When the Chancellor is rated positively in polls and plays a leading role at international conferences, few would dispute that Germany has a chancellor democracy. However, as soon as the Chancellor begins to lose significance on the international stage and faces a defeat in the upcoming federal elections, doubts about the term "chancellor democracy" grow. Whether this designation is accurate seems to depend on the assessment of the respective government in the media and the political stance of the observer. This study takes a different approach: it accompanies the Chancellors from Konrad Adenauer to Angela Merkel through the highs and lows of their time in office and examines their leadership role based on five criteria. In this way, it connects contemporary events.