List of mayors of Hamburg
The following is a chronological list of mayors of Hamburg, a city-state in Germany. The mayors are the head of the city-state, part of the government of Hamburg. Since 1861, according to the constitution of 28 September 1860, the state has been governed by the ten-member Senate, which had previously been called the council. It is headed by the first mayor of Hamburg as the president of the Senate. The deputy is the second mayor.
For much of its history, Hamburg was a free imperial city and later a sovereign state; the position of First Mayor historically was equivalent to that of a sovereign head of state. In the 1871–1918 German Empire, the Hamburg First Mayor was equivalent to the federal princes of the 23 German monarchies. Since 1918, the position is equivalent to that of the minister-presidents of the German states.
Prior to World War I, the two mayors were elected for one-year terms. Until 1997, the first mayor was primus inter pares among, and was elected by, the members of the Senate. Since then, the Hamburg Parliament has elected the first mayor; the first mayor is able to appoint and dismiss other senators.
1293–1860
The function of burgomaster was usually held simultaneously by three persons, serving as an executive college. One of the three being burgomaster in chief for a year, the second being the prior burgomaster in chief, the third being the upcoming one. Therefore, sometimes up to three names are mentioned for one year, since the names of the three appear in deeds, signed with or mentioning their names. The names in the list from 1239 until 1820 were archived in a book by Johann August Meister. This is an incomplete list of burgomasters and uses the spelling in Meister's book, which is preserved in the Hamburg state library. After 1820 the list were added by hand. On 6 August 1806 Hamburg gained sovereignty as an independent country. From 1811 to 1814 Hamburg was part of France in the Bouches-de-l'Elbe.If another reference is not noted, all mayors are taken from: Domizlaff. Das Hamburger Rathaus.
| Name | Image | In office | Note |
| Hartwicus de Erteneborch | 1293 | ||
| Werner de Metzendorp | 1293 | ||
| Johann Miles | 1300 | ||
| Henricus Longus | 1300 | ||
| Johann, filius Oseri | 1300 | ||
| Johann de Monte | 1325 | ||
| Henricus de Hetfield | 1325 | ||
| Nicolaus Fransoisser | 1341 | ||
| Nicolaus de Monte | 1341 | ||
| Hellingbernus Hetvelt | 1341 | ||
| Johann Horborch | 1343 | ||
| Thidericus uppen Perde | 1343 | ||
| Johann Militis | 1347 | ||
| Hinrich Hoop | 1350 | ||
| Thidericus uppen Perde | 1350 | ||
| Henricus de Monte | 1356 | ||
| Henricus Hoyeri | 1361 | Also known as Hein Hoyer | |
| Bertrammus Horborch | 1366 | ||
| Werner de Wighersen | 1367 | ||
| Ludolfus de Holdenstedte | 1375 | ||
| Christian Militis | 1378 | Also known as Kersten Miles | |
| Henricus Ybing | 1381 | ||
| Johannes Hoyeri | 1389 | ||
| Marquard Schreye | 1319 | ||
| Meinard Buxtehude | 1397 | ||
| Hilmar Lopow | 1401 | ||
| Johann Lüneborg | 1411 | ||
| Henricus de Monte | 1413 | ||
| Henricus Hoyeri | 1417 | ||
| Johannes Wighe | 1420 | ||
| Bernhard Borstelt | 1422 | ||
| Vicco de Hove | 1431 | ||
| Simon van Utrecht | 1433 | ||
| Hinrich Köting | 1493 | ||
| Thidericus Lüneborg | 1443 | ||
| Detlev Bremer | 1447 | ||
| Henricus Lopow | 1451 | ||
| Thidericus Gerlefstorp | 1492 | ||
| Henricus Lesemann | 1458 | ||
| Erich de Tzevena | 1464 | ||
| Albert Schilling | 1464 | ||
| Hinrich Murmester | 1466 | ||
| Johann Meiger | 1472 | ||
| Johann Huge | 1478 | ||
| Nicolaus de Schworen | 1480 | ||
| Hermann Langenbeck | 1481 | ||
| Henning Büring | 1486 | ||
