List of German interior ministers

Federal Minister of the Interior
Federal Minister of the Interior
Bundesminister des Innern
	Coat of arms
	State flag
	Incumbent; Alexander Dobrindt; since 6 May 2025
	Federal Ministry of the Interior
Style	Herr Bundesminister
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	Chancellor of Germany
Seat	Alt-Moabit 140, Berlin
Appointer	The president; on advice of the chancellor
Formation	21 December 1879
First holder	Karl von Hofmann
Website	bmi.bund.de

The federal minister of the interior (German: Bundesminister des Innern) is the head of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and a member of the Cabinet of Germany.

The current federal minister of the interior is Alexander Dobrindt, since 6 May 2025.

List of officeholders

Secretaries of state for the interior, 1879–1919

Political party: Zentrum

	Party	Term of office		Chancellor
Karl von Hofmann (1827–1910)	N/A	21 December 1879	31 August 1880	Bismarck
Karl Heinrich von Boetticher (1833–1907)	N/A	1 September 1880	1 July 1897	Bismarck Caprivi Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner (1845–1932)	N/A	1 July 1897	24 June 1907	Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Bülow
Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (1856–1921)	N/A	24 June 1907	10 July 1909	Bülow
Clemens von Delbrück (1856–1921)	N/A	14 July 1909	22 May 1916	Bethmann Hollweg
Karl Helfferich (1872–1924)	N/A	22 May 1916	24 October 1917	Bethmann Hollweg Michaelis
Max Wallraf (1859–1941)	N/A	25 October 1917	9 November 1918	Michaelis Hertling (I) Baden (I)
Karl Trimborn (1854–1921)	Zentrum	14 November 1918	13 February 1919	Ebert (Council of the People's Deputies)

Ministers of the interior, 1919–1945

Political party: DDP DNVP DVP NSDAP SPD Zentrum

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Government	Ref.
1		Preuß, HugoHugo Preuß (1860–1925)	13 February 1919	20 June 1919	127 days		DDP	Scheidemann
2		David, EduardEduard David (1863–1930)	21 June 1919	3 October 1919	104 days		SPD	Bauer
3		Koch-Weser, ErichErich Koch-Weser (1875–1944)	3 October 1919	4 May 1921	1 year, 213 days		DDP	Bauer Müller I Fehrenbach
4		Gradnauer, GeorgGeorg Gradnauer (1866–1946)	10 May 1921	22 October 1921	165 days		SPD	Wirth I
5		Köster, AdolfAdolf Köster (1883–1930)	26 October 1921	14 November 1922	1 year, 19 days		SPD	Wirth II
6		Oeser, RudolfRudolf Oeser (1858–1926)	22 November 1922	12 August 1923	263 days		DDP	Cuno
7		Sollmann, WilhelmWilhelm Sollmann (1881–1951)	14 August 1923	3 November 1923	81 days		SPD	Stresemann I
8		Jarres, KarlKarl Jarres (1874–1951)	11 November 1923	15 December 1924	1 year, 34 days		DVP	Stresemann II Marx I–II
9		Schiele, MartinMartin Schiele (1870–1939)	15 January 1925	23 October 1925	281 days		DNVP	Luther I
–		Gessler, OttoOtto Gessler (1875–1955) Acting	23 October 1925	5 December 1925	43 days		DDP	Luther I
10		Külz, WilhelmWilhelm Külz (1875–1948)	20 January 1926	17 December 1926	331 days		DDP	Luther II Marx III
11		Keudell, Walter vonWalter von Keudell (1884–1973)	January 1927	12 June 1928	1 year, 5 months		DNVP	Marx IV
12		Severing, CarlCarl Severing (1875–1952)	28 June 1928	27 March 1930	1 year, 272 days		SPD	Müller II
13		Wirth, JosephJoseph Wirth (1879–1956)	30 March 1930	7 October 1931	1 year, 191 days		Centre	Brüning I
14		Groener, WilhelmWilhelm Groener (1867–1939)	9 October 1931	30 May 1932	234 days		Independent	Brüning II
15		Gayl, Wilhelm vonWilhelm von Gayl (1879–1945)	1 June 1932	17 November 1932	169 days		DNVP	Papen
16		Bracht, FranzFranz Bracht (1877–1933)	3 December 1932	28 January 1933	56 days		Independent	Schleicher
17		Frick, WilhelmWilhelm Frick (1877–1946)	30 January 1933	20 August 1943	10 years, 202 days		NSDAP	Hitler
18		Himmler, HeinrichHeinrich Himmler (1900–1945)	24 August 1943	29 April 1945	1 year, 248 days		NSDAP	Hitler	^[1]^[2]^[3]
19		Giesler, PaulPaul Giesler (1895–1945)	30 April 1945	3 May 1945	3 days		NSDAP	Goebbels
20		Stuckart, WilhelmWilhelm Stuckart (1902–1953)	3 May 1945^[4]	23 May 1945	20 days		NSDAP	Schwerin von Krosigk

