Diplomatic Brief: Rolf Schütte (cont.)

.... A specialist in Russian-Western and Jewish-German relations, Schütte gave two lectures at UCB under the auspices of the Institute for International Studies.

Interested early on in other cultures and foreign affairs, Schütte attended an internationally-oriented high school where he studied Russian (among other languages). Schütte has been posted to Moscow and served several years as head of the German Foreign Office’s Eastern European Division. His life has taken him to Moscow, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Bologna, Bonn, Ohio, Rome, New York, Washington, and now, San Francisco – both for education and diplomacy. In August Schütte assumed the post of Consul-General in San Francisco, and Berkeley is privileged to have had his expertise and insight over the last several months.

One of Schütte's Berkeley lectures was based on an article he recently completed for the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, “EU-Russia Relations: Interests and Values—A European Perspective” (.pdf file). Essentially a relationship conditioned by geography and history, the EU now needs Russia for energy (and stability), and Russia needs the EU for continued modernization of its economy. Cooperation on such issues as immigration, organized crime, environment, and trade constitute other items high on the priority list.

The EU-Russian relationship has been one fraught with wars, ideological battles, and at some level – to use Huntington’s analysis – a clash of civilizations. Schütte characterizes the status of the relationship as one with too little trust. The Russians resent European chiding about “internal” issues such as human rights, press freedom, and the rule of law. The Europeans are upset that the Russians do not completely “share their European values,” and that they do not speak frankly about affairs they consider private or internal. The agglomeration of power by Premier Putin is an example wherein actions incongruent with EU values are largely supported both by the Russian government and by a sizeable portion of the population for various historical reasons (to whit, the sudden instability and robber-baron-style capitalism immediately following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 created disgust and a longing for the “good-old days” among many Russians eager to live under a more stable, authoritarian regime). The article may be downloaded in full here (.pdf file).

Having been stationed in Tel Aviv and later having worked as Deputy Director of the Middle East for the German Foreign Office in 1997, Schütte has addressed audiences throughout the United States on the topic of German-Jewish relations. Schütte was the first German Visiting Scholar to work at the American Jewish Committee in New York, where he says he was welcomed warmly. This represents a milestone of German-Jewish postwar relations.

His article on German-Jewish relations (published by the American Jewish Committee) acknowledges the deep historical wounds in the relationship, but also stresses the extent to which Germany has modernized and democratized in the last 50 years. Germany’s introspection and house-cleaning has left it in many ways better prepared than many other European countries to respect diversity, fight anti-Semitism, and support and sustain its ties with the Jewish people.

With the vast majority of present-day Germans born after World War II, the German government and elites must counter a tendency on the part of younger people to put the past behind them. At the same time, Jewish groups need to challenge a pervasive attitude that neglects Germany’s strides to become a contemporary, modern democracy worthy of interest and respect. Due to a shared cultural heritage and a shared horror, Germany and the Jewish people are bound together with a mutual obligation to continue to build upon that postwar relationship, in spite of the uncomfortable psychological difficulties which can block full, open engagement with the interlocutor. His article, “German-Jewish Relations, Today and Tomorrow,” is available here (.pdf file).

Though Schütte has enjoyed his stay in Berkeley, he’s a city-lover at heart, and is looking forward to living in San Francisco for the next several years. Regarding his work in San Francisco, Schütte believes it is important for a diplomat to build upon personal interests and expertise in fostering better ties and understanding. For instance, issues which interest Schütte and also have resonance in both San Francisco and Germany are tourism, gay and lesbian civil rights, immigration, and German-Jewish relations.

On a personal note, Schütte has lived the quintessential diplomat’s life with moves every few years from one continent or country to the next. He has reconciled himself to these upheavals by saying wryly, “You have to realize that these 3-4 days of packing and moving are going to be unpleasant – you just have to write them off your calendar and not expect them to be anything else.” He’s now set to move into his personal official residence at the German Consulate: rather than being excited, he frets about how to fill the cavernous rooms with his modest furniture collection (which must be shipped from back home in Germany – the residence is unfurnished!).

Consul-General Schütte was the ideal Visiting Scholar, keeping office hours that would put any corporate executive to shame. We greatly value his contributions here and wish him luck in his new endeavors across the Bay as we anticipate continuing collaboration with him and the German Consulate.

— Eric Kotila