Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations
The role of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations is as the leader of the German delegation to the United Nations in New York City and as head of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is also the representative of Germany in the United Nations Security Council.
| Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Appointer | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
| Inaugural holder | Hans Riesser |
| Formation | 1952 |
| Website | Permanent Mission |
The Permanent Representative, currently Christoph Heusgen, is charged with representing Germany, both through its non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and also during plenary meetings of the General Assembly, except in the rare situation in which a more senior officer (such as the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the President) is present.
History of representatives
The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was admitted to the UN as an observer in 1955. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was admitted as an observer in 1972. On 18 September 1973 both were admitted as full members by the United Nations General Assembly, following the recommendation of the Security Council by Resolution 335 on 22 June 1973. Through the accession of the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany, it was effective on 3 October 1990.
Office holders
Ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Germany
| Incumbent | Start of Term | End of Term |
|---|---|---|
| Hans Riesser | 1952 | 1955 |
| Felix von Eckardt | 1955 | 1956 |
| Georg von Broich-Oppert | 1956 | 1958 |
| Carl Werner Dankwort | 1958 | 1960 |
| Karl Heinrich Knappstein | 1960 | 1962 |
| Sigismund Freiherr von Braun | 1962 | 1968 |
| Alexander Böker | 1968 | 1971 |
| Walter Gehlhoff | 1971 | 1974 |
| Rüdiger Freiherr von Wechmar | 1974 | 1981 |
| Günther van Well | 1981 | 1984 |
| Hans Werner Lautenschlager | 1984 | 1987 |
| Alexander Graf York von Wartenburg | 1987 | 1989 |
| Hans-Otto Bräutigam | 1989 | 1990 |
| Detlev Graf zu Rantzau | 1990 | 1995 |
| Tono Eitel | 1995 | 1998 |
| Dieter Kastrup | 1998 | 2001 |
| Hanns Heinrich Schumacher (Chargé d'affaires) | 2001 | 2002 |
| Gunter Pleuger | 2002 | 2006 |
| Thomas Matussek | 2006 | 2009 |
| Peter Wittig | 2009 | 2014 |
| Harald Braun | 2014 | 2017 |
| Christoph Heusgen | 2017 | present |
Ambassadors of the German Democratic Republic
| Incumbent | Start of Term | End of Term |
|---|---|---|
| Horst Grunert | 1972 | 1973 |
| Peter Florin | 1973 | 1982 |
| Harry Ott | 1982 | 1988 |
| Siegfried Zachmann | 1988 | 1990 |