[1] Interaction between Germany and the Horn of Africa dates back to at least the early 15th century; three Ethiopian monks, Petrus, Bartholomeus, and Antonius, are recorded as having been in Konstanz from 1416–1418, and participated in the Council of Constance.

[2] In the Late Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Ethiopia also controlled much of present-day Eritrea.

Eritrea Hilfswerk Deutschland is a German organization founded in 1976 which supported the EPLF's Eritrean Relief Association (which itself had a branch in Cologne).

The Research and Information Centre on Eritrea, founded in London in 1979, had a branch in Germany as well.

[6] As of 2020, most Eritrean nationals residing in Germany live in Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Bavaria.