Rüdiger von Wechmar

Wechmar was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Irnfried Freiherr von Wechmar. In 1941, while a 17-year-old student at a National Political Institute of Education ("Napola"), he joined the German Army as a volunteer, and fought in the Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel for two years, until he was taken prisoner of war by the Americans. While imprisoned in the United States, he studied journalism.

After the war ended, Wechmar worked as a journalist, and in 1958 he entered the diplomatic service. He was posted to the German embassy in Washington and to the Consulate General in New York.

In 1963 he became a correspondent for German television in Eastern Europe, but returned to the diplomatic service in 1968. The following year he was appointed as under-secretary of state and government spokesman. In 1974 he became ambassador to the United Nations. He represented West Germany as president of the UN Security Council in 1977 and 1978 and was later the West German Ambassador in Italy (1981-1983) and in the United Kingdom (1983-1988). Baron von Wechmar was a member of the multinational Bilderberg Group.[1]

Wechmar was married and with his wife had three children.

He died of a stroke on October 17, 2007 in Munich, Germany.[2]

• Obituary in The Times, 24 October 2007