US Ambassador Amy Gutmann is leaving Germany this summer for personal reasons. The 74-year-old wanted to join her husband, who had to return because of his professional obligations, US Embassy spokeswoman Elisabeth Rosenstock-Siller told dpa. She communicated her decision to return to the United States this summer to her employees and colleagues in the federal government.
The former politics professor Gutmann has been ambassador in Berlin since February 2022. The award-winning political scientist with German-Jewish roots was previously President of the renowned Pennsylvania University for many years. She had no experience as a diplomat.
Rosenstock-Siller went on to say that Gutmann is proud of the work she and her team have done to support German-American relations. She plans to keep a busy schedule with numerous commitments until she leaves.
Before Gutmann came to Berlin, the top position in the US representation was vacant for more than 20 months due to a blockade by opposition Republicans in the US Senate. The ambassador post was vacant for almost 16 months after Donald Trump was elected US President. Richard Grenell then took over the position in May 2018. In political Berlin he hardly made any friends with his brutal manner.