She was the first female chancellor for the country.
Angela Merkel's 16-year reign as German leader, ends this morning.
Ms Merkel, 67, Germany's first woman chancellor, is retiring from politics after four consecutive terms, and has stepped aside of her own accord.
She was a member of conservative Christian Democrats, and has chosen to end her political career after leading the country for 5,860 days.
Vice chancellor and finance minister Olaf Scholz has been confirmed as her successor by the country's Parliament.
Merkel was immensely popular during her time, with large majorities of Germans approving of her leadership.
Despite being from a rival party, Mr Scholz tapped into that well of popular support in his bid to succeed her.
He's a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, and will be Germany's ninth post-war chancellor.
