Meet the New Ambassador of Germany to Austria: H.E. Mr. Ralf Beste
The new Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Austria, H.E. Mr. Ralf Beste presented Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg. He succeeds Ambassador Johannes K. Haindl in this position.
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Austria: H.E. Mr. Ralf Beste / Picture: © www.bundespraesident.at / Carina Karlovits and Peter Lechner / HBF
On September 19, 2019, Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the newly accredited Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) to Austria, H.E. Mr. Ralf Beste to the Presidential Chancellery of the Vienna Imperial Palace for the presentation of his letter of accreditation.
Ambassador Ralf Beste presented his credentials, signed by German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. After the presentation in the Maria Theresia room of the presidential chancellery, the military ceremony in the Hofburg followed, during which the ambassador was allowed to walk off the guard of honour. Beste can now officially take up his post as Ambassador to Austria.
"My first contact with Austria was on my twelfth birthday when I saw the football match between Germany and Austria in Córdoba. Since then things could only get better - and that's what it is," said Beste. "I am very much looking forward to the task as ambassador. I am enthusiastic about the history and culture of Austria and look forward to nature, sport and the people here and would like to be a good ambassador for my country in Austria".
The German Embassy in Vienna deals exclusively with bilateral relations between Austria and Germany.
The focus is on the exchange between the two countries.
Germany is Austria's most important trading partner and Austria is consistently among the top 10 in German foreign trade.
The representation is headed by Ambassador Ralf Beste.
| Curriculum Vitae: | |
| Date of Birth: | June 21, 1966 (Witten) |
| Education: | |
| 1985 |
Abitur |
| 1985 - 1986 | Military service |
| 1987 - 1991 |
Studied history in Bochum, Bielefeld and Baltimore (Master of Arts, Johns Hopkins University; Magister Artium, University of Bielefeld) |
| Career History: | |
| 1992 - 1994 | Volunteer / Editor of Ruhr Nachrichten, Dortmund |
| 1994 - 1996 | Press spokesman at the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Finance, Mainz |
| 1996 - 2000 | Editor of the Berliner Zeitung, Bonn and Berlin |
| 2001 - 2014 | Editor of SPIEGEL, Berlin |
| 2014 - 2016 | German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), Deputy Head of Planning Staff |
| 2016 - 2017 | German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), Commissioner for Strategic Communication |
| 2017 - 2019 | German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), Head of Planning Committee |
| since Sept. 19, 2019 | Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Austria |
| Languages: | German, English |
| Family Status: | Married, 2 children |
In Vienna there is not only one German embassy, but also two other German representations. One is the permanent representation to the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and the other is the permanent representation to the UN (United Nations).
Source:
Deutsche Botschaft Wien: https://wien.diplo.de/at-de/botschaft/-/1359914