| Christian Berchampe | 1492 | ||
| Erich von Tzeven | 1499 | ||
| Detlev Bremer | 1499 | ||
| Bartholomäus vom Rhyne | 1505 | ||
| Marquard vam Lo | 1507–1519 | ||
| Johann Spreckelsen | 1512 | ||
| Nicolaus Thode | 1517 | ||
| Thidericus Hohusen | 1517 | ||
| unoccupied | 1519–1520 | Second Mayor was Dietrich Hohusen | |
| Erhard vom Holte | 1520–1529 | Also Gerhard vom Holte | |
| Hinrich Salsborg | 1523 | ||
| Johann Hülpe | 1524 | ||
| Johann Wetken | 1529–1533 | ||
| Paul Grote | 1531 | ||
| Albert Westede | 1533–1538 | ||
| Johann Rodenborg | 1536 | ||
| Peter von Spreckelsen | 1538–1553 | ||
| Jürgen Plate | 1546 | ||
| Matthias Rheder | 1547 | ||
| Ditmar Koel | 1548 | ||
| Albert Hackmann | 1553–1580 | ||
| unoccupied | 1580–1581 | Second Mayor was Paul Grote | |
| Lorenz Niebur | 1557 | ||
| Hermann Wetken | 1564 | ||
| Eberhard Moller | 1571 | ||
| Paul Grote | 1580 | ||
| Johann Niebur | 1557 | ||
| Nicolaus Vögeler | 1581 | ||
| Joachim vom Kape | 1588 | ||
| Diedrich von Eitzen | 1589 | ||
| unoccupied | 1590–1591 | Second Mayor: Joachim von Kape | |
| Erich von der Fechte | 1591–1613 | ||
| Joachim Bekendorp | 1593 | ||
| Diederich vom Holte | 1595 | ||
| Vincent Moller | 1599 | ||
| Eberhard Twestreng | 1606 | ||
| Hieronimus Vögeler | 1609 | ||
| unoccupied | 1613–1614 | Second Mayor: Hieronymus Vögeler | |
| Sebastian von Bergen | 1614–1623 | ||
| Johann Wetken | 1614 | ||
| Bartholomäus Beckmann | 1617 | ||
| Joachim Clan | 1622 | ||
| Albert von Eitzen | 1623 | ||
| unoccupied | 1623–1624 | ||
| Ulrich Winkel | 1624–1649 | ||
| Johannes Brand | 1633–1652 | ||
| Bartholomäus Moller | 1643 | ||
| unoccupied | 1649–1650 | Second Mayor: Bartholomäus Moller | |
| Nicolaus Jarre | 1650–1678 | ||
| Johann Schlebusch | 1653 | ||
| Peter Lütkens | 1654 | ||
| Wolfgang Meurer | 1660 | ||
| Bartholomäus Twestreng | 1663 | ||
| Johannes Schötteringk | 1667 | ||
| Johann Schulte | 1668 | ||
| Broderus Pauli | 1670–1680 | ||
| Johann Schröder | 1676 | ||
| Heinrich Meurer | 1678–1684 | ||
| Diedrich Moller | 1680 | ||
| Johann Schlüter | 1684–1688 | ||
| Joachim Lemmermann | 1684 | ||
| Heinrich Meurer | 1686 | Second term | |
| Peter Lütkens | 1687–1717 | ||
| Johannes Schafshausen | 1690–1697 | ||
| Hieronimus Harticus Moller | 1697 | ||
| Peter von Lengerke | 1697–1709 | ||
| Julius Surland | 1702 | ||
| Gerhard Schröder | 1703 | ||
| Paul Paulsen | 1704 | ||
| Lucas von Borstel | 1709–1716 | ||
| Ludwig Becceler | 1712 | ||
| Bernhard Matfeldt | 1716–1720 | ||
| Garlieb Sillem | 1717 | ||
| Hinrich Diedrich Wiese | 1720–1728 | ||
| Hans Jacob Faber | 1722 | ||
| Johann Anderson | 1723 | ||
| Rütger Rulant | 1728–1742 | ||
| Daniel Stockfleth | 1729 | ||
| Martin Lucas Schele | 1733 | ||
| Johann H. Luis | 1739 | ||
| Cornelius Poppe | 1741 | ||
| Conrad Widow | 1742–1754 | ||
| Nicolaus Stempeel | 1743 | ||
| Clemens Samuel Lipstrop | 1749 | ||
| Lucas von Spreckelsen | 1750 | ||
| Martin H. Schele | 1751 | ||
| Lucas Corthum | 1751 | ||
| Nicolaus Schuback | 1759 | ||
| Peter Greve | 1759 | ||
| Vincent Rumpff | 1765 | ||
| Johann Schlüter | 1774 | ||
| Albert Schulte | 1778 | ||
| Frans Doormann | 1780 | ||
| Jacob Albrecht von Sienen | 1781 | ||
| Johann Anderson | 1781 | ||
| Johann Luis | 1784 | ||
| Johann Adolph Poppe | 1786 | ||
| Martin Dorner | 1788 | ||
| Franz Anton Wagener | 1790–1801 | ||
| Daniel Lienau | 1798 | ||
| Peter Hinrich Widow | 1800–1802 | ||
| Friedrich von Graffen | 1801–1810 | First term | |
| Wilhelm Amsinck | 1802 | ||
| Johann Arnold Heise | 1807 | ||
| Amandus Augustus Abendroth | 1811–1813 | Not included in the Meister's book. | |
