Ambassadors oversee official communications and business between governments and ordinarily reside in the capital of their host country. Such obvious facts are worth remembering when we look at relations between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany between 1955 and 1968 (and during the period before the opening of diplomatic relations on May 6, 1955) from the perspective of the head of the West German diplomatic mission. The character of international relations with the Germans was an open question following Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945 and the revelation of the crimes against humanity committed during the era of the Third Reich. Accordingly, the new beginning of bilateral relations in June 1950 started on an extremely modest basis.

heinz l. krekeler (1950-8)

The first representative of the Federal Republic sent to the United States was of necessity a man with as few ties as possible to “Wilhelmstrasse,” the old Foreign Office in Berlin. A Foreign Ministry in Bonn did not as yet exist. Instead, an “Office for Foreign Affairs in the Federal Chancellery,” established on June 7, 1950, maintained missions abroad to represent the Federal Republic in consular and economic matters. These offices were designated as Consulates General or, simply, Consulates.