Bienvenue sur les pages du Ministère fédéral des Affaires étrangères
Dr. Klaus Otto Schmidt, Consul général

Dear readers, At the beginning of the year 2021 let’s take a look « over the fence » to Switzerland. The 100th birthday of the writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt is celebrated there in January. Dürrenmatt's works such as « The Judge and His Hangman » were mandatory reading in German lessons at Germany's high schools as well. Reason enough to revisit the still contemporary tragic comedies « The Visit » (criticism of the affluent society) or « The Physicists » (responsibility of science), which established Dürrenmatt's world fame. Important annual dates in 2021 are also the 100th birthdays of the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl and the artist Joseph Beuys. In 2021 we will look back on 1700 years of Jewish life in Germany with numerous events. The Jewish community in the city of Cologne is considered to be the oldest in Central and Northern Europe. The next federal election will take place on September 26, 2021. Germans living abroad can also vote by post under certain conditions. You should submit a written request for entry in the electoral roll responsible for you in good time. Please find more information about the process here. Shortly after Christmas I received the sad news of the passing of our former honorary consul in Edmonton, attorney Harald Kuckertz. At the beginning of 2019, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in Ottawa in recognition of his services to German-Canadian relations. I think back fondly on our first meeting in Edmonton in autumn 2018. I am grateful for the great personal commitment with which he accompanied me in the beginning as Consul General on foreign territory. This also applies to his commitment to the continued existence of the Honorary Consulate in Edmonton. I regret all the more that I was not able to personally bid him farewell to his post in Edmonton as a result of the corona pandemic. On behalf of the staff at the German Consulate General in Vancouver, I would like to express our deep condolences to the relatives. Warm regards, Dr. Klaus Schmidt Consul General |
Curriculum Vitae
Consul General Dr. jur. Klaus Schmidt
Born November 27, 1956 in Würzburg
Married, two children
1976 - 1981 | Law Studies |
1981 | 1st State Exam |
1981 - 1984 | Practical Training |
1984 | 2nd State Exam |
1991 | PhD (Dr. jur. utriusque) |
1985 - 2003 | Press and Information Office |
Assignments and Entry to the Foreign Office | |
1987 - 1988 | Press Section |
1991 - 1995 | Head of Press and Information Department, Visa and Consular Section |
2003 - 2005 | Head of Division K 01 |
2005 - 2008 | Political Section |
2008 - 2011 | Head of Division 603 and 608 |
2011 | Head of Cultural Section |
2012 - 2015 | Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Economic Section |
2015 - 2018 | Consul General German Consulate General Chengdu, China |
since 8/2018 | Consul General |