60 years of German-Maltese diplomacy

Exactly 60 years ago today, on February 16, 1965, the first ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malta, Karl-Gustav Wollenweber, presented his credentials to governor general Maurice Henry Dorman, thus officially establishing diplomatic relations between our two countries.

This milestone was made possible by Malta gaining independence from the United Kingdom in September of the previous year, laying the foundation for a partnership that has steadily grown over the decades.

Nowadays, our bilateral relations are based on shared values including multilateralism and the commitment to peace, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Our partnership extends across key international platforms such as the United Nations, the OSCE, and the European Union, where our countries stand united in promoting these values.

Within the UN and OSCE, we actively collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing global security and stability. A recent testament to this was Malta’s chairmanship of the OSCE in 2024, during which its successful tenure was reinforced by close cooperation with Germany.

As EU members, our nations work together to strengthen the Union’s global influence through closer cooperation and shared policies. Together, we actively defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence against Russia’s illegal war of aggression, providing joint political, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Our regional cooperation for sustainable peace in the Mediterranean and beyond is exemplified by the German Chair for Peace Studies and Conflict Prevention at MEDAC (Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies at the University of Malta), which has been funded by the federal government since 2009, and which is chaired by George Vella, former president of of Malta.

As we celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, we do so with immense pride and joy.

We have come a long way, and in 2016, after a number of years in Sliema, the German Embassy returned to its roots in Ta’ Xbiex – the same municipality where we first set up office in 1965. Conversely, Malta’s Embassy relocated from Bonn to Berlin in 2000, following the latter’s designation as Germany’s capital.

A long history of shared relations

The connections between Germany and Malta, however, go back much further than the last six decades. Germany’s first consulate in Malta was established in 1832. Cultural and trade links have existed even longer. One of the most significant historical personalities in this regard is Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, the last grand master of the Order of Malta, who had been born in Germany in 1744.

Having commenced his post only in 1797, his leadership abruptly ended when the Maltese islands fell under Napoleon’s control in 1798. Among others, von Hompesch’s traces can still be found in the form of Hompesch Gate in Żabbar, his portrait in Valletta’s Grand Master’s Palace.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, at the German-Maltese Circle.

Another fine trace of our shared history is Villa Luginsland in Rabat. This building, which is now being restored as a creative hub, was commissioned by Baron Maximilian Tucher von Simmelsdorf, who was appointed German consul in 1900. Designed by Maltese architect Francesco Zammit, the villa’s name – roughly translated as “look into the country” – hints at its German roots.

A darker chapter in history are of course the air raids flown by Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe over Malta as an important naval and airbase during World War II, claiming a great number of lives and bringing about much suffering. After the Wehrmacht’s unconditional surrender to Allied forces on May 8, 1945, post-war Germany assumed responsibility, reformed and prosecutes Nazi perpetrators to this day.

Germany is the leading export trading partner of Malta

In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany gave itself a democratic constitution based on human rights and the rule of law. All these steps as well as European integration paved the way for reconciliation and helped revive relations with Malta, which culminated in the opening of the German Embassy barely 20 years after the end of the war.

Mutual understanding and people-to-people contacts were greatly fostered by the foundation of the German-Maltese Circle in Valletta in 1962. This cultural association continues to promote German language and culture to this day. German scholars, on the other hand, have even longer been fascinated by the Maltese language: For example, German linguists Hans Stumme and Bertha Ilg, a relative of consul Tucher von Simmelsdorf, collected Maltese fairy tales to be published in Germany in 1904.

In 1991, the German Maltese Association was founded in Adenau, Germany, as an independent non-profit organisation to promote relations between Germany and Malta. In 2007, the International Association for Maltese Linguistics was founded in Bremen, followed by the Malta Centre at the University of Bremen in 2012.

Economic relations and mutual assistance

Post-war economic relations between Germany and Malta took root even before Malta gained independence in 1964: in May 1963, Malta signed its very first trade agreement in its own name – with the Federal Republic of Germany! At the time, then prime minister George Borg Olivier and Federal chancellor Konrad Adenauer recognised the importance of strengthening economic ties between our countries to foster mutual prosperity.

Over time, this vision has borne fruit, as Germany has become a vital trading partner for Malta, and Malta has grown into an attractive manufacturing and investment hub for German companies: in 1974, German toy manufacturer Playmobil started its production in Malta, in 1991 temperature control systems producer Seifert, a family business now based on the islands in third generation.

And since 2003, Lufthansa Technik has been servicing aircraft in Luqa, to name but a few. Maltese companies have also achieved success in Germany, such as Altaro, a global provider of backup solutions founded in 2009, which was later acquired by the German company Hornetsecurity.

Nowadays, imports from Germany into Malta are the second highest, and Germany is the leading export trading partner of Malta. Stock direct investment in Malta from Germany amounts to €14.1 billion, with Maltese investment in Germany accounting for €526 million.

Over the years, Malta has also become a popular destination for German tourists. Germans now represent the fourth-largest group of tourists in Malta.

Throughout our shared history, countless small but significant acts of cooperation have reinforced the bond between Germany and Malta. In 1879, for example, Malta provided Germany with a report on its civil law as part of the drafting of Germany’s own civil code – a testament to the intellectual exchange between our nations.

Similarly, in 2020 Germany drew inspiration from Malta’s 2016 law banning conversion therapy, and if you look closely at Malta’s cannabis law of 2021 and the German one of 2024, you will also find striking parallels.

Looking into the future, let us continue to strengthen the bonds between Germany and Malta, fostering cooperation for many more decades to come. Here’s to the next 60 years!

Tanja Beyer

Marlene Bonnici

Tanja Beyer is Germany’s Ambassador to Malta. Marlene Bonnici is Malta’s Ambassador to Germany.