One of the first balls of the season takes place late November. The German Press Ball welcomes some 2,500 politicians, media representatives and celebrities to its glamorous annual gala in Berlin. The 2018 edition saw political and journalistic foes again put their differences behind on the dance floor. The ball was held in Bonn for many years but moved to the new capital Berlin in 1999.

The German Press Ball initially took place in the small spa town of Bad Neuenahr, but was moved to the country's then-capital, Bonn, in 1959. Pictured here is the ball in the Beethovenhalle concert hall in 1969 - complete with horn-rimmed glasses, beehive hairdos and simple sheaths. After reunification, the German government completed its move to Berlin in 1999; the ball followed that same year.

Germany's most prestigious ball is the Semper Opera Ball in Dresden, next held on February 3, 2017. The 2,500-guest event brings together celebrities and members of high-society, and is even broadcast live to thousands of spectators outside the opera house. One highlight is the opening choreographed performance by 100 debutantes, pictured here.

While the German Press and Semper Opera Balls both include charity raffles, the Sport Ball in Wiesbaden was designed to raise money for the foundation that financially supports high-performance athletes in Germany. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is pictured with his wife Elke Büdenbender at the event, which will draw some 1,600 invited guests on February 4, 2017.

Former German ski jumper and gold-medalist Sven Hannawald is pictured here with his girlfriend Melissa at the 2016 Sport Ball in Wiesbaden. Proceeds from the ball go to the Deutsche Sporthilfe, a private organization that financially supports Germany's high-performance athletes so they can pursue their athletic careers full-time. Over 750,000 euros (more than $800,000) were raised this year.

While a handful of important balls are held in Germany, Vienna is by far Europe's ball hub, holding dozens each year. The most famous among them is the Vienna Opera Ball, which dates back two centuries and is next scheduled for February 23, 2017. Here, the dress code is strict: long gowns for women and tails for men. Pictured is the highly anticipated debutante performance of the Viennese waltz.

Kim Kardashian clearly didn't participate as a debutante, but she was a guest at the Vienna Opera Ball in 2014, which regularly draws top stars - because Austrian business man Richard Lugner (right) pays them. Kardashian later complained that Lugner was treating her poorly and that a comedian in blackface tried to imitate her now-husband Kanye West. It was likely Kim's last ball visit.

Not all balls are simply merry events. The right-wing populist FPÖ party took over the organization of the Vienna Academic Ball in 2013. Previously known as the Ball of the Viennese Union of the Incorporated, the event's connections to far-right politicians from around Europe has drawn protests for years. Not only debutantes, but also Viennese police will stand ready on February 3, 2017.

Nearly a century old, the Hunters' Ball in Vienna is unique because guests show up in traditional garb: dirndls for the ladies and hunters' suits for the men. The event was founded in 1905 by the Green Cross charity organization to support hunters' and their families who were in need. The next ball is set for January 30, 2017, and tickets start at just 30 euros ($32).

The 67th Vienna Medical Doctors' Ball is scheduled for January 17, 2017. This time it's marked by the rather non-Viennese theme "Chicago Blues Night," which organizers call "soul medicine." Like other traditional Viennese balls, this one observes the custom of the "Damenspende," where the organizers give the ladies a gift. The present used to be a decorative dance card, but is now a party favor.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, also known as AKK, was Merkel's choice to become general secretary of the CDU in 2018. She is reputedly Merkel's pick as a successor as party leader. AKK headed a CDU-SPD coalition as state premier in the small southwestern state of Saarland before becoming the CDU's general secretary. She is considered a moderate who would continue Merkel's centrist policies.

The 38-year-old is the youngest and most overtly determined Merkel usurper. He entered the Bundestag in 2002 and became Germany's health minister in 2018. Spahn, who is openly gay, is popular in the CDU's conservative wing. He opposes limited dual citizenship for young foreigners, criticized attempts to loosen laws on advertising abortions and called for banning the Burqa in public.

The former leader of the CDU/CSU grouping in the Bundestag has been out of frontline politics since leaving the Bundestag in 2009. But the 62-year-old announced his intention to replace Merkel within hours of the news that she would be stepping down. Merz reportedly fell out with Merkel after she replaced him as CDU/CSU group leader in 2002. He has been a chairman at Blackrock since 2016.

Laschet became state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2017. His win marked a major defeat for Social Democrats in Germany's 18 million-strong "coal" state. He has ruled out running as CDU head while Merkel remains chancellor. But he has hinted that he may announce his candidacy once Merkel has stood down, which would make it possible to occupy both posts simultaneously.

Klöckner became agriculture minister in 2018 and has been CDU chief in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2011. In 1995, before entering politics, she became Germany's "Wine Queen." Like Spahn, she belongs to the CDU's conservative wing. She raised eyebrows in 2016 when she proposed an alternative plan to Merkel's refugee policy.

Altmeier, known as "Merkel's bodyguard," has supported the chancellor's centrist policy platform on multiple fronts. Originally from Saarland, Altmaier first worked for the European Union before entering the Bundestag in 1994. The former environment minister turned economy minister is renowned for his kitchen diplomacy and being a stickler for policy detail.

Von der Leyen became defense minister in 2013 after serving a stint as labor minister. Despite her reform efforts, defense spending remains stubbornly low and the military continues to suffer from widespread equipment shortages. Von der Leyen, who studied in the United States and Britain, supports a larger role for Germany abroad and improving links between national armies in the European Union.

Volker Bouffier has been the premier of the central state of Hesse since 2010. He formerly served as the state's interior minister and has twice "won" Big Brother awards from German data privacy advocates for propagating closer surveillance methods by police. The 66-year-old currently heads a CDU-Greens state government in Hesse and is a deputy chairperson in the national CDU executive.