United States Ambassador to Germany
Encyclopedia
The United States
has had diplomatic relations with the nation of Germany
and its predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Prussia
, since 1835. These relations were broken twice (1917 to 1921, 1941 to 1955) while Germany and the United States were at war. Prior to 1835, the United States and Prussia recognized one another but did not exchange representatives except for a brief period when John Quincy Adams
was accredited to the Prussian court from 1797 to 1801.
), their diplomatic rank
, and the effective start and end of their service in Germany.
Heads of the U.S. Legation
Heads of the U.S. Legation
Heads of the U.S. Legation
Heads of the U.S. Legation
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at Berlin
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at Berlin
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at Bonn
Heads of the Embassy of the United States in Berlin
Former Goldman Sachs
banker and former national Democratic Party
finance chairman Phil Murphy was reported in July 2009 to be in line as President Barack Obama
's choice as next ambassador to Berlin and as acceptable to the German government. Murphy was confirmed by the Senate on August 7, arrived in Berlin with his family August 21, and presented his credentials to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany September 3, assuming his full duties as Ambassador.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has had diplomatic relations with the nation of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and its predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, since 1835. These relations were broken twice (1917 to 1921, 1941 to 1955) while Germany and the United States were at war. Prior to 1835, the United States and Prussia recognized one another but did not exchange representatives except for a brief period when John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
was accredited to the Prussian court from 1797 to 1801.
List of United States ambassadors to Germany
This is a list of the chief U.S. diplomatic agents to Prussia, Germany, and West Germany (the Federal Republic of GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
), their diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
, and the effective start and end of their service in Germany.
Heads of the U.S. LegationLegationA legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
at BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1797–1801)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former... , Minister |
December 5, 1797 | May 5, 1801 |
Heads of the U.S. LegationLegationA legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
at BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1835–1848)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Wheaton, Chargé d'Affaires | June 9, 1835 | September 29, 1837 |
| Henry Wheaton, Envoy | September 29, 1837 | July 18, 1846 |
| Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson was an American diplomat and a candidate for Vice President of the United States.-Biography:... , Envoy |
July 18, 1846 | September 13, 1848 |
Heads of the U.S. LegationLegationA legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
at FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(1848–1849)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson was an American diplomat and a candidate for Vice President of the United States.-Biography:... , Envoy |
September 13, 1848 | November 2, 1849 |
Heads of the U.S. LegationLegationA legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
at BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1849–1893)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Edward A. Hannegan Edward A. Hannegan Edward Allen Hannegan was a United States Representative and Senator from Indiana.-Early life and education:... , Envoy |
June 30, 1849 | January 13, 1850 |
| Daniel D. Barnard Daniel D. Barnard Daniel Dewey Barnard was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Barnard attended the common schools and was graduated from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1818.He studied law.... , Envoy |
December 10, 1850 | September 21, 1853 |
| Peter D. Vroom Peter Dumont Vroom Peter Dumont Vroom , an American Democratic Party politician, served as the 9th Governor of New Jersey and as a member of the United States House of Representatives for a single term, from 1839–1841.He was born in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey the son of Col... , Envoy |
November 4, 1853 | August 10, 1857 |
| Joseph A. Wright Joseph A. Wright Joseph Albert Wright was the tenth Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from December 5, 1849 to January 12, 1857, most noted for his opposition to banking. His positions created a rift between him and the Indiana General Assembly who overrode all of his anti-banking vetoes... , Envoy |
September 3, 1857 | July 1, 1861 |
| Norman B. Judd Norman B. Judd Norman Buel Judd was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, and the grandfather of U.S. Representative Norman Judd Gould of New York.... , Envoy |
July 1, 1861 | September 3, 1865 |
| Joseph A. Wright Joseph A. Wright Joseph Albert Wright was the tenth Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from December 5, 1849 to January 12, 1857, most noted for his opposition to banking. His positions created a rift between him and the Indiana General Assembly who overrode all of his anti-banking vetoes... , Envoy |
September 3, 1865 | May 11, 1867 |
| George Bancroft George Bancroft George Bancroft was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845... , Envoy |
August 28, 1867 | June 30, 1874 |
| J.C. Bancroft Davis, Envoy | August 28, 1874 | September 26, 1877 |
| Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor was an American poet, literary critic, translator, and travel author.-Life and work:... , Envoy |
May 7, 1878 | December 19, 1878 |
| Andrew D. White, Envoy | June 19, 1879 | August 15, 1881 |
