Hermann Manfred Georg Freiherr von Richthofen,

GCVO The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(20 November 1933 in Breslau – 17 July 2021 in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

) was a German diplomat. He was a great nephew of

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of th ...

, the "Red Baron".''Dogfight - The Mystery of the Red Baron''
Channel 4, ''

Secret History Secret History or Secret Histories may refer to: Literature * '' The Secret History'', a novel by Donna Tartt * '' Ash: A Secret History'', a novel by Mary Gentle * ''Secret History'' (book series), a fantasy/science fiction series by Simon R. G ...

'', 22 December 2003. US broadcast a
"Who Killed the Red Baron? Explore Competing Theories."
''Pbs.org'', (Public Broadcasting Service) ''

Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...

'', 7 October 2003. He was ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1993, and his name and relation to the World War I fighter pilot Baron

made him a media favourite. He was later permanent representative of Germany to NATO from 1993 to 1998. Hermann von Richthofen was married and had three children with his wife. Hermann Freiherr von Richthofen was awarded an honorary LLD by

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

in 2000.

Career history

* 1955-58: Studied law at the Universities in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, Munich and

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

* 1958: First law degree * 1963: Second law degree * 1963: Dr. Jur. (PhD Law). Joined German diplomatic service on graduation * 1965-66: Federal

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Foreign Office Desk Officer in Legal Directorate-General * 1966-68: Embassy

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

Desk Officer for Humanitarian Aid * 1968-70: Embassy

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

Labour Attaché and Desk Officer in Legal and Consular Section and Political Section * 1970-74: Federal Foreign Office Desk Officer in Legal Directorate-General * 1974: Deputy Head of Section for International Law * 1975-78: Federal Chancellery Head of Section in Political Department of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin (East) * 1978-80: Federal Foreign Office Head of Department in Political Directorate-General * 1980-86: Federal Chancellery Head of Working Unit "Deutschland-Politik" * 1986: Federal Foreign Office Deputy Under Secretary, Director-General for Legal Affairs and Special Adviser on International Law * 1986-1988: Federal Foreign Office Deputy Under Secretary (Political Director) * 1989-1993: Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Court of St. James's * 1993-1998: permanent representative of Germany to NATO, Brussels

Notes

References

External links

Nato's Who's Who Reference

1933 births 2021 deaths German barons Hermann von Richthofen Diplomats from Wrocław People from the Province of Lower Silesia Ambassadors of Germany to the United Kingdom Permanent representatives of Germany to NATO Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order {{Germany-diplomat-stub