Ministers of the interior of the GDR, 1949–1990

Political party: SED DSU

No.	Minister of the Interior	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Chairman
1	Steinhoff, KarlKarl Steinhoff (1892–1981)	11 October 1949	6 May 1953	3 years, 6 months	SED	Grotewohl
2	Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	6 May 1953	1 July 1955	2 years, 1 month	SED	Grotewohl
3	Maron, KarlKarl Maron (1903–1975)	1 July 1955	14 November 1963	8 years, 4 months	SED	Grotewohl
4	Dickel, FriedrichFriedrich Dickel (1913–1993)	14 November 1963	18 November 1989	26 years	SED	Grotewohl Stoph Sindermann Stoph
5	Ahrendt, LotharLothar Ahrendt (born 1936)	18 November 1989	12 April 1990	4 months	SED	Modrow
6	Diestel, Peter-MichaelPeter-Michael Diestel (born 1952)	12 April 1990	2 October 1990	5 months	DSU	de Maizière

Ministers of the interior (Bundesminister des Innern), since 1949

Political party: CDU CSU FDP SPD

No.	Minister of the Interior	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1	Heinemann, GustavGustav Heinemann (1899–1976)	20 September 1949	11 October 1950	1 year, 21 days	CDU	Adenauer I
2	Lehr, RobertRobert Lehr (1883–1956)	11 October 1950	20 October 1953	3 years, 9 days	CDU	Adenauer I
3	Schröder, GerhardGerhard Schröder (1910–1989)	20 October 1953	13 November 1961	8 years, 24 days	CDU	Adenauer II–III
4	Höcherl, HermannHermann Höcherl (1912–1989)	14 November 1961	25 October 1965	3 years, 345 days	CSU	Adenauer IV–V Erhard I
5	Lücke, PaulPaul Lücke (1914–1976)	26 October 1965	2 April 1968	2 years, 159 days	CDU	Erhard II Kiesinger
6	Benda, ErnstErnst Benda (1925–2009)	2 April 1968	21 October 1969	1 year, 202 days	CDU	Kiesinger
7	Genscher, Hans-DietrichHans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016)	22 October 1969	16 May 1974	4 years, 216 days	FDP	Brandt I–II
8	Maihofer, WernerWerner Maihofer (1918–2009)	16 May 1974	8 June 1978	4 years, 23 days	FDP	Schmidt I–II
9	Baum, GerhartGerhart Baum (1932–2025)	8 June 1978	17 September 1982	4 years, 101 days	FDP	Schmidt II–III
10	Schmude, JürgenJürgen Schmude (1936–2025)	17 September 1982	1 October 1982	14 days	SPD	Schmidt III
11	Zimmermann, FriedrichFriedrich Zimmermann (1925–2012)	4 October 1982	21 April 1989	6 years, 199 days	CSU	Kohl I–II–III
12	Schäuble, WolfgangWolfgang Schäuble (1942–2023)	21 April 1989	26 November 1991	2 years, 219 days	CDU	Kohl III–IV
13	Seiters, RudolfRudolf Seiters (born 1937)	26 November 1991	7 July 1993	1 year, 223 days	CDU	Kohl IV
14	Kanther, ManfredManfred Kanther (born 1939)	7 July 1993	27 October 1998	5 years, 112 days	CDU	Kohl IV–V
15	Schily, OttoOtto Schily (born 1932)	27 October 1998	22 November 2005	7 years, 26 days	SPD	Schröder I–II
(12)	Schäuble, WolfgangWolfgang Schäuble (1942–2023)	22 November 2005	28 October 2009	3 years, 340 days	CDU	Merkel I
16	Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière (born 1954)	28 October 2009	3 March 2011	1 year, 126 days	CDU	Merkel II
17	Friedrich, Hans-PeterHans-Peter Friedrich (born 1957)	3 March 2011	17 December 2013	2 years, 289 days	CSU	Merkel II
(16)	Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière (born 1954)	17 December 2013	14 March 2018	4 years, 87 days	CDU	Merkel III
18	Seehofer, HorstHorst Seehofer (born 1949)	14 March 2018	8 December 2021	3 years, 269 days	CSU	Merkel IV
19	Faeser, NancyNancy Faeser (born 1970)	8 December 2021	6 May 2025	3 years, 149 days	SPD	Scholz
20	Dobrindt, AlexanderAlexander Dobrindt (born 1970)	6 May 2025	Incumbent	318 days	CSU	Merz

