Theodor Heuss elected first Federal President

In September 1949 the highest political offices of the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany are filled: on 12 September the federal assembly choose Theodor Heuss, chairman of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), as the first Federal President. He manages to prevail in the second round of voting over SPD chairman Kurt Schumacher. Three days later, on 15 September, the 1st German Federal Diet will elect the Christian democrat Konrad Adenauer to be the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic. He will serve in this office until 1963.

© Picture-Alliance/DPA  Swearing-in of Theodor Heuss as the first Federal President (left margin: Dr. Erich Köhler, CDU, speaker of the German Federal Diet)