Historical mission at the turn of the century

And Amy Gutmann also brings a lot of history to Berlin. For the daughter of a German Jew who had to flee the Nazis, being an ambassador to Berlin is something very special at a time of historical change. “My father would be amazed and proud today,” says the American, who was born in Brooklyn, New York.

His foresight and courage will guide her in her new position: “I would like to make it clear to the younger generation in particular how important transatlantic friendship is. That it is not abstract, but very real and important if we want to preserve peace, freedom and our livelihoods.”

Gutmann is the first woman to hold the post of American ambassador to Germany. She studied political science and philosophy at the London School of Economics and at Harvard University. She later taught at Princeton University and advised former US President Barack Obama on bioethics issues.

Shortly before the outbreak of war in the Ukraine, the 72-year-old diplomat received her certificate of appointment from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and has been on the job ever since, explaining the “turn of the era” in Germany and Europe at home and supporting it in this country. “No, I wasn’t surprised by Olaf Scholz’s speech,” says Gutmann, “but I was very happy.”

The transatlantic alliance between the USA and Germany is proving particularly valuable right now. That is how it is seen in Washington by representatives of both major parties. “Our friendship has gone from a luxury to a necessity.”

Global turning point

The ambassador leaves no doubt that Putin’s war will change the world forever. “The turning point is global,” she says, and America, along with its allies, will not rest until Ukraine regains full sovereignty in peace and freedom. “Putin is a brutal dictator and we will make him a pariah,” announces the diplomat quite undiplomatically.

The Kremlin chief had “terribly miscalculated” and the West will hold him accountable. “We will do even more than before,” promised the ambassador.

Gutmann finds similarly clear words for China: “We mustn’t kid ourselves,” she says, “the regime in Beijing acts maliciously on issues of human rights, international trade and cyberspace.” With a view to China’s dubious position in the Ukraine war, she said the ambassador: “If you don’t want to be part of the solution, you are part of the problem. And China is part of the problem.”

Beijing is not a partner for the West, but has so far sided with Putin. Gutmann welcomed the fact that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wants to develop a China strategy as part of a national security strategy.

However, the next few weeks and months for the new ambassador will be dictated by the war in Ukraine. “Unlike in previous crises, we were not caught by surprise this time,” Gutmann recalls, referring to the US intelligence services’ early warnings of an invasion of Russia. “Not only are we well prepared, but we are united as allies.”

You will have to stand up to Putin for the foreseeable future. She expects more leadership from Germany, especially in the EU, but also in NATO.

Message to the young Germans

However, Gutmann sees her own role not only as America’s emissary in world politics. Her words express her impatience to explore Germany, the former home of her Jewish father, and above all to start conversations with young people. The young Germans can look forward to an attentive, interested listener who, from her time as President of the University of Pennsylvania, loves exchanging ideas with those “who are shaping our future”.

After a “loudspeaker”, Germany has found a listener in Gutmann who also embodies the German-American friendship in a very personal way. These are good prerequisites for a mission in historically sensitive times.

More: Baerbock initiates debate about new security strategy for Germany