Gerhard Stoltenberg was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and minister in the cabinets of Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger and Helmut Kohl. He served as Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein from 1971 to 1982 and as President of the Bundesrat from 1977 to 1978.

In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat or President of the Federal Council is the chairperson (speaker) of the Bundesrat. The president is elected by the Bundesrat for a term of one year. Traditionally, the presidency of the Bundesrat rotates among the leaders of the sixteen state governments. This is however only an established practice; theoretically the Bundesrat is free to elect any member it chooses, and a president could also be re-elected. As well as acting as a chairperson, the president of the Bundesrat is ex officio deputy of the Federal President. The President of the German Federal Council is 4th in the German order of precedence. In addition, the main celebration of German Unity Day is traditionally held in the state that holds the presidency.