Klaus Scharioth

Klaus Scharioth’s attachment to the United States began with a scholarship at the College of Idaho in 1967. He later studied at the Fletcher School, where he earned his doctorate, and entered Germany’s diplomatic service in 1976. His work included international law at the United Nations, the negotiations surrounding German unification, and the private offices of three NATO secretaries general. ^{1, 2}

Scharioth headed the Foreign Office’s political department and served as state secretary from 2002 to 2006 before becoming ambassador in Washington. His American posting lasted until 2011. He then returned to Fletcher as a teacher. ^{1, 2}

In Washington, Scharioth worked to open the International Tracing Service’s Holocaust archives at Bad Arolsen to survivors and researchers. In a January 2007 letter to members of Congress, he described faster access as a personal priority and set out Germany’s work with the State Department and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on treaty ratification and digitization. He reported progress toward distributing digital copies among the member countries, while acknowledging that the legal process was still unfinished. ³

From 2011 to 2024, Scharioth led the Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs. He also chaired the advisory board of the German Turkish Youth Bridge, helping build exchanges between the two societies. He died on 30 October 2025. Colleagues at Fletcher and Mercator remembered his emphasis on careful listening, institutional responsibility, and candid but respectful debate. ^{1, 2}