Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany

Germany Federal Minister for Special Affairs
German: Bundesminister für besondere Aufgaben
Incumbent Wolfgang Schmidt since 8 December 2021
German Chancellery
Formation	6 October 1953
First holder	Franz Josef Strauß

A Federal Minister for Special Affairs (German: Bundesminister für besondere Aufgaben, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsmiˌnɪstɐ fyːɐ̯ bəˈzɔndəʁə ˈʔaʊ̯fˌɡaːbm̩] ) is a member of the German government without portfolio.

Early Minister for Special Affairs were assigned different tasks by the Chancellor. For example, Robert Tillmanns, one of the first two Ministers for Special Affairs, represented the federal government in the Council of Elders of the Bundestag. Other responsibilities delegated to different Ministers for Special Affairs included the middle class, water management, the Federal Defense Council or the affairs of the Vice-Chancellor of Germany.

Since 1964, this use of the title fell out of favour. Instead, the title is often given to the Chief of staff of the Chancellery to provide him with a vote in cabinet meetings. The last Chief of staff of the Chancellery not to concurrently hold the title of minister special affairs was Frank-Walter Steinmeier (1999–2005), who instead retained the lower Secretary of State rank; however regardless of ministerial rank, the title "Kanzleramtsminister" (Minister of the Chancellery) is frequently used to refer to the job. Historically, appointees to the ministry who weren't heads of the chancellery at the same time have often been important political aides or politicians waiting for a portfolio or representatives of certain parties, groups or regions.

For instance, after German reunification in 1990, some members of the final East German government, former Association of Free Democrats (the affiliated group of the FDP, the then-junior coalition partner) Volkskammer leader Rainer Ortleb and President of the Volkskammer Sabine Bergmann-Pohl were appointed as Federal Ministers for Special Affairs, in order to provide a representation of the New states of Germany in the federal government.

List of Federal Ministers for Special Affairs

Political Party:   CSU   CDU   SPD   FDP   GB/BHE

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office			Political Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Franz Josef Strauß (1915–1988)	6 October 1953	12 October 1955	2 years, 6 days	Christian Social Union
		Robert Tillmanns (1896–1955)	20 October 1953	12 November 1955 (died in office)	2 years, 23 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Waldemar Kraft (1898–1977)	20 October 1953	12 October 1955	2 years, 23 days	All-German Bloc/ League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights
		Hermann Schäfer (1892–1966)	20 October 1953	16 October 1956	2 years, 362 days	Free Democratic Party
		Heinrich Krone (1895–1989)	14 November 1961	30 November 1966	5 years, 16 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Ludger Westrick (1894–1990)	16 June 1964	30 November 1966	2 years, 167 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Horst Ehmke (1927–2017)	22 October 1969	15 December 1972	3 years, 54 days	Social Democratic Party
		Werner Maihofer (1918–2009)	15 December 1972	16 May 1974	1 year, 152 days	Free Democratic Party
		Egon Bahr (1922–2015)	15 December 1972	16 May 1974	1 year, 152 days	Social Democratic Party
		Wolfgang Schäuble (1942-2023)	15 November 1984	21 April 1989	4 years, 157 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Rudolf Seiters (born 1937)	21 April 1989	26 November 1991	2 years, 219 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Hans Klein (1931–1996)	26 November 1989	20 December 1990	1 year, 24 days	Christian Social Union
		Lothar de Maizière (born 1940)	3 October 1990	19 December 1990	77 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	3 October 1990	17 January 1991	106 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Günther Krause (born 1953)	3 October 1990	17 January 1991	106 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Rainer Ortleb (born 1944)	3 October 1990	17 January 1991	106 days	Free Democratic Party
		Hansjoachim Walther (1939–2005)	3 October 1990	17 January 1991	106 days	German Social Union
		Friedrich Bohl (born 1945)	26 November 1991	27 October 1998	7 years, 283 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Bodo Hombach (born 1952)	27 October 1998	7 July 1999	253 days	Social Democratic Party
		Thomas de Maizière (born 1954)	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	3 years, 339 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Ronald Pofalla (born 1959)	28 October 2009	17 December 2013	4 years, 50 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Peter Altmaier (born 1958)	17 December 2013	14 March 2018	4 years, 87 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Helge Braun (born 1972)	14 March 2018	8 December 2021	3 years, 269 days	Christian Democratic Union
		Wolfgang Schmidt (born 1970)	8 December 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 8 days	Social Democratic Party