A first vote has taken place to elect a new German president - but has proved inconclusive.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's candidate, Christian Wulff, won most votes but not enough to win outright, and a second vote will now be held.
Although the president's role is mainly ceremonial, the election is being seen as a test of Mrs Merkel's authority.
Voting takes place in a secret ballot by an electoral college. The result should be known on Wednesday afternoon.
A total of 1,244 elected representatives take part in the ballot. Half are federal legislators and half state-parliament nominees.
Eurozone crisisMr Wulff faces a strong challenge from former East German rights activist Joachim Gauck.
In the first round Mr Wulff took 600 votes to Mr Gauck's 499, indicating that at least some of the politicians in Mrs Merkel's camp either voted against Mr Wulff or abstained.
The president has little power and the role is largely symbolic.
But the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin says a win for Mr Gauck would be considered a major blow to Mrs Merkel.
She is under increasing pressure over her government's package of austerity measures and because of infighting in the cabinet, our correspondent says.
Mr Wulff, the Lower Saxony state governor and deputy leader of her Christian Democratic party, remains the favourite to win as Mrs Merkel's ruling coalition enjoys a majority in the electoral college.
But Mr Gauck is a strong challenger - a non-partisan human rights campaigner who did much to expose the crimes of the East German secret police, the Stasi.
Our correspondent says Mr Gauck is both popular and widely respected - with even some members of Chancellor Merkel's own coalition have said they might vote for him.
There are two minor party candidates, from the far left and far right.
There can be up to three ballots if the first does not give a candidate an absolute majority. A simple majority will suffice in the final ballot.
Analysts say the number of ballots it takes may in itself be seen as a comment on the popularity of Mrs Merkel's coalition.
Since coming to power last October, the coalition has had to tackle the eurozone debt crisis.
This has led to rescue packages for European partners that have been deeply unpopular in Germany.
The presidential election was called after Horst Koehler stepped down on 31 May.
He was said to be uncomfortable over criticism of an interview he gave on the role of the German military.
