The chancellor is the head of government and, according to the constitution, gives this title of deputy to one of the federal ministers.

Such an office was initially established by the 1878 Stellvertretungsgesetz (Deputation Act), which provided for the imperial chancellor appointing a deputy, officially known as Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers (General Deputy to the Imperial Chancellor).

The act was revised on 28 October 1918, when the possibility of appointing deputies with limited responsibilities was removed and the vice-chancellor was given the right to appear before parliament.

The most known office holder is Franz von Papen, a former chancellor who formed a coalition government of national socialists and conservatives.

In the Federal Republic (since 1949), the chancellors have had no interest in allowing the deputy to use the title for self-promotion.

[3] Since 1966 it became customary that the coalition partner of the governing party received the ministry of foreign affairs, who was also appointed deputy.

This tradition faded away during the tenure of Angela Merkel, partially because the leaders of her coalition partners chose a different ministry.

The German vice-chancellor can be regarded as the equivalent of a deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems.

Unlike the vice president post in presidential systems of governments, the German vice-chancellor is not the automatic successor in the event that a sitting chancellor suddenly leaves office.

[4] When in 1974 Chancellor Willy Brandt resigned and refused to remain in office until his successor's election, President Gustav Heinemann ensured a corresponding precedent and appointed former vice-chancellor Walter Scheel as acting chancellor.