| Friedrich von Graffen | 1815–1820 | Second term | |
| Christian Matthias Schröder | 1816 | ||
| Johann Heinrich Bartels | 1820–1850 | ||
| Johann Daniel Koch | 1821 | - | |
| Martin Garlieb Sillem | 1829 | ||
| Amandus Augustus Abendroth | 1831 | ||
| Martin Hieronymus Schrötteringk | 1832 | ||
| Christian Daniel Benecke | 1835 | ||
| Heinrich Kellinghusen | 1842 | ||
| Johann Ludwig Dammert | 1843 | ||
| Nicolaus Binder | 1855 | ||
| unoccupied | 1850–1861 | Second Mayor: Christian Daniel Benecke Third Mayor: Heinrich Kellinghusen Fourth Mayor: Nicolaus Binder All: |
Hamburg (1860–1919)
Since 1860 Hamburg had a constitution. Members of the Hamburg senate were elected by the Hamburg Parliament—not coopted by the existing senate. They were lifelong members of the senate. From the three eldest and juristic trained members the senate elected annually the First Mayor of Hamburg – the presiding head – and his deputy.;Description of the method
| Year | First mayor | Second mayor | „sabbatical year" |
| 1 | Senator A | Senator B | Senator C |
| 2 | Senator B | Senator C | Senator A |
| 3 | Senator C | Senator A | Senator B |
| 4 | Senator A | Senator B | Senator C |
All mayors are taken from Domizlaff: Das Hamburger Rathaus and are listed in Erste Bürgermeister Hamburgs 1507–2008, only changes in dates are marked by an added reference.
| Name | Image | In office | Note |
| Friedrich Sieveking | 1861–1862 | ||
| Ferdinand Haller | 1863–1864 | ||
| Friedrich Sieveking | 1865 | ||
| Ferdinand Haller | 1866–1867 | ||
| Friedrich Sieveking | 1868 | ||
| Gustav Heinrich Kirchenpauer | 1869 | ||
| Ferdinand Haller | 1870 |
German Reich (1871–1945)
German Empire (1871–1918)
Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
During the German Revolution of 1918–1919 an Arbeiter- und Soldatenrat was formed. From 12 November 1918 to 1919, a chairman was the head of state and city government: Heinrich Lauffenberg, Carl Hense. This is not mentioned in Domizlaff: Das Hamburger Rathaus. The period in Germany after the First World War until the takeover of power – by the Nazi Party in 1933 – is called Weimar Republic. The Hamburg Parliament was democratically elected.;First Mayor of Hamburg
;Second Mayor of Hamburg
| Party | Took office | Left office | |
| Otto Stolten | SPD | 31 March 1919 | 1925 |
| Max Schramm | SPD | 1925 | 4 April 1928 |
| Rudolf Ross | SPD | 5 April 1928 | 31 December 1929 |
| Carl Wilhelm Petersen | DDP | 1 January 1930 | 31 December 1931 |
| Rudolf Ross | SPD | 1 January 1932 | 30 January 1933 |
Nazi Germany (1933–1945)
In Nazi Germany the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich" of 30 January 1934 abandoned the concept of a federal republic. The political institutions of the Länder were abolished altogether, passing all powers to the central government. The Hamburg Parliament was dissolved. The First Mayor was appointed by the Reich Interior Minister, though Hitler himself reserved the right to appoint him. The actual head of the Hamburg executive was the Reichsstatthalter Karl Kaufmann.| Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Carl Wilhelm Petersen | 30 January 1933 | 7 March 1933 | German People’s Party |
| Carl Vincent Krogmann | 8 March 1933 | 3 May 1945 | NSDAP |
;Second Mayor
| Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Rudolf Ross | 30 January 1933 | 3 March 1933 | Social Democratic Party |
| Wilhelm Burchard-Motz | 8 March 1933 | 18 May 1933 | German People's Party |
Colonel Robert Gordon Kitchen VI, Governor of Hamburg during the control of the British Army 1945–1946.
Hamburg (1945–present)
Mayors during the federal parliamentary republic of Germany.Political party key: