.)                SPD
22 Jun 1920 - 25 Nov 1921  Sepp Oerter                        (s.a.)                USPD
25 Nov 1921 - 23 Mar 1922  August Junke                       (b. 1886 - d. 1926)   USPD
23 Mar 1922 - 23 May 1922  Otto Friedrich Wilhelm Antrick     (b. 1858 - d. 1924)   SPD
23 May 1922 - 24 Dec 1924  Heinrich Otto Jasper (2nd time)    (s.a.)                SPD
24 Dec 1924 - 14 Dec 1927  Gerhard Marquordt                  (b. 1881 - d. 1950)   Non-party
14 Dec 1927 -  1 Oct 1930  Heinrich Otto Jasper (3rd time)    (s.a.)                SPD
 1 Oct 1930 -  5 May 1933  Werner Küchenthal                  (b. 1882 - d. 1976)   DNVP
 5 May 1933 - 12 Apr 1945  Dietrich Klagges                   (b. 1891 - d. 1971)   NSDAP
 5 May 1933 - 23 Oct 1935  Friedrich Wilhelm Loeper           (b. 1883 - d. 1935)   NSDAP
                             (Reichsstatthalter)
Oct 1935 - Apr 1937        Fritz Sauckel                      (b. 1894 - d. 1946)   NSDAP
                             (acting Reichsstatthalter)
Apr 1937 - 1945?           Rudolf Jordan (Reichsstatthalter)  (b. 1902 - d. 1988)   NSDAP
Minister-presidents
May 1945 - Jan 1946        Hubert Schlebusch                  (b. 1893 - d. 1955)   SPD
Jan 1946 -  9 Dec 1946     Alfred Kubel                       (b. 1909 - d. 1999)   SPD

20 Dec 1819                Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
 1 Apr 1938                Hanseatic City of Hamburg
 7 Sep 1949                Part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

First mayor
 1 Jan 1918 - 12 Nov 1918  Werner von Melle (2nd time)        (b. 1853 - d. 1937)  Non-party
Chairmen of the Workers' and Soldiers' Council
12 Nov 1918 - 11 Jan 1919  Heinrich Laufenberg                (b. 1872 - d. 1932)  KDP
11 Jan 1919 - 31 Mar 1919  Karl Hense                         (b. 1871 - d. 1946)  SPD
First mayors
31 Mar 1919 - 31 Dec 1919  Werner von Melle (3rd time)        (b. 1853 - d. 1937)  Non-party
 1 Jan 1920 -  2 Feb 1920  Gustav Friedrich Carl Johann       (b. 1856 - d. 1931)  Non-party
                             Sthamer 
 2 Feb 1920 -  3 Jan 1924  Arnold Friedrich Georg Diestel     (b. 1857 - d. 1924)  DDP
 9 Jan 1924 - 31 Dec 1929  Carl Wilhelm Petersen (1st time)   (b. 1868 - d. 1933)  DDP
 1 Jan 1930 - 31 Dec 1931  Rudolf Adolf Wilhelm Ross          (b. 1872 - d. 1951)  SPD
 1 Jan 1932 -  8 Mar 1933  Carl Wilhelm Petersen (2nd time)   (s.a.)               DDP
 8 Mar 1933 - 30 Jul 1936  Carl Vincent Krogmann              (b. 1889 - d. 1978)  NSDAP
                             (from 18 May 1933, Governing Mayor)
30 Jul 1936 -  3 May 1945  Karl Otto Kurt Kaufmann            (b. 1900 - d. 1969)  NSDAP
                             (also Reichsstatthalter 16 May 1933 - 3 May 1945)
15 May 1945 - 22 Nov 1946  Rudolf Petersen                    (b. 1879 - d. 1962)  Non-party
22 Nov 1946 -  2 Dec 1953  Max Brauer (1st time)              (b. 1887 - d. 1973)  SPD
 2 Dec 1953 -  4 Dec 1957  Kurt Sieveking                     (b. 1897 - d. 1986)  CDU
 4 Dec 1957 -  1 Jan 1961  Max Brauer (2nd time)              (s.a.)               SPD
 1 Jan 1961 -  9 Jun 1965  Paul Nevermann                     (b. 1902 - d. 1979)  SPD
 9 Jun 1965 - 16 Jun 1971  Herbert Weichmann                  (b. 1896 - d. 1983)  SPD
16 Jun 1971 - 12 Nov 1974  Peter Schulz                       (b. 1930)            SPD
12 Nov 1974 - 24 Jun 1981  Hans-Ulrich Klose                  (b. 1937)            SPD
24 Jun 1981 -  8 Jun 1988  Klaus von Dohnanyi                 (b. 1928)            SPD
 8 Jun 1988 - 12 Nov 1997  Henning Voscherau                  (b. 1941)            SPD
12 Nov 1997 - 31 Oct 2001  Ortwin Runde                       (b. 1944)            SPD
31 Oct 2001 -              Ole von Beust                      (b. 1955)            CDU

