A Federal Minister for Special Affairs (, ) is a member of the German government without portfolio.
Ministers for Special Affairs are fully-fledged members of the cabinet, but are not assigned their own ministry. The reasons why a chancellor appoints one or more such ministers to his cabinet can vary and are entirely up to him. In the early days of the Federal Republic, the title was awarded frequently and for very different reasons. 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 the 1960s, it has become customary to give the Head of the Chancellery cabinet rank by such appointment. However, this is still not obligatory: the head of the Chancellery can also be appointed at the lower rank of State Secretary, which was last done by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the case of Frank-Walter Steinmeier (1999–2005).
After the German reunification in 1990, the title was used to integrate some members of the final East German government into the cabinet, in order to provide a representation of the New states of Germany in the federal government.
There is currently one Minister for Special Affairs, Nina Warken (since 29 July 2026), who is also Head of the Chancellery.
List of Federal Ministers for Special Affairs Political Party:
PortraitNameResponsibilitiesTerm of OfficePolitical PartyTook officeLeft officeTime in office 1 Franz Josef StraußN/A6 October 195312 October 1955Christian Social Union 2 Robert Tillmannsrepresented cabinet in the Council of Elders of the German Bundestag 20 October 1953 12 November 1955(died in office) Christian Democratic Union 3 Waldemar Kraftresponsible for water management 20 October 1953 12 October 1955 All-German Bloc/ League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights 4 Hermann Schäferresponsible for small and medium-sized businesses 20 October 1953 16 October 1956 Free Democratic Party 5 Heinrich KroneFederal Defense Council questions 14 November 1961 30 November 1966 Christian Democratic Union 6 Ludger WestrickHead of the Federal Chancellery 16 June 1964 30 November 1966 Christian Democratic Union 7 Horst EhmkeHead of the Federal Chancellery 22 October 1969 15 December 1972 Social Democratic Party 8 Werner MaihoferMinister for Vice-Chancellor's Affairs 15 December 1972 16 May 1974 Free Democratic Party 9 Egon BahrFederal Minister in the Federal Chancellery 15 December 1972 16 May 1974 Social Democratic Party 10 Wolfgang SchäubleHead of the Federal Chancellery 15 November 1984 21 April 1989 Christian Democratic Union 11 Rudolf SeitersHead of the Federal Chancellery 21 April 1989 26 November 1991 Christian Democratic Union 12 Hans Kleingovernment spokesman and head of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government 26 November 1989 20 December 1990 Christian Social Union 13 Lothar de Maizièreafter German reunification 3 October 1990 19 December 1990 Christian Democratic Union 14 Sabine Bergmann-Pohl 3 October 1990 17 January 1991 Christian Democratic Union 15 Günther Krause 3 October 1990 17 January 1991 Christian Democratic Union 16 Rainer Ortleb 3 October 1990 17 January 1991 Free Democratic Party 17 Hansjoachim Walther 3 October 1990 17 January 1991 German Social Union 18 Friedrich BohlHead of the Federal Chancellery 26 November 1991 27 October 1998 Christian Democratic Union 19 Bodo HombachHead of the Federal Chancellery 27 October 1998 7 July 1999 Social Democratic Party 20 Thomas de MaizièreHead of the Federal Chancellery 22 November 2005 27 October 2009 Christian Democratic Union 21 Ronald PofallaHead of the Federal Chancellery 28 October 2009 17 December 2013 Christian Democratic Union 22 Peter AltmaierHead of the Federal Chancellery 17 December 2013 14 March 2018 Christian Democratic Union 23 Helge BraunHead of the Federal Chancellery 14 March 2018 8 December 2021 Christian Democratic Union 24 Wolfgang SchmidtHead of the Federal Chancellery 8 December 2021 6 May 2025 Social Democratic Party 25Thorsten FreiHead of the Federal Chancellery 6 May 2025 Incumbent Christian Democratic Union 26Nina WarkenHead of the Federal Chancellery Designated Christian Democratic Union