The historical predecessor of the current Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action was the
Reichswirtschaftsamt (Reich Economic Office), founded in 1917. In 1919, this became the
Reichswirtschaftsministerium (Reich Ministry of Economy), which existed until 1945. In postwar occupied Germany, its functions were exercised by the Administrative Office of Economy () between 1946 and 1949. After the founding of the
Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Ministry of Economics () existed from 1949 to 1998. From May 1971 to December 1972, it was temporarily merged with the Federal Ministry of Finance, in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Finance. In 1998 the technology section of the Ministry of Research was added, making it the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Between 2002 and 2005, it was merged with the
Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and one part of the
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - the other part being merged with the old
Federal Ministry for Health, then the Ministry of Health and Social Security. This transformations aimed to consolidate the policy-fields of economics and labour market, on which the
second term of chancellor Gerhard Schröder wanted to focus, into one hand. Because the new Ministry was very large and important, it was often referred to as a super-ministry (
Superministerium) and its minister as a super-minister (
Superminister). The creation of the new Ministry was widely seen as failed, basically because of the poor performance of the only office-holder
Wolfgang Clement. Under the following
grand coalition headed by
Angela Merkel, the portfolio reshuffle was reversed, and the old Federal Ministries
of Economics and Technology,
of Labour and Social Affairs and
of Health were created once again as Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. It was renamed to Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in 2013. • In order of the
Federal Republic of Germany the Ministry has published a fact sheet on the unique dual vocational training system. == Structure ==