Hermann Holzheimer

Hermann Holzheimer (born October 23, 1928 in Aschaffenburg ; † January 4, 2012 in Schmalwasser , Rhön-Grabfeld district ) was a German diplomat who was ambassador to Chile and Iraq , among other things .

Life

The son of a psychologist and school board member grew up in Würzburg and, after graduating from high school at Johann-Philipp-von-Schönborn-Gymnasium in Münnerstadt, studied law and economics at the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg and the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg .

After completing his studies, he joined the Foreign Service in 1954 and was initially an attaché at the diplomatic missions in Geneva and Antwerp before he was consul in Brazil between 1956 and 1960 . After a position in the Foreign Office , he worked at the Embassy in India from 1963 to 1969 . He then returned to the Embassy in Brazil as Counselor and from 1972 to 1975 he was Head of Section for German Schools Abroad at the Foreign Office in Bonn, where he was also responsible for looking after the Goethe Institute .

He then stayed in the Foreign Office and was Deputy Head of Protocol from 1975 to 1980 as the representative of Franz Jochen Schoeller . On May 19, 1978 he was appointed Grand Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique .

After completing this activity, he received his accreditation as ambassador to Iraq in 1980 .

Afterwards he was ambassador to Chile between 1983 and 1986 , and during this time, as the successor to Erich Strätling, he also had to deal with the problem of the Colonia Dignidad . Although rumors and reports about the actual conditions in the strictly shielded colony, not least about mysterious deaths, got out from time to time, the German embassy treated the problem diligently, even under Strätling's successor Hermann Holzheimer. It wasn't until February 1985 that two spouses managed to escape that the situation changed. Still cautious, Holzheimer wired his 'opinion' to Bonn,

"That the Chilean side should not be deprived of our knowledge of the living conditions in Colonia Dignidad".

He added:

"It would be more important, however, that the living conditions, which are in many ways reminiscent of a concentration camp ... are changed and Mr. Schäfer is no longer given the opportunity to let children sleep with him ..."

Following this, Holzheimer was Deputy Secretary General of the Western European Union in London from 1986 to 1989 .

Honors

• 1978: Grand Officer of the Order of the Infante Dom Henrique
• 1979: Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
• 1980: Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany

Publications

• Diplomatic Latin , autobiography 2002

Web links

• Entry in prabook.com
• Hermann Holzheimer died. German ambassador to Iraq and Chile . In: Main-Post from January 6, 2012

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Diplomacy: Just a facade . In: Der Spiegel (No. 46/1987)
2. ↑ Diplomatic Latin (drhschultheis.de)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.