View source for Embassy of the United Kingdom, Berlin

{{Short description|Embassy of the United Kingdom to Germany}}
{{Infobox Diplomatic Mission | name = British Embassy, Berlin
| image = Embassy of the United Kingdom, Berlin.jpg
| caption = The Embassy building in Berlin
| address = 70-71 [[Wilhelmstraße]]
| location = {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Berlin]], [[Germany]]
| coordinates = {{coord|52|30|57|N|13|22|51|E|type:landmark_scale:3000|display=inline,title}}
| ambassador = [[Jill Gallard]]
| website = [https:// gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin/ British Embassy, Berlin]
}}

The '''British Embassy in Berlin''' ({{lang-de|Britische Botschaft, Berlin}}) is the United Kingdom's [[diplomatic mission]] to Germany. It is located on 70-71 [[Wilhelmstraße]], near the [[Hotel Adlon]], in [[Berlin]]. The current ambassador is [[Jill Gallard]].<ref name= "embas" >{{Cite press release|date=17 July 2020|title=Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Germany: November 2020|url=https:// gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majestys-ambassador-to-germany-july-2020|publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office|access-date=20 July 2020}}</ref>

== Palais Strousberg ==
{{main|Palais Strousberg}}
[[Image:Palais Strousberg - Facade.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Palais Strousberg]] later to become the old British embassy building]]
Before moving to the Wilhelmstraße, the British mission used, among others, the building at [[Leipziger Platz 12]] and the {{ill|Niederländisches Palais|de}}), from 1797 to 1803. The original building at 70 Wilhelmstraße, known as the [[Palais Strousberg]] and designed by [[August Orth]], was built in 1868 by the railway magnate [[Bethel Henry Strousberg]]. In December 1884, the United Kingdom bought the site after renting it for some years after Strousberg's bankruptcy and the subsequent sale of the building to [[Hohenlohe|Hugo zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen]] in 1876.<ref name= "embas2" >{{cite web|url=http:// britischebotschaft.de/Building/more.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020215002345/http:// britischebotschaft.de/building/more.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-02-15 |title=British embassy Berlin - More information |access-date=2006-09-01 }}</ref> Wilhelmstraße was then a centre for the German government, being the location of the Imperial Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry.

When diplomatic relations were broken off at the outbreak of [[World War I]], the building stood empty. Surviving a fire during the upheavals of the [[German Revolution of 1918–19|1919 revolution]], it was reoccupied in 1920 when [[Edgar Vincent d'Abernon]] became ambassador.<ref name= "embas2" /> At the beginning of [[World War II]], relations were broken off again. The building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during the war and was demolished in 1950. The title to the land nevertheless remained in the possession of the United Kingdom.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

== Cold War era ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1987-0130-317, Berlin, Britische Botschaft.jpg|thumb|right|Building Unter den Linden 32-34]] Between 1949 and 1990, Germany was divided. The British Ambassador to the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)]] was based in [[Bonn]], the capital city of that state. The British embassy to the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany) was situated near to the old embassy, at [[Unter den Linden]] 32-34.

== Post-reunification building ==
[[Image:Coat of arms british embassy berlin.jpg|thumb|Coat of arms]]
Upon reunification in 1990, the German government returned the seat of government from [[Bonn]] to [[Berlin]]. Accordingly, the [[British government]] decided to reoccupy the Wilhelmstraße site, despite the German Foreign Office no longer being located on this street. An architectural competition was held, and won by the practice of [[Michael Wilford]] and Partner (see also Manuel Schupp).{{who?|date=February 2023}} Ground was broken at the site on 29 June 1998 by [[Derek Fatchett]] MP, and the new building opened by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 18 July 2000.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

=== Architecture ===
The British embassy is the first, and to date, only embassy in Germany to be built under a [[private finance initiative]]. Arteos, a [[Bilfinger Berger]] owned [[special purpose entity]], financed and were to operate the embassy building for 30 years. A further 30-year extension is possible, following which the building will revert to British government ownership. In December 2006, Bilfinger sold their interest in the embassy to the UK firm Secondary Market Infrastructure Fund.<ref>{{cite news| url = http:// findarticles /p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20061202/ai_n16891428| title = Bilfinger sells embassy interest to UK investor| access-date = 2007-03-22| publisher = The London Independent| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080922210945/http://findarticles /p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20061202/ai_n16891428| archive-date = 2008-09-22| url-status = dead}}</ref>

Conscious of the necessity for modern embassies to forge good and open relationships with the German public, Wilford endowed the main floor with a café, library and restaurant. The security zone used to begin on the fourth floor but, with the perceived increased risk from terrorists, the site is now totally secured, and the intended public spaces are no longer freely accessible.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

== Events ==
On 10 August 2021, British and German authorities arrested an embassy security guard for [[Espionage|passing documents]] to [[Intelligence agencies of Russia|Russian intelligence]] for money. The guard, a 57-year-old British locally-hired contract worker, was named as David Smith. [[MI5]], the [[Metropolitan Police|Metropolitan Police's]] [[Counter Terrorism Command]], the [[Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany)|BKA]] (German federal police), and various prosecutors had investigated the man for months prior to his arrest in [[Potsdam]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |title=UK police involved for months in embassy spy case - Met Boss |url=https:// bbc /news/uk-58185952 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=12 August 2021 |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Grierson |first=Jamie |date=12 August 2021 |title=UK police involved in Berlin embassy spy case for 'number of months' |url=https:// theguardian /world/2021/aug/12/uk-police-involved-berlin-embassy-spy-case-number-months |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref> On 17 February 2023, Smith was sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tom Symonds |title=David Smith: Spy at UK's Berlin embassy jailed for selling secrets to Russia |url=https:// bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64669885 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=17 February 2023 |access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of diplomats of the United Kingdom to Germany]]

==References==
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{{Reflist}}
This article contains material that was originally translated from the German Wikipedia article [[:de:Britische Botschaft in Berlin|Britische Botschaft in Berlin]].
That article contains the following references:-
* Thomas Michael Krüger, Florian Bolk: ''Britische Botschaft Berlin''. Broschüre (32 Pages), {{ISBN|3-933743-36-2}}
* Ulf Meyer: ''Bundeshauptstadt Berlin'', jovis Verlag, Berlin, 1999, {{ISBN|3-931321-98-3}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|British Embassy, Berlin}}
*[https:// gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin British embassy Berlin]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103004/http:// stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/botschaften/pix/bsb007.jpg Photograph of the old embassy]

{{UK diplomatic missions}}
{{Diplomatic missions in Germany}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government buildings completed in 2000]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Berlin]]
[[Category:Germany–United Kingdom bilateral relations organisations]]
[[Category:Diplomatic missions in Berlin|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom|Berlin]]
[[Category:Michael Wilford buildings]]