| Aaron A. Sargent Aaron Augustus Sargent Aaron Augustus Sargent was an American journalist, lawyer, politician and diplomat. He was sometimes called the "Senator for the Southern Pacific Railroad".-Biography:... , Envoy |
May 18, 1882 | June 6, 1884 |
| John A. Kasson John A. Kasson John Adam Kasson was a nineteenth century lawyer, politician and diplomat from south-central Iowa. Elected to the U.S... , Envoy |
September 10, 1884 | June 21, 1885 |
| George H. Pendleton George H. Pendleton George Hunt Pendleton was a Representative and a Senator from Ohio. Nicknamed "Gentleman George" for his demeanor, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States during the Civil War in 1864, running as a peace Democrat with war Democrat George B. McClellan; they lost to... , Envoy |
June 21, 1885 | April 25, 1889 |
| William Walter Phelps William Walter Phelps William Walter Phelps , the son of John Jay Phelps, a successful New York City merchant and financier, was born in Dundaff, Pennsylvania. During his successful banking career in Manhattan, he settled in Teaneck, New Jersey, across the Hudson River... , Envoy |
September 26, 1889 | June 4, 1893 |
| Theodore Runyon Theodore Runyon Theodore Runyon was a United States politician, diplomat, and Civil War brigadier general in the Union army.-Biography:... , Envoy |
June 4, 1893 | October 26, 1893 |
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1893–1917)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Theodore Runyon Theodore Runyon Theodore Runyon was a United States politician, diplomat, and Civil War brigadier general in the Union army.-Biography:... , Ambassador |
October 26, 1893 | January 27, 1896 |
| Edwin F. Uhl Edwin F. Uhl Edwin Fuller Uhl was a prominent Michigan lawyer and politician. He served as Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ambassador to Germany and United States Assistant Secretary of State.... , Ambassador |
May 3, 1896 | June 8, 1897 |
| Andrew D. White, Ambassador | June 12, 1897 | November 27, 1902 |
| Charlemagne Tower Charlemagne Tower, Jr. Charlemagne Tower, Jr. was an American businessman, scholar, and diplomat.-Biography:Charlemagne Tower was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1848 to Charlemagne Tower Sr. and Amelia Malvina Tower. He was the first of seven children.He spent his childhood in Orwigsburg and... , Ambassador |
December 19, 1902 | June 8, 1908 |
| David Jayne Hill David Jayne Hill David Jayne Hill was an American diplomat and historian.Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, he was educated at Bucknell University from which he graduated in 1874. He served as professor of rhetoric in the institution from 1877 to 1879 and was for the eight years following its president. From 1888 to... , Ambassador |
June 14, 1908 | September 2, 1911 |
| John G. A. Leishman, Ambassador | October 24, 1911 | October 4, 1913 |
| James W. Gerard James W. Gerard James Watson Gerard was a U.S. lawyer and diplomat.-Biography:Gerard was born in Geneseo, N. Y. He graduated from Columbia in 1890 and from New York Law School. He was chairman of the Democratic campaign committee of New York County for four years, and served as major of the National Guard of the... , Ambassador |
October 29, 1913 | February 5, 1917 |
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1921–1941)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Ellis Loring Dresel Ellis Loring Dresel Ellis Loring Dresel was an American lawyer and diplomat. During World War I, from 1915 to 1917, Dresel was attaché to the U.S. embassy in Berlin.... , Chargé d'Affaires |
December 10, 1921 | April 18, 1922 |
| Alanson B. Houghton Alanson B. Houghton Alanson Bigelow Houghton was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat who served as a Congressman and Ambassador. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Early life and business career:... , Ambassador |
April 22, 1922 | February 21, 1925 |
| Jacob Gould Schurman, Ambassador | June 29, 1925 | January 21, 1930 |
| Frederic M. Sackett Frederic M. Sackett Frederic Mosley Sackett served as a United States Senator from Kentucky and ambassador to Germany during the Hoover Administration.... , Ambassador |
February 12, 1930 | March 24, 1933 |
| William E. Dodd William Dodd (ambassador) William Edward Dodd was an American historian who served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 1933 to 1937, during the Nazi era.-Early years and academic career:... , Ambassador |
August 30, 1933 | December 29, 1937 |
| Hugh R. Wilson Hugh R. Wilson Hugh Robert Wilson was a member of the United States Foreign Service, who headed the U.S. mission to Switzerland for ten years beginning in 1927. He became Assistant Secretary of State in 1937 and served for several months in 1938 as U.S... , Ambassador |
March 3, 1938 | November 16, 1938 |
| Alexander C. Kirk, Chargé d'Affaires | May 1939 | October 1940 |
| Leland B. Morris Leland B. Morris Leland Burnette Morris was an American diplomat. He was the first United States Ambassador to Iran, serving that post from 1944 to 1945. Earlier he was the United States Ambassador to Iceland... , Chargé d'Affaires |
October 1940 | December 11, 1941 |
Heads of the U.S. Embassy at BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
(1955–1999)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| James B. Conant, Ambassador | May 14, 1955 | February 19, 1957 |
| David K. E. Bruce David K. E. Bruce David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce was an American diplomat, and the only American to serve as Ambassador to France, the Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom.-Biography:... , Ambassador |
April 17, 1957 | October 29, 1959 |
| Walter C. Dowling Walter C. Dowling Walter Cecil Dowling was the United States Ambassador to West Germany from 1959–1963 and the US Ambassador to South Korea from 1956-1959.... , Ambassador |
December 3, 1959 | April 21, 1963 |