                5 Dec 1945 - 9 Dec 1946

Oberpräsident
12 Jul 1945 - 21 Aug 1946  August Josef Hagemann              (b. 1875 - d. 1950)  CDU
Minister-president
23 Aug 1946 -  9 Dec 1946  Heinrich Wilhelm Kopf              (b. 1893 - d. 1961)  SPD

 2 Mar 1919                People's State of Hesse (Volksstaates Hessen).
19 Sep 1945                Land Hesse(-Darmstadt)(without administrative district of
                             Rheinhessen) was merged with the greater part of Prussian
                             provinces of Kurhessen and Nassau to form Gross-Hessen.
 1 Dec 1946                Renamed Hessen (or Land Hesse).
 7 Sep 1949                Part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Minister-president
11 Nov 1918 -  2 Mar 1919  Karl Ulrich                        (b. 1853 - d. 1933)  SPD
State presidents
 2 Mar 1919 - 14 Feb 1928  Karl Ulrich                        (s.a.)               SPD
14 Feb 1928 - 13 Mar 1933  Bernhard Adelung                   (b. 1876 - d. 1943)  SPD
13 Mar 1933 - May 1933     Heinrich Joseph Philipp Müller     (b. 1896 - d. 1945) 
May 1933 - 23 Sep 1933     Ferdinand Werner                   (b. 1876 - d. 1961)  NSDAP
23 Sep 1933 -  1 Mar 1935  Philipp Wilhelm Jung               (b. 1884 - d. 1965)  NSDAP
 1 Mar 1935 - Mar 1945     Jakob Sprenger                     (b. 1884 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
                            (also Reichsstatthalter 5 May 1933 - Mar 1945)
Mar 1945                   Reiner (acting)
14 Apr 1945 - 19 Sep 1945  Ludwig Bergsträsser (acting)       (b. 1883 - d. 1960)  Non-party
Minister-presidents
19 Sep 1945 - 16 Oct 1945  Ludwig Bergsträsser                (s.a.)               Non-party
16 Oct 1945 - 20 Dec 1946  Karl Hermann Geiler                (b. 1878 - d. 1953)  Non-party
20 Dec 1946 - 14 Dec 1950  Christian Stock                    (b. 1884 - d. 1967)  SPD
14 Dec 1950 -  3 Oct 1969  Georg August Zinn                  (b. 1901 - d. 1976)  SPD
 3 Oct 1969 - 12 Oct 1976  Albert Osswald                     (b. 1919 - d. 1996)  SPD
12 Oct 1976 - 23 Apr 1987  Holger Börner                      (b. 1931 - d. 2006)  SPD
23 Apr 1987 -  5 Apr 1991  Walter Wallmann                    (b. 1932)            CDU
 5 Apr 1991 -  7 Apr 1999  Hans Eichel                        (b. 1941)            SPD
 7 Apr 1999 -              Roland Koch                        (b. 1958)            CDU

   1918 - 15 Sep 1935, 1946 - 21 Jan 1947

12 Nov 1918                Free State of Lippe (-Detmold)
21 Jan 1947                Part of Nordrhein-Westfalen.

First Chairman People's and Soldiers Council
Nov 1918 - 13 Feb 1919     Clemens Becker                      (b. 1869 - d. 1961)  SPD
Chairmen of State Presidium
13 Feb 1919 - 17 Dec 1920  Clemens Becker                      (s.a.)               SPD
17 Dec 1920 -  8 Jun 1921  Heinrich Hermann Drake (1st time)   (b. 1881 - d. 1970)  SPD
 8 Jun 1921 - 14 Jun 1921  Wilhelm Meier                                            SPD
                            (chairman State Committee)
14 Jun 1921 -  7 Feb 1933  Heinrich Hermann Drake (2nd time)   (s.a.)               SDP
                            (from 1932, president of the state government)
Ministers of state 
 7 Feb 1933 - 23 May 1933  Ernst Krappe                                             NSDAP
23 May 1933 - 1936         Hans Joachim Riecke                 (b. 1899 - d. 19..)  NSDAP
16 May 1933 - Apr 1945     Alfred Meyer                        (b. 1891 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
                            (also Reichsstatthalter 16 May 1933 - 4 Apr 1945)
State president
 9 May 1946 - 21 Jan 1947  Heinrich Hermann Drake              (s.a.)               SPD

    19 Nov 1890 - 15 Sep 1935 State Flag

    

Capital: Lübeck

State Anthem

Population: 127,971 (1925)

1813                       Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 
 1 Apr 1937                Part of Prussia.

