Bundeskanzleramt

The Bundeskanzleramt, or Federal Chancellery, is the official seat of the Chancellor of Germany and the central executive office of the Federation. It houses the chancellor's private office and staff, the General Secretariat of the Federal Government, and units responsible for policy planning, coordination, and communication. Located in Berlin's government district near the Reichstag and the Spree, the Chancellery serves as the coordination hub for the federal cabinet and its ministries.

Following German reunification and the decision to relocate the capital to Berlin, the current chancellery building was constructed in the late 1990s and completed in 2001. Designed by architects Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank, the complex features a low, elongated main structure with a glass facade and a separate staff wing, arranged to encourage interaction among government offices. The site also includes ancillary buildings and secured courtyards.

The Chancellery is headed by the Chef des Bundeskanzleramts, a cabinet-level official who acts as the chancellor's chief of staff and coordinates government policy. The Federal Chancellery oversees the Chancellor's office, policy planning, inter-ministerial coordination, and communications with parliament and the public. It works with other federal ministries but does not exercise legislative powers.

The Berlin Chancellery marks the shift of the German government from Bonn to Berlin after reunification. It has become a symbol of the executive branch’s central role in German governance. Access to the building is restricted to staff and official visitors; the premises are not generally open to the public, though official ceremonies and receptions may take place within secure areas.