Volker Stanzel

Volker Stanzel (born 22 September 1948) is a retired German diplomat and the former ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan and China as well as former Political Director.

[1] Stanzel joined the Foreign Service of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1979 and began his career at the German embassy in Rome.

In Japan (1982-1985), he worked in the Press and Political Division and in Hungary in 1985, where he helped to prepare the first Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe devoted to Culture.

In 1999, Stanzel returned to Germany as Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Civilian Use of Nuclear Energy at the Foreign Office in Berlin.

Since retiring from the Foreign Service in October 2013, Stanzel has taught political science at Claremont McKenna College and at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

His last book "Die ratlose Außenpolitik and warum sie den Rückgalt der Gesellschaft braucht" ("Clueless Foeriegn Policy and Why It Needs the Backing of Society") was published in Spring 2019.