The Rose Legation, which concluded a trade and friendship treaty with the Ethiopian Empire on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm II, reached Eritrea in May 1905.

[1] However, bilateral relations were marred by the very authoritarian style of government in Eritrea under long-time dictator Isayas Afewerki.

To escape repression in the country and arbitrary and indefinite conscription into Eritrea's armed forces, hundreds of thousands of Eritreans fled abroad.

[2] In October 2022, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that applying for passports at the Eritrean embassy was "unreasonable" for nationals in Germany.

[4] Due to Eritrea's poor human rights record and international isolation, there is no bilateral development cooperation at the state level.

In 2017, the German-Eritrean Society was founded in Frankfurt am Main, which serves to promote cultural exchange between the two countries.

[8] Well-known German-Eritreans include long-distance runner Eleni Gebrehiwot, actors Tedros Teclebrhan, politician Awet Tesfaiesus, musicians Afrob, Nura and football player Joel Gerezgiher.