Wolfgang Ischinger

German Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Ischinger’s American experience goes back to the 1960s. He was an American Field Service foreign exchange student in Watseka, Illinois, where he graduated from the local high school in June 1964.

Mr. Ischinger studied law at the universities of Bonn, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland. From 1972 to 1973, he did graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and at Harvard University Law School — earning his master’s degree from the Fletcher School.

He joined the German Foreign Service in 1975. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Ischinger was Director of the Policy Planning Staff of the German Foreign Office in Bonn. In 1995, he was appointed Director General for Political Affairs.

In that capacity, Mr. Ischinger participated in a number of international negotiating processes — including the Bosnia Peace Talks at Dayton, Ohio and the negotiations on NATO enlargement and on the Kosovo crisis.

From 1998 to 2000, Wolfgang Ischinger served as Deputy Foreign Minister.

He took up his post as German Ambassador to the United States in July 2000. He also holds a private pilot’s license.