German Democratic Republic

A State Formed from Occupation

The German Democratic Republic emerged in 1949 from the Soviet occupation zone after the defeat of Nazi Germany. The western zones formed the Federal Republic, and the division of Germany became a central dispute of the Cold War. Washington initially denied the eastern government’s legitimacy and dealt with Bonn as the representative of a future unified Germany. Its later recognition of the GDR in 1974 reflected an effort to conduct diplomacy with the two states while preserving rights and responsibilities arising from the wartime settlement. [6]

A Second German Embassy in Washington

The German Democratic Republic established its own Washington representation after the United States recognized it and opened diplomatic relations on 4 September 1974. The United States continued to regard the Federal Republic of Germany as the legitimate successor of the historical German state, even while dealing formally with the separate government in East Berlin. [1]

The exchange of embassies required negotiations over how the new missions would operate. In February 1973, Secretary of State William Rogers proposed talks in Washington and reciprocal openings once suitable facilities were available. The proposed talks covered diplomatic privileges, consular arrangements, property, public access, and financial claims. It also reserved the four occupying powers' rights concerning Berlin and Germany as a whole. The GDR then owned no property in Washington; office and residential accommodation would have to be arranged for the new mission. [2]

Rolf Sieber presented his credentials to President Gerald Ford in the Oval Office on 20 December 1974. The American embassy in East Berlin had opened eleven days earlier. By the end of the year, the GDR had a directly accredited ambassador in Washington alongside the Federal Republic's existing embassy. [3] [4] [1]

Leased Offices and Separate Residences

The GDR embassy operated from leased offices at 1717 Massachusetts Avenue. Its residential establishment extended beyond the city: the government owned an ambassador's residence on Roshdo Court in Bethesda and maintained staff housing in Arlington. A Foreign Service Journal report published in October 1990 documented those premises and the embassy's ambassadorial meeting room. [5]

The End of Separate Representation

The Washington establishment was already winding down before unification. The last GDR ambassador left on 24 June 1990, and 23 representatives remained in July. The future disposition of the residential properties was still unresolved in September. Separate East German representation ended with the GDR's absorption into the Federal Republic in 1990. The United States regarded the enlarged Federal Republic as a continuing state, so unification did not require recognition of a new German country. [5] [1]

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• Germany and the United States