The bases of the political system are the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and the Constitution of the Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg.

The Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg is its own state in the Federal Republic of Germany. Hamburg is a republic, democratic welfare state and a constitutional state. At the same time Hamburg is a municipality, there is no separation between these two administrative tasks. The power to create a law is restricted by federal law.

There is a clear separation of powers.

The two main parties in the current government of Hamburg are the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the left-wing Alliance 90/The Greens (Green). Historically, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany has also had a significant presence.

List of mayors of Hamburg

Political party key: SPD CDU

First Mayor and President of the Senate of Hamburg
PortraitName (Born–Died)Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeDays
Hamburg (1945–1949)
British occupation zone in Allied-occupied Germany
–Rudolf Petersen (1878–1962) Appointed by the British military15 May 194522 November 1946556Christian Democratic Union
1Max Brauer First term (1887–1973)22 November 194623 May 1949913Social Democratic Party
Hamburg (1949–present)
City-state of the Federal Republic of Germany
(1)Max Brauer First term (1887–1973)23 May 19492 December 19531654Social Democratic Party
2Kurt Sieveking (1897–1986)2 December 19534 December 19571463Christian Democratic Union
2 (1)Max Brauer Second term (1887–1973)4 December 195731 December 1960 (resigned)1123Social Democratic Party
4Paul Nevermann (1902–1979)1 January 19619 June 1965 (resigned)1620Social Democratic Party
5Herbert Weichmann (1896–1983)9 June 19659 June 1971 (resigned)2191Social Democratic Party
6Peter Schulz (1930–2013)9 June 19714 November 1974 (resigned)1244Social Democratic Party
7Hans-Ulrich Klose (1937–2023)12 November 197422 May 1981 (resigned)2383Social Democratic Party
8Klaus von Dohnanyi (born 1928)24 June 19818 June 19882541Social Democratic Party
9Henning Voscherau (1941–2016)8 June 19888 October 1997 (resigned)3409Social Democratic Party
10Ortwin Runde (born 1944)12 November 199731 October 20011449Social Democratic Party
11Ole von Beust (born 1955)31 October 200125 August 2010 (resigned)3220Christian Democratic Union
12Christoph Ahlhaus (born 1969)25 August 20107 March 2011194Christian Democratic Union
13Olaf Scholz (born 1958)7 March 201113 March 2018 (resigned)2563Social Democratic Party
14Peter Tschentscher (born 1966)28 March 2018Incumbent2959Social Democratic Party

Hamburg Parliament

Party strength in the Landtag

A darkened box under a party in any given year denotes that the party had either not yet been founded, or the party had become defunct, by the date of that election.

Election yearTotal seatsSeats won
SPDCDUFDPGrüneLinkeAfDOther
1946110831674
1949120654015
19531205862
1957120694110
1961120723612
196612074388
197012070419
1974120565113
19781206951
June 198212055569
December 198212064488
1986120535413
1987120554988
1991121614479
19931215836198
1997121544621
2001121463361125
2004121416317
20081214556128
201112162289148
20151215820915118
20201235415133137

Legislative compositions

  • 1st Parliament, following 1946 election
  • 2nd Parliament, following 1949 election
  • 3rd Parliament, following 1953 election
  • 4th Parliament, following 1957 election
  • 5th Parliament, following 1961 election
  • 6th Parliament, following 1966 election
  • 7th Parliament, following 1970 election
  • 8th Parliament, following 1974 election
  • 9th Parliament, following 1978 election
  • 10th Parliament, following June 1982 election
  • 11th Parliament, following December 1982 election
  • 12th Parliament, following 1986 election
  • 13th Parliament, following 1987 election
  • 14th Parliament, following 1991 election
  • 15th Parliament, following 1993 election
  • 16th Parliament, following 1997 election
  • 17th Parliament, following 2001 election
  • 18th Parliament, following 2004 election
  • 19th Parliament, following 2008 election
  • 20th Parliament, following 2011 election
  • 21st Parliament, following 2015 election
  • 22nd Parliament, following 2020 election

City election results maps

Constituencies in the Landtag

  • Hamburg-Mitte (01)
  • Billstedt – Wilhelmsburg – Finkenwerder (02)
  • Altona (03)
  • Blankenese (04)
  • Rotherbaum – Harvestehude – Eimsbüttel-Ost (05)
  • Stellingen – Eimsbüttel-West (06)
  • Lokstedt – Niendorf – Schnelsen (07)
  • Eppendorf – Winterhude (08)
  • Barmbek – Uhlenhorst – Dulsberg (09)
  • Fuhlsbüttel – Alsterdorf – Langenhorn (10)
  • Wandsbek (11)
  • Bramfeld – Farmsen-Berne (12)
  • Alstertal - Walddörfer (13)
  • Rahlstedt (14)
  • Bergedorf (15)
  • Harburg (16)
  • Süderelbe (17)

Constituencies in the Bundestag

NoConstituencyMember2021Voters20172013200920052002199819941990
18Hamburg-MitteFalko DroßmannSPD242,078SPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPD
19Hamburg-AltonaLinda HeitmannGrüne187,705SPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPDSPD
20Hamburg-EimsbüttelTill SteffenGrüne193,823SPDSPDCDUSPDSPDSPDSPDSPD
21Hamburg-NordDorothee MartinSPD219,909CDUCDUCDUSPDSPDSPDCDUCDU
22Hamburg- WandsbekAydan ÖzoğuzSPD233,483SPDSPDCDUSPDSPDSPDSPDSPD
23Hamburg-Bergedorf – HarburgMetin HakverdiSPD221,794SPDSPDSPDSPDSPDCreated for 2002 election

See also

Notes