Angela Merkel Photo: Ute Grabowsky/photothek.net

Angela Merkel has been head of the German Government since 22 November 2005. She is the first woman and the first former East German to hold this office.

Before Merkel, seven men headed the German Government after 1949. Each of them faced very different challenges – and at the same time left his mark on account of his power to determine general guidelines of government policy.