Presiding mayors
 1 Jan 1917 - 1920         Emil Ferdinand Fehling           (b. 1847 - d. 1927)  Non-party
1920 - 1926                Johann Martin Andreas Neumann    (b. 1865 - d. 1928)  Non-party
1926 - May 1933            Paul B. Heinrich Löwigt          (b. 1873 - d. 1934)  SDP
May 1933 - 31 Mar 1937     Otto Heinrich Drechsler          (b. 1895 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
26 May 1933 - 31 Mar 1937  Friedrich Hildebrandt            (b. 1898 - d. 1948)  NSDAP 
                             (Reichsstatthalter)

Capital: Schwerin

State Anthem

Population: 1,745,000  (2002)

 

14 Nov 1918                Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Free State of

                             Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

 1 Jan 1934                Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz united (Mecklenburg).

 9 Jul 1945                Mecklenburg and part of the Prussian province of Pomerania

                             merged as Mecklenburg.

31 Jul 1945                Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

 1 Mar 1947                Mecklenburg

 7 Oct 1949                Part of the German Democratic Republic.

23 Jul 1952                State dissolved into districts (Schwerin, Rostock,

                             and Neubrandenburg).

 3 Oct 1990                Reconstituted as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,

                             state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

1918 - 31 Dec 1933 Civil flag

1918 - 31 Dec 1933  Merchant flag

Capital: Schwerin in Mecklenburg

State Anthem

Population: 674,411 (1925)

President of the state ministry
 9 Nov 1918 - 1919         Hugo Wendorff                     (b. 1864 - d. 1945)  DDP
Minister-presidents
1919 - 28 Jul 1920         Hugo Wendorff                     (s.a.)               DDP
28 Jul 1920 - 14 Jan 1921  Hermann Reincke-Bloch             (b. 1867 - d. 1928)  DVP
14 Jan 1921 - 18 Mar 1924  Johannes Stelling                 (b. 1877 - d. 1933)  SPD
18 Mar 1924 -  8 Jul 1926  Joachim Freiherr von Brandenstein (b. 1864 - d. 1941)  DNVP 
 8 Jul 1926 - 10 Jul 1929  Paul Schröder                     (b. 1875 - d. 1932)  SPD
10 Jul 1929 - 13 Jul 1932  Karl Eschenburg                   (b. 1877 - d. 1943)  CNM
13 Jul 1932 - 10 Aug 1933  Walter Granzow                    (b. 1887 - d. 1952)  NSDAP
10 Aug 1933 - 31 Dec 1933  Hans Egon Engell                  (b. 1897 - d. 1974)  NSDAP
26 May 1933 - 31 Dec 1933  Friedrich Hildebrandt             (b. 1898 - d. 1948)  NSDAP 
                            (Reichsstatthalter) 

             24 May 1923 - 31 Dec 1933
 

Capital: Neu-Strelitz

State Anthem

Population: 110,371 (1925)

Chairmen of the state ministry
11 Nov 1918 -  7 Jan 1919  Peter Franz Stubmann              (b. 1876 - d. 1962)  DDP
 7 Jan 1919 - 13 Oct 1919  Hans Krüger                       (b. 1884 - d. 1933)  SPD
Ministers of state
13 Oct 1919 -  2 Aug 1923  Kurt Gustav Hans Otto             (b. 1877 - d. 1937)  SPD
                             Freiherr von Reibnitz (1st time)
 2 Aug 1923 - 13 Mar 1928  Karl Schwabe                      (b. 1877 - d. 1938)  DNVP
13 Mar 1928 - 12 Apr 1929  Kurt Gustav Hans Otto             (s.a.)               SPD
                             Freiherr von Reibnitz (2nd time) 
12 Apr 1929 - 16 Apr 1929  Kurt Häntzschel (Reichskommissar) (b. 1889 - d. 19..)
16 Apr 1929 -  4 Dec 1931  Kurt Gustav Hans Otto             (s.a.)               SPD 
                             Freiherr von Reibnitz (3rd time) 
 4 Dec 1931 - 27 May 1933  Heinrich Wilhelm Ferdinand        (b. 1888 - d. 1942)  DNVP
                             von Michael 
27 May 1933 - 31 Dec 1933  Fritz Stichtenoth                 (b. 1895 - d. 1935)  NSDAP
26 May 1933 - 31 Dec 1933  Friedrich Hildebrandt             (b. 1989 - d. 1948)  NSDAP 
                            (Reichsstatthalter) 

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
21 Apr 1946 - 28 Jul 1951  Kurt Bürger                         (b. 1894 - d. 1951)
1951 - 1952                Karl Mewis                          (b. 1907 - d. 1987)

Minister-presidents
 1 Jan 1934 - 25 Oct 1934  Hans Egon Engell                    (s.a.)               NSDAP
25 Oct 1934 - May 1945     Friedrich Scharf                    (b. 1897 - d. 1974)  NSDAP
 1 Jan 1934 -  1 May 1945  Friedrich Hildebrandt               (b.