Heidelberg is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 274. It is located in northwestern Baden-Württemberg, comprising the city of Heidelberg and the northern part of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district.
Heidelberg was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Whilst the Christian Democratic Union won a plurality in the 2025 election, under the new voting system, their candidate did not actually win a seat in the Bundestag. This was due to the distribution of seats won by the CDU being decided by the first (direct) vote percentage of each winning CDU candidate, determining who took the seats. As the CDU candidate got a low vote of 29.2%, the seat will remain vacant throughout the 21st Bundestag.
Geography Heidelberg is located in northwestern Baden-Württemberg. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Heidelberg and the municipalities of Dossenheim, Edingen-Neckarhausen, Eppelheim, Heddesheim, Hemsbach, Hirschberg an der Bergstraße, Ilvesheim, Ladenburg, Laudenbach, Schriesheim, and Weinheim from the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district.
History Heidelberg was created in 1949. In the 1965 through 1976 elections, it was named Heidelberg-Stadt. In the 1949 election, it was Württemberg-Baden Landesbezirk Baden constituency 3 in the number system. In the 1953 through 1961 elections, it was number 177. In the 1965 through 1976 elections, it was number 181. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it was number 178. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 275. Since the 2009 election, it has been number 274.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent city of Heidelberg and the Landkreis Heidelberg district. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it comprised the city of Heidelberg, the Eppelheim municipality from the Landkreis Heidelberg district, and the municipalities of Altlußheim, Brühl, Hockenheim, Ketsch, Neulußheim, Oftersheim, Plankstadt, Reilingen, and Schwetzingen from the Landkreis Mannheim district. In the 1976 through 1998 elections, its borders did not change, but its area from the Landkreis Mannheim and Landkreis Heidelberg districts became part of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Heidelberg Heidelberg city Landkreis Heidelberg district 1953 177 1957 1961 1965 181 Heidelberg-Stadt Heidelberg city Landkreis Heidelberg district (only Eppelheim municipality) Landkreis Mannheim district (only Altlußheim, Brühl, Hockenheim, Ketsch, Neulußheim, Oftersheim, Plankstadt, Reilingen, and Schwetzingen municipalities) 1969 1972 1976 Heidelberg city Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district (only Altlußheim, Brühl, Eppelheim, Hockenheim, Ketsch, Neulußheim, Oftersheim, Plankstadt, Reilingen, and Schwetzingen municipalities) 1980 178 Heidelberg 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 275 Heidelberg city Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district (only Dossenheim, Edingen-Neckarhausen, Eppelheim, Heddesheim, Hemsbach, Hirschberg an der Bergstraße, Ilvesheim, Ladenburg, Laudenbach, Schriesheim, and Weinheim municipalities) 2005 2009 274 2013 2017 2021 2025
Members The constituency was first represented by Eduard Wahl of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1949 to 1969. It was won by Alex Möller of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1969, who served until 1976. Karl Weber of the CDU was elected in 1976, and served one term. Hartmut Soell regained it for the SPD in 1980. Udo Ehrbar of the CDU was representative from 1983 to 1994. Karl A. Lamers of the CDU was elected in 1994 and served one term. Lothar Binding of the SPD was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. Former member Lamers regained the constituency in 2005 and served as representative until 2021. Franziska Brantner won it for the Greens in 2021. The seat has been vacant since the 2025 election.
Election Member Party % 1949 Eduard Wahl CDU 36.7 1953 48.3 1957 52.6 1961 45.4 1965 47.3 1969 Alex Möller SPD 45.8 1972 49.6 1976 Karl Weber CDU 48.4 1980 Hartmut Soell SPD 44.9 1983 Udo Ehrbar CDU 48.9 1987 43.9 1990 42.8 1994 Karl A. Lamers CDU 43.2 1998 Lothar Binding SPD 44.5 2002 42.9 2005 Karl A. Lamers CDU 38.7 2009 36.1 2013 40.9 2017 32.7 2021 Franziska Brantner GRÜNE 30.2 2025Vacant
Election results 2025 election Under the new voting system implemented for the 2025 election, although the CDU candidate won the most votes in this constituency, due to the low winning percentage, the constituency seat will remain vacant as not enough second (party) votes were won to be allocated this seat.
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
Notes
References