Who was German chancellor before Merkel?
Chancellor of Germany
The chancellor's authority emanates from the provisions of the Basic Law and in practice from his or her status as leader of the party (or coalition of parties) holding a majority of seats in the Bundestag (federal parliament). With the exception of Helmut Schmidt, the chancellor has also been chairman of his or her own party. This was the case with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder from 1999 until he resigned the chairmanship of the SPD in 2004.
Emil Drange
Emil Drange (born 18 March 1866, died 8 April 1913 in Elbing) was a German who served as a major municipal official of the East Prussian city of Elbing. He is the great-grandfather of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and has received media attention in Poland in recent years. He retired for health reasons in 1910 and died 1913 at the age of 47.