| George C. McGhee George C. McGhee George Crews McGhee was an oilman and a career diplomat in the United States foreign service.-Early life:McGhee was born on March 10, 1912 in Waco, Texas, the son of a Waco banker. He studied at the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a degree in geology in 1933... , Ambassador |
May 18, 1963 | May 21, 1968 |
| Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. was a Republican United States Senator from Massachusetts and a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, South Vietnam, West Germany, and the Holy See . He was the Republican nominee for Vice President in the 1960 Presidential election.-Early life:Lodge was born in Nahant,... , Ambassador |
May 27, 1968 | January 14, 1969 |
| Kenneth Rush Kenneth Rush Kenneth Rush was a United States Ambassador who helped negotiate the ground-breaking four-power agreement in 1971 that ended the post-war crisis over Berlin.-Early life:... , Ambassador |
July 22, 1969 | February 20, 1972 |
| Martin J. Hillenbrand Martin J. Hillenbrand Martin Joseph Hillenbrand was an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany from 1972 to 1976.-Career:... , Ambassador |
June 27, 1972 | October 18, 1976 |
| Walter J. Stoessel, Jr., Ambassador | October 27, 1976 | January 5, 1981 |
| Arthur F. Burns Arthur F. Burns Arthur Frank Burns was an American economist. He served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1970 to 1978.- Career :... , Ambassador |
June 30, 1981 | May 16, 1985 |
| Richard R. Burt, Ambassador | September 16, 1985 | February 17, 1989 |
| Vernon A. Walters Vernon A. Walters Vernon A. Walters was a United States Army officer and a diplomat. Most notably, he served from 1972 to 1976 as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, from 1985 to 1989 as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and from 1989 to 1991 as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany... , Ambassador |
April 24, 1989 | August 18, 1991 |
| Robert Michael Kimmitt, Ambassador | September 5, 1991 | August 28, 1993 |
| Richard Holbrooke Richard Holbrooke Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker.... , Ambassador |
October 19, 1993 | September 12, 1994 |
| Charles E. Redman Charles E. Redman Charles Edgar Redman is a former United States diplomat. From 1987 to 1989, he was Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. He served as United States Ambassador to Sweden from 1989-1992, and United States Ambassador to Germany from 1994-1996. In 1996 he joined Bechtel Group, Inc. as... , Ambassador |
October 31, 1994 | June 17, 1996 |
| James D. Bindenagel, Chargé d'Affaires | June 17, 1996 | September 10, 1997 |
| John C. Kornblum John C. Kornblum John Christian Kornblum is an American diplomat and businessman. He entered the American Foreign Service in 1964. Over the next thirty five years, he served in Europe and at the State Department in Washington. Since 2001, he has established himself as an investment banker and international... , Ambassador |
September 10, 1997 | July 7, 1999 |
Heads of the Embassy of the United States in BerlinEmbassy of the United States in BerlinThe Embassy of the United States in Berlin maintains diplomatic relations and represents United States interests in dealing with the German government. The U.S. Embassy in Germany has not always been in Berlin.-1797–1930:...
(1999–present)
| Name and Title | Presentation of Credentials |
Termination of Mission |
|---|---|---|
| John C. Kornblum John C. Kornblum John Christian Kornblum is an American diplomat and businessman. He entered the American Foreign Service in 1964. Over the next thirty five years, he served in Europe and at the State Department in Washington. Since 2001, he has established himself as an investment banker and international... , Ambassador |
July 7, 1999 | January 16, 2001 |
| Daniel R. Coats, Ambassador | September 12, 2001 | February 25, 2005 |
| William R. Timken, Jr., Ambassador | September 2, 2005 | December 5, 2008 |
| John M. Koenig, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. | ||
| Philip D. Murphy Philip D. Murphy Philip D. Murphy is an American businessman and the United States Ambassador to Germany. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7, 2009. Murphy arrived with his family in Berlin on August 21, 2009.... , Ambassador |
September 3, 2009 | Incumbent |
Former Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
banker and former national Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
finance chairman Phil Murphy was reported in July 2009 to be in line as President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's choice as next ambassador to Berlin and as acceptable to the German government. Murphy was confirmed by the Senate on August 7, arrived in Berlin with his family August 21, and presented his credentials to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany September 3, assuming his full duties as Ambassador.
See also
- United States Ambassador to East GermanyUnited States Ambassador to East GermanyThe United States had diplomatic relations with the nation of East Germany from 1974 to 1990.Listed below are the head U.S. diplomatic agents to East Germany, their diplomatic rank, and the effective start and end of their service in East Germany.Listed on a separate Wikipedia page are the head U.S...
(German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
) - German ambassadors to the United States
- Embassy of the United States in BerlinEmbassy of the United States in BerlinThe Embassy of the United States in Berlin maintains diplomatic relations and represents United States interests in dealing with the German government. The U.S. Embassy in Germany has not always been in Berlin.-1797–1930:...
- Germany – United States relations
- Foreign relations of GermanyForeign relations of GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany is a Central European country and member of the European Union, Group of 8 and NATO . Germany is one of the world's leading industrialized countries and biggest market economy in Europe, with "windows to the East and West".Since reunification in 1990, Germany has...
- Ambassadors of the United States