References

^ US War Department, Office of Strategic Services (2001). "The Career of Heinrich Himmler" (PDF). CIA.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
^ "HIMMLER TO CURB UNREST IN REICH". The New York Times. 25 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
^ "HIMMLER'S PROMOTION". The New York Times. 26 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
^ "II/2025 - Das Reichsministerium des Innern | Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz". www.ghwk.de. Retrieved 15 September 2025.

External links

bmi.bund.de

[1] US War Department, Office of Strategic Services (2001). "The Career of Heinrich Himmler" (PDF). CIA.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

[2] "HIMMLER TO CURB UNREST IN REICH". The New York Times. 25 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

[3] "HIMMLER'S PROMOTION". The New York Times. 26 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

[4] "II/2025 - Das Reichsministerium des Innern | Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz". www.ghwk.de. Retrieved 15 September 2025.

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Interior ministers of Germany
German Empire (1871–1918)	Karl Hofmann Karl Heinrich von Boetticher Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg Clemens von Delbrück Karl Helfferich Max Wallraf Karl Trimborn
Weimar Republic (1918–33)	Friedrich Ebert Hugo Preuß Eduard David Erich Koch-Weser Georg Gradnauer Adolf Köster Rudolf Oeser Wilhelm Sollmann Karl Jarres Martin Schiele Otto Geßler Wilhelm Külz Walter von Keudell Carl Severing Joseph Wirth Wilhelm Groener Wilhelm von Gayl Franz Bracht
Nazi Germany (1933–45)	Wilhelm Frick Heinrich Himmler Paul Giesler Wilhelm Stuckart
German Democratic Republic¹ (1949–90)	Karl Steinhoff Willi Stoph Karl Maron Friedrich Dickel Lothar Ahrendt Peter-Michael Diestel
Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present)	Gustav Heinemann Robert Lehr Gerhard Schröder Hermann Höcherl Paul Lücke Ernst Benda Hans-Dietrich Genscher Werner Maihofer Gerhart Baum Jürgen Schmude Friedrich Zimmermann Wolfgang Schäuble Rudolf Seiters Manfred Kanther Otto Schily Wolfgang Schäuble Thomas de Maizière Hans-Peter Friedrich Thomas de Maizière Horst Seehofer Nancy Faeser Alexander Dobrindt
¹ East Germany