 | |
 Germany |  Syria |
|---|---|
Germany–Syria relations are thebilateral relations between theFederal Republic of Germany and theSyrian Arab Republic. Germany closed its Damascus embassy and stopped its recognition ofBashar al-Assad in 2012 because of theSyrian civil war, but did not cut relations with the formerBa'athist regime until its official collapse in late 2024.[1]
In 1927, theWeimar Republic established aconsulate to represent its interests inLebanon andSyria. In 1934, the consulate was transformed into a consulate general. During theSecond World War, Syria was briefly under control of the German-dependentVichy regime, but was captured by British and anti-German French forces in 1941 in theSyria–Lebanon campaign. After the war, Syria declared independence on April 17, 1946. Former officers of theWehrmacht were involved as advisors in building up theSyrian Armed Forces.[2] In 1952, diplomatic relations were established between Syria and theFederal Republic of Germany (FRG). At the time of theUnited Arab Republic (1958-1961), Syria operated a joint embassy inBonn with Egypt underNasser.
After the FRG's diplomatic recognition of Israel in 1965, Syria severed diplomatic relations with the FRG. Instead, informal relations with theGerman Democratic Republic (GDR) were expanded, and by the mid-1960s the two countries had become close partners even before official diplomatic relations were established in 1969. The GDR provided extensive economic aid to Syria, which was ruled by theBaath Party. For example, GDR advisors helped establish acentrally-planned economy in Syria, and Syrian security forces were trained by theMinistry of State Security and their Syrian equivalents were modeled on the GDR, influencing the Syrian state into the 21st century. With the coming to power of the lesssocialist oriented Syrian nationalistHafez al-Assad in 1970, relations with the GDR were eventually scaled back, and relations with the FRG were resumed in 1974.[3]
In 2001, Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad visited German ChancellorGerhard Schröder on a state visit in Berlin. The meeting was about a peace plan for theMiddle East conflict and Germandevelopment aid. German Development MinisterHeidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul proclaimed the motto "change through cooperation".[4] AfterGerman Reunification, Syria moved itsembassy fromBonn to Berlin in 2002/03.
With the start of thecivil war in Syria in 2011, the German embassy inDamascus was closed in 2012. Germany joined economic sanctions against the Assad regime and cut diplomatic contacts with the Syrian government to a minimum. In addition, several Syrian diplomats were expelled from the country, including the Syrian ambassador to Germany in May 2012 after theMassacre of Hula.[5] Unlike other Western countries such as the United States, however, diplomatic relations were not severed.[6] In the context of the crisis in Syria, Germany provided billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance and took in large numbers ofSyrian refugees itself.
On December 4, 2015, theBundestag voted to authorize the participation of theBundeswehr in the internationalanti-ISIL coalition in Syria, which ended in January 2021.[7] The Berlin Prosecutor General's Office opened an investigation at the end of January 2017 into allegations that the Syrian embassy in Berlin had issued passports without verification but with an extra fee.[8] In February 2021, Assad supporter Eyad A. was sentenced by a Regional Court to four and a half years in prison for war crimes committed in the Syrian civil war, marking the first international conviction for charges involving "crimes against humanity" committed by individual linked to the Government of Syria during the war.[9]
In January 2022, a German court inKoblenz sentenced Syrian officerAnwar Raslan tolife imprisonment, declaring him guilty overcrimes against humanity. Anwar Raslan had served as a colonel under the notoriousBranch 251 ofBa'athist General Intelligence Directorate and was charged with organizing large-scaletorture,rape,sexual violence against detainees and in the killing of 58 individuals.[10][11][12] In July 2023, German police basted a major captagon network in the southern state ofBavaria, run by two Syrian-born men who were involved in production and smuggling of captagon.[13]
When theAssad regime collapsed in December 2024, Germany, along with a number of European states, had suspended asylum applications for Syrian migrants.[14] At the same time, several exiled Syrians living in Germany also celebrated the fall of the Assad family.[15]
Germany's Foreign MinisterAnnalena Baerbock said thatBashar al-Assad "must finally be held accountable" for hisatrocities against the Syrian people.[16] She warned supporters of the Assad regime, saying "To any of Assad’s torturers who might be considering fleeing to Germany now, I can only say clearly: We will bring all the regime’s henchmen to account for their terrible crimes with the full force of the law."[17]
On January 3, 2025, Annalena Baerbock became one of the firstEuropean Union diplomats to travel to Damascus after the fall of Assad, in which she met withAhmed al-Sharaa, leader ofHay'at Tahrir al-Sham, as well as theSyrian Transitional Government and representatives of Syrian civil society to discuss a new political beginning.[18] Despite shaking hands with his French counterpartJean-Noël Barrot, Ahmed al-Sharaa did not shake hands with Baerbock.[19] During her visit, she stated that Europe would support Syria's transition but would not fund the establishment of new Islamist structures.[20] On January 12, Baerbock pledged €50 million in food, emergency shelters, and medical care to Syria followingtalks with the Syrian Transitional Government inRiyadh, Saudi Arabia.[21] In March 2025, Germany pledged €300 million in aid towards stabilizing Syria and its humanitarian situation.[22] On 20 March 2025, Germany reopened its embassy in Damascus.[23]
Major migration between the countries first occurred in the 1960s as part of the close partnership between East Germany and Syria. A total of 4000 Syrian students studied in West and East Germany, and in 2009, 22 percent of professors at theUniversity of Damascus had a German degree.[24] In 2009, there were about 30,000 Syrians living in Germany.[25] More than six million Syrians have left their homes as part of the civil war in the country. In 2021, there were approximately 868,000 people from Syria living in Germany, the vast majority of whom arrived in the country as part of theRefugee Crisis 2015/2016.[26] Well-knownGerman-Syrians include political scientistBassam Tibi, politicianLamya Kaddor and football playerMahmoud Dahoud.
Syria's economic performance plummeted with the start of the civil war in 2011, and the country was placed undersanctions by Westernindustrialized countries.[27] Economic relations with Germany are therefore weak. The bilateraltrade volume amounted to only 60 million euros in 2021.[28]
Before the civil war, Syria was a majortourist destination due to its cultural sites and was also visited by many Germans. Since 2019, some tourists from Germany have been traveling to the country again, despite travel warnings.[29]
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Germany has provided humanitarian aid amounting to more than 10 billion euros up to 2022, making it one of the leading donor countries. The German government has worked with partners such as theUnited Nations World Food Programme, theRed Cross, andSave the Children.[30] The focus has been on supporting refugees in Syria and neighboring countries. Aid was also provided to stabilize regions in northern Syria that had been occupied by theIslamic State.[31]
| Africa | |
|---|---|
| Americas | |
| Asia | |
| Europe | |
| Disputes | |
| Diplomatic missions | |
| Multilateral | |
