Germany & Iran
We maintain and shape the long and special relations between Germany and Iran.
Between Romantic Oriental Images and Power Politics
Germany and Iran share a long and eventful relationship. After several mutual research trips and exchanges of ideas and goods along trade routes, Iranian carpet merchants settled in Hamburg in the mid-19th century. The increasing exploration of the 'Orient' led to the discovery of the linguistic relationship between German and Persian as Indo-European languages, and by the turn of the century, significant foundational works on Persian literature and language were produced in Germany.
The expansion of colonialism in the world increasingly shaped interest in Iran, which introduced its first constitution in 1907 based on European models, thereby limiting the power of the Iranian monarchy. Shortly thereafter, the first usable oil discovery in the region in 1908 in southern Iran led to the establishment of the British Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP), which in 1931 became the sole shareholder of one of Germany's most important oil and gasoline companies, the 'OLEX Deutsche Benzin- und Petroleum-Gesellschaft mbH.' Since then, oil and the politics of the oil-financed Iranian nation-state have always been subjects of international interest.
After the National Socialists came to power in Germany, they promoted the myth of Aryan racial culture, which resonated in Iran, literally the 'Land of the Aryans' (see 'What Defines Iran?'). The Nazi state also pursued its power-political goals in Iran, realizing several projects of strategic importance for Iran, such as the expansion of railway lines and projects in the education sector.
The Federal Republic of Germany and Iran
After World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany resumed the relationships intensified under the Nazi state and became one of Iran's most important partners in the world in terms of economy, education, and culture. Iranian translators increasingly translated German philosophy into Persian, which had a lasting impact on Iranian politics.
During the Pahlavi rule from 1925 to 1979, the exchange of goods and ideas increased. Germany and Iran focused on cooperation in industry and engineering as well as between universities, which also facilitated cultural and intellectual exchanges. At the same time, Iranian theologians in Hamburg, supported by Iranian businessmen from Hamburg, founded the most important Iranian mosque outside Iran, and the German Chamber of Commerce in Tehran grew to become one of the largest worldwide.
In the 1970s, many Iranian academics were studying in Germany, and the German Goethe-Institut in Tehran became a hub for revolutionary discussions against the Pahlavi regime, which was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and Germany
During the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988, chemical weapons from German production used against Iranian soldiers and civilians, as well as the medical treatment of Iranian war victims in Germany, shaped German-Iranian relations.
After the war, new opportunities for exchange emerged, and Germany established itself through a mediating foreign policy as a European bridge to Iran, once again intensifying relations. In 2000, city partnerships were established between Freiburg and Isfahan, and in 2009 between Shiraz and Weimar. While cultural and academic exchanges increased again, Germany played a special role in the negotiations for the 2016 nuclear agreement.
Under President Trump, the USA reintroduced US nuclear sanctions against Iran in 2018, giving Germany the mediator role between Iran and the world once again. Germany played a key role in establishing the European clearinghouse INSTEX, which aimed to maintain trade between Europe and Iran. Germany and the Islamic Republic of Iran reduced their relations following the de facto collapse of the nuclear agreement and the suppression of women's rights demonstrations in Iran.
Today, over 120,000 people with Iranian backgrounds live in Germany, and over 250 people with German backgrounds live in Iran.
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Last updated: March 2025