The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (, ; abbreviated BMWE, formerly BMWK and BMWi) is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was previously known as the "Ministry of Economy". It was recreated in 2005 as "Ministry of Economics and Technology" after it had previously been merged with other ministries to form the Federal Ministry for Economics and Labour between 2002 and 2005. The ministry is advised by the Council of Advisors on Digital Economy.

History The historical predecessor of the current Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action was the Reichswirtschaftsamt (Reich Economic Office), founded in 1917. In 1919, this became the Reichswirtschaftsministerium (Reich Ministry of Economy), which existed until 1945.

In postwar occupied Germany, its functions were exercised by the Administrative Office of Economy () between 1946 and 1949. After the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Ministry of Economics () existed from 1949 to 1998. From May 1971 to December 1972, it was temporarily merged with the Federal Ministry of Finance, in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Finance. In 1998 the technology section of the Ministry of Research was added, making it the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Between 2002 and 2005, it was merged with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and one part of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - the other part being merged with the old Federal Ministry for Health, then the Ministry of Health and Social Security. This transformations aimed to consolidate the policy-fields of economics and labour market, on which the second term of chancellor Gerhard Schröder wanted to focus, into one hand. Because the new Ministry was very large and important, it was often referred to as a super-ministry (Superministerium) and its minister as a super-minister (Superminister). The creation of the new Ministry was widely seen as failed, basically because of the poor performance of the only office-holder Wolfgang Clement.

Under the following grand coalition headed by Angela Merkel, the portfolio reshuffle was reversed, and the old Federal Ministries of Economics and Technology, of Labour and Social Affairs and of Health were created once again as Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. It was renamed to Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in 2013. In order of the Federal Republic of Germany the Ministry has published a fact sheet on the unique dual vocational training system.

Structure

The Ministry is organised into 10 departments and one central department. Central Administration – Z European Policy – E Economic Policy – I Economic Stabilisation and Energy Security – WE Climate Action – K Energy Policy: Heating and Efficiency – II Energy Policy: Electricity and Grid – III Industrial Policy – IV External Economic Policy – V Digital and Innovation Policy – VI SME Policy - VII

The ministry is headquartered in Berlin.

Agencies In addition to its own operations, the Ministry also oversees the following agencies: The Ministry's Agencies Federal Cartel Office Federal Network Agency Federal Office of Economics and Export Control Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources German National Metrology Institute

Ministers and Secretaries of State

Ministers Political Party:

Name(Born–died) Portrait Party Term of Office Chancellor(Cabinet) Federal Minister for Economics 1 Ludwig Erhard(1897–1977) CDU 20 September 1949 16 October 1963 Adenauer(I • II • III • IV • V)2 Kurt Schmücker(1919–1996) CDU 17 October 1963 30 November 1966 Erhard(I • II)3 Karl Schiller(1911–1994) SPD 1 December 1966 7 July 1972 KiesingerBrandt (I)4 Helmut Schmidt(1918–2015) SPD 7 July 1972 15 December 1972 Brandt (I) 5 Hans Friderichs(1931–2025) FDP 15 December 1972 7 October 1977 Brandt (II)Schmidt (I • II) 6 Otto Graf Lambsdorff(1926–2009) FDP 7 October 1977 17 September 1982 Schmidt(II • III)7 Manfred Lahnstein(born 1937) SPD 17 September 1982 1 October 1982 Schmidt(III) 8 Otto Graf Lambsdorff(1926–2009) FDP 4 October 1982 27 June 1984 Kohl(I • II) 9 Martin Bangemann(1934–2022) FDP 27 June 1984 9 December 1988 Kohl(II • III) 10 Helmut Haussmann(born 1943) FDP 9 December 1988 18 January 1991 Kohl(III) 11 Jürgen Möllemann(1945–2003) FDP 18 January 1991 21 January 1993 Kohl(IV) 12 Günter Rexrodt(1941–2004) FDP 21 January 1993 26 October 1998 Kohl(IV • V) Federal Minister for Economics and Technology13 Werner Müller(1946–2019) IND (for the SPD) 27 October 1998 22 October 2002 Schröder(I) Federal Minister for Economics and Labour14 Wolfgang Clement(1940–2020) SPD 22 October 2002 22 November 2005 Schröder(II) Federal Minister for Economics and Technology15 Michael Glos(born 1944) CSU 22 November 2005 10 February 2009Merkel(I)16 Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg(born 1971) CSU 10 February 2009 28 October 2009 17 Rainer Brüderle(born 1945) FDP 28 October 2009 12 May 2011Merkel(II) 18 Philipp Rösler(born 1973) FDP 12 May 2011 17 December 2013 Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy19 Sigmar Gabriel(born 1958) SPD 17 December 2013 27 January 2017 Merkel(III)20 Brigitte Zypries(born 1953) SPD 27 January 2017 14 March 2018 Merkel(III)21 Peter Altmaier(born 1958) CDU 14 March 2018 8 December 2021 Merkel(IV) Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action 22 Robert Habeck(born 1969) Greens 8 December 2021 6 May 2025 Scholz(Scholz) Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy 23 Katherina Reiche(born 1973) CDU 6 May 2025 Incumbent Merz(Merz)

Secretaries

Ministry for Economy (1949–1998) Parliamentary State Secretaries 1967–1970: Klaus Dieter Arndt, SPD 1970–1971: Philip Rosenthal, SPD 1972: Rainer Offergeld, SPD 1972–1987: Martin Grüner, FDP/DVP 1983–1987: Rudolf Sprung, CDU 1987–1989: Ludolf-Georg von Wartenberg, CDU 1987–1993: Erich Riedl, CSU 1989–1992: Klaus Beckmann, FDP 1992–1998: Heinrich Leonhard Kolb, FDP 1993–1994: Reinhard Göhner, CDU 1994–1997: Norbert Lammert, CDU

State Secretaries 1949–1951: Eduard Schalfejew 1951–1963: Ludger Westrick, no party 1958–1963: Alfred Müller-Armack, CDU 1963–1966: Wolfram Langer 1963–1968: Fritz Neef 1967–1972: Johann Baptist Schöllhorn 1968–1969: Klaus von Dohnanyi, SPD 1969–1978: Detlev Karsten Rohwedder, SPD 1972: Ernst Wolf Mommsen 1973–1991: Otto Schlecht 1979–1995: Dieter von Würzen 1991–1994: Johann Eekhoff 1994–1997: Johannes Ludewig 1995–1998: Lorenz Schomerus 1997–1998: Rudi Geil, CDU 1997–1998: Klaus Bünger

Ministry for Economics and Technology (1998–2002) Parliamentary State Secretaries 1998–2002: Siegmar Mosdorf, SPD

State Secretaries 1998–2002: Alfred Tacke, SPD 1999–2002: Axel Gerlach

Ministry for Economics and Labour (2002–2005) Parliamentary State Secretaries 2002–2005: Gerd Andres, SPD 2002–2005: Rezzo Schlauch, Greens 2002–2005: Ditmar Staffelt, SPD

State Secretaries 1999–2003: Axel Gerlach 2002–2004: Alfred Tacke, SPD 2002–2005: Rudolf Anzinger 2002–2005: Georg-Wilhelm Adamowitsch 2004–2005: Bernd Pfaffenbach

Ministry for Economics and Technology (2005–2013) Parliamentary State Secretaries 2005–2013: Peter Hintze, CDU 2005–2009: Dagmar Wöhrl, CSU 2005–2009: Hartmut Schauerte, CDU 2009–2013: Ernst Burgbacher, FDP 2009–2013: Hans-Joachim Otto, FDP

State Secretaries 2005–2006: Georg-Wilhelm Adamowitsch 2005–2008: Joachim Wuermeling, CSU 2006–2009: Walther Otremba 2005–2011: Bernd Pfaffenbach 2008–2012: Jochen Homann 2009–2013: Bernhard Heitzer, FDP 2011–2013: Stefan Kapferer, FDP 2012–2013: Anne Herkes

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (2013–2021) Parliamentary State Secretaries 2013–2017: Brigitte Zypries, SPD 2013–2018: Uwe Beckmeyer, SPD 2013–2018: Iris Gleicke, SPD 2017–2018: Dirk Wiese, SPD 2018–2019: Oliver Wittke, CDU 2018–2020: Christian Hirte, CDU 2018–2021: Thomas Bareiß, CDU 2019–2021: Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, CDU 2020–2021: Marco Wanderwitz, CDU

State Secretaries 2013–2018: Rainer Baake, Greens 2014–2018: Matthias Machnig, SPD 2013–2017: Rainer Sontowski, SPD

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (since 2021) Parliamentary State Secretaries 2021–2022: Oliver Krischer, Greens 2021-2025: Franziska Brantner, Greens 2021-2025: Michael Kellner, Greens 2022-2025: Stefan Wenzel, Greens since 2025: Gitta Connemann, CDU since 2025: Stefan Rouenhoff, CDU State Secretaries 2021–2023: Patrick Graichen,Riham Alkousaa and Christian Kraemer (17 May 2023), German economy ministry official leaves post amid nepotism scandal Reuters. Greens 2021-2024: Sven Giegold, Greens 2021-2025: Anja Hajduk, Greens 2021-2025: Udo Philipp, Greens 2023-2025: Philipp Nimmermann, Greens 2024-2025: Bernhard Kluttig since 2025: Frank Wetzel since 2025: Thomas Steffen

References

External links

Website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy