Chancellor of Germany it is regarded as impolite and was seen as a way of acknowledging Merkel's future leadership. There is one living former German Chancellor: Chancellor of Germany The title Chancellor has designated different offices in the history of Germany. It is currently used for the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (), the head of government of Germany. The term, dating from the Early Middle Ages, is derived from the Latin term "cancellarius". The modern office of chancellor evolved from the position created for Otto von Bismarck in the North German Confederation in 1867; this federal state evolved into a
Chancellor of Germany is the country's effective leader, although in formal protocol, the "Bundespräsident" and "Bundestagspräsident" are ranked higher. In German politics, the chancellor is the equivalent of a prime minister in many other countries. The chancellor is elected by the Bundestag. The current, official title in German is "Bundeskanzler(in)", which means "federal chancellor", and is sometimes shortened to "Kanzler(in)". The 8th and current chancellor is Angela Merkel, who is serving her fourth term in office. She is the first female chancellor. The title of Chancellor has a long history, stemming back to the Holy Roman Empire, when the office of German archchancellor