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The Embassy of the Netherlands in Berlin |
Contact
Address: Klosterstraße 50, Berlin, D-10179
Tel.: +49 (0)30 20 95 60
Fax : +49 (0)30 20 95 64 41
E-mail: bln@minbuza.nl
The Ambassador
Hester Somsen
Ambassador