Wolfgang Ischinger
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Friedrich Ischinger (born April 6, 1946) is a German
diplomat. He was Germany's ambassador
to the Court of St. James's
(the United Kingdom
) from 2006 to May, 2008. From 2001 to 2006, he was the German ambassador to the United States, and from 1998 to 2001, he was Staatssekretär (Deputy Foreign Minister) in Berlin.
Ambassador Ischinger is the new Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, following Dr. Horst Teltschik http://www.securityconference.de. He is also Global Head of Government Relations, Allianz SE, Munich. He serves on the Supervisory Board of Allianz Deutschland AG, on the European Advisory Board of Investcorp
(London/New York) and on the governing board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
, near Stuttgart
, Germany
. In 1963/64, he was an American Field Service foreign exchange student in Watseka, Illinois
, where he graduated from the local high school in June 1964.
Ischinger studied law at the University of Bonn
, Germany
and the University of Geneva
, Switzerland
and obtained his law degree in 1972. He earned a Master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, MA, in 1973.
From 1973 to 1975, Ischinger served on the staff of the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York
. He joined the German Foreign Service in 1975, and has served in Washington, D.C.
, Paris
, and in a number of senior functions in the German Foreign Office. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Ischinger was Director of the Policy Planning Staff; from 1995 to 1998, as Director General for Political Affairs (Political Director), Mr. Ischinger participated in a number of international negotiating processes, including the Bosnia Peace Talks at Dayton, OH, the negotiations concerning the NATO-Russia Founding Act, as well as the negotiations on EU and NATO enlargement and on the Kosovo
crisis.
As Staatssekretär(Deputy Foreign Minister), Ischinger represented Germany at numerous international and European conferences, including the 1999 G8 and EU summit meetings in Cologne/Germany and the 2000 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at the United Nations, New York.
In 2007, Ischinger was the European Union Representative in the Troika negotiations on the future of Kosovo which led to the declaration of independence of Kosovo and to the recognition of Kosovo by most EU member countries, by the United States, and a number of other countries, in February, 2008.
Ischinger has published widely on foreign policy, security, and arms control policy as well as on Europe
an and transatlantic issues. He serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Board of Overseers of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the EastWest Institute
in New York, SIPRI (Stockholm), the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
(SWP), Berlin, the American Academy in Berlin
, the Atlantic Council of the United States, the Council on Public Policy Berlin, the Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik
(BAKS), Berlin, and AFS Germany (American Field Service). He is a member of the international Global Zero Commission promoting the vision of a nuclear-free world. In 2008, Honorable James D. Wolfensohn & Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke awarded him the Leo Baeck Medal (Leo Baeck Institute
) for his humanitarian work promoting tolerance and social justice.
Since 2011, Ischinger also acts as Advisor to Fair Observer on global politics and security topics .
Ischinger is married to Jutta Falke, a journalist and writer, and the couple has one child. Ischinger also has two children from a previous marriage. Before departing from Berlin to Washington, D.C.
in 2001, Mrs. Falke-Ischinger was the Berlin
bureau chief of the German weekly “Rheinischer Merkur”
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
diplomat. He was Germany's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Court of St. James's
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
(the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) from 2006 to May, 2008. From 2001 to 2006, he was the German ambassador to the United States, and from 1998 to 2001, he was Staatssekretär (Deputy Foreign Minister) in Berlin.
Ambassador Ischinger is the new Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, following Dr. Horst Teltschik http://www.securityconference.de. He is also Global Head of Government Relations, Allianz SE, Munich. He serves on the Supervisory Board of Allianz Deutschland AG, on the European Advisory Board of Investcorp
Investcorp
Investcorp is a manager of alternative investment products, serving high-net-worth private and institutional clients. Its principal client base is in the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council, but it also has institutional clients in North America and Europe...
(London/New York) and on the governing board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Life
Ischinger was born in NürtingenNürtingen
Nürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer...
, near Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1963/64, he was an American Field Service foreign exchange student in Watseka, Illinois
Watseka, Illinois
Watseka is a city in and the county seat of Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately west of the Illinois-Indiana state line on U.S...
, where he graduated from the local high school in June 1964.
Ischinger studied law at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and obtained his law degree in 1972. He earned a Master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, MA, in 1973.
From 1973 to 1975, Ischinger served on the staff of the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He joined the German Foreign Service in 1975, and has served in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and in a number of senior functions in the German Foreign Office. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Ischinger was Director of the Policy Planning Staff; from 1995 to 1998, as Director General for Political Affairs (Political Director), Mr. Ischinger participated in a number of international negotiating processes, including the Bosnia Peace Talks at Dayton, OH, the negotiations concerning the NATO-Russia Founding Act, as well as the negotiations on EU and NATO enlargement and on the Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
crisis.
As Staatssekretär(Deputy Foreign Minister), Ischinger represented Germany at numerous international and European conferences, including the 1999 G8 and EU summit meetings in Cologne/Germany and the 2000 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at the United Nations, New York.
In 2007, Ischinger was the European Union Representative in the Troika negotiations on the future of Kosovo which led to the declaration of independence of Kosovo and to the recognition of Kosovo by most EU member countries, by the United States, and a number of other countries, in February, 2008.
Ischinger has published widely on foreign policy, security, and arms control policy as well as on Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and transatlantic issues. He serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Board of Overseers of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the EastWest Institute
EastWest Institute
The EastWest Institute , originally known as the Institute for East West Security Studies, is an international not-for-profit, non-partisan "think and do" tank focusing on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including track 2 diplomacy and track 1.5 diplomacy , hosting...
in New York, SIPRI (Stockholm), the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
German Institute for International and Security Affairs
The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin is a leading German think tank and the founding institution behind the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.- History, Organization and Functions of the SWP :...
(SWP), Berlin, the American Academy in Berlin
American Academy in Berlin
The American Academy in Berlin is a research and cultural institution in Berlin whose stated mission is to foster a greater understanding and dialogue between the people of the United States and the people of Germany.The American Academy was founded in September 1994 by a group of prominent...
, the Atlantic Council of the United States, the Council on Public Policy Berlin, the Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik
Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik
The Federal College for Security Studies is the Federal Republic of Germany’s interministerial institution for advanced studies, education and training in security policy in the remit of the Federal Ministry of Defence...
(BAKS), Berlin, and AFS Germany (American Field Service). He is a member of the international Global Zero Commission promoting the vision of a nuclear-free world. In 2008, Honorable James D. Wolfensohn & Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke awarded him the Leo Baeck Medal (Leo Baeck Institute
Leo Baeck Institute
The Leo Baeck Institute-New York in Manhattan is a library, archive, and exhibition centre devoted to the study of the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry. The Institutes's offices and collections are housed in Center for Jewish History in New York City...
) for his humanitarian work promoting tolerance and social justice.
Since 2011, Ischinger also acts as Advisor to Fair Observer on global politics and security topics .
Ischinger is married to Jutta Falke, a journalist and writer, and the couple has one child. Ischinger also has two children from a previous marriage. Before departing from Berlin to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2001, Mrs. Falke-Ischinger was the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
bureau chief of the German weekly “Rheinischer Merkur”
Rheinischer Merkur
The Rheinischer Merkur was a nationwide conservative German weekly newspaper appearing on Thursdays. It was published in Bonn, its managing director was Bert Günther Wegener, and the editor in chief from 1994 to 2010 was Michael Rutz...
.