Permanent Representation

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A permanent representation (StäV) is the name given to agencies that fulfill the functions of an embassy when the establishment of a "real" embassy is not possible. This is the case when the permanent representation

  • is in a country that is not officially recognized by the state that maintains the permanent mission, or
  • does not exercise its embassy function in a sovereign state, but within an international organization (at its location).

International organizations

The "ambassadors" in international organizations are permanent representatives in the understanding of diplomacy , likewise the "embassies" are permanent representations , respectively, the diplomatic representative has the rank of ambassador because he is accredited to a subject under international law:

On the other hand, other permanent representatives to non-independent sub-organizations of such institutions are often referred to as envoy . The permanent representatives of actors not involved in an international organization are usually referred to as observers .

National

Germany

On October 2, 1990, the head of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the GDR, Franz Bertele , unscrewed the sign on his office building himself. With the German reunification, the mission ended its work.

The governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR opened permanent missions in Bonn and East Berlin on May 2, 1974 , because the Federal Republic of Germany did not recognize the GDR as a foreign country under international law . The basis of these institutions was the basic agreement of 1972. The representations lasted until the reunification on October 3, 1990.

The permanent representation of the Federal Republic of Germany was located on Hannoversche Strasse in the Mitte district. Its employees had diplomatic status and had their registered residence on Leipziger Strasse in East Berlin. They could leave at any time across the inner-city sector borders to West Berlin , where they usually actually lived. Children of StäV employees went to school in the western part of the city.

The Permanent Mission played an important role when the political system of the SED increasingly eroded in 1989. During the spring and summer, more than 100 GDR citizens had fled to the premises of the representation and were hoping to leave for the West from there. At the instigation of the Federal Government , there were several waves in which representative refugees were able to move to the West, whereby the GDR leadership's request for discreet handling was taken into account.

The Federal Republic of Germany has permanent representations to the European Union and the United Nations, among others . Since the federal states, as member states of the Federal Republic, participate in EU affairs (Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Law ), they also maintain permanent representations in Brussels .

The representations of the German states at the federal government - in contrast to the representations of the states at the European Union (an association of states ) - do not constitute permanent representations because, as representations of domestic states or member states, they do not perform embassy functions, but serve federal tasks.

Taiwan

The Republic of China on Taiwan is under pressure from the People's Republic of China only by a total of 20 mostly smaller, mostly Central American, African and Oceanic countries (including Paraguay ) and the Holy See recognized. In order to nevertheless establish a foreign policy relationship with Taiwan, so-called Taipei economic and cultural offices have been set up by many countries . These work de facto like an embassy , but painstakingly avoid this official name in order not to attract the displeasure of the People's Republic of China. Conversely, Germany has set up the German Institute Taipei in Taiwan . The People's Republic of China has a one-China policy , according to which the island of Taiwan is considered part of the People's Republic. As at the time of the division of Germany, the locals on the mainland and some residents of Taiwan ( Kuomintang members) regard the two parts of the country as “inland”, which is only viewed as occupied by the opposing rulers.

The Republic of China opened a new economic and cultural office in Bonn in 1958. It was called Far East Information . In 1990, the Far East Information Office was renamed Taipei Economic and Cultural Office , which meant a linguistic upgrade. In 1996 the office was renamed Taipei Representation in the Federal Republic of Germany , which should strengthen the quasi-official character of the office.

In Austria the representation is called Taipei Business and Culture Office in Vienna , the Austrian contact point Austria Office Taipei .

Oddities

The Kölsch pub "Stistentvertretung" in Berlin

The name of the pub Permanent Representation in Berlin-Mitte (near Friedrichstrasse station ), which has served as a representation since the German government moved from Bonn to Berlin (→  capital resolution ), alludes to the history of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic in East Berlin of the Rhenish culture. There are also branches in Bremen, Hanover and Cologne.

See also

Germany

Austria

Attacks on missions abroad

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gunter Schubert: The European Dimension of German-Taiwanese Relations - A Critical Assessment. In: China aktuell, August 2001, p. 989.