Deutsche Botschaften

Newly constructed embassies simultaneously convey prestige and establish a national identity. Their primary aim—to represent a state in a foreign country and reflect its societal self-image—turns them into political symbols. Over the past 150 years, Germany has consistently sought to express itself through the distinct architecture of its government buildings in other countries. In particular, the new diplomatic buildings constructed during the forty-year division between the GDR and FRG document the close relationship between political, cultural, and personal choices and their contexts. From their extraterritorial positions, the buildings offer an expanded view of history and self-conception. To this day, they continue to shape representative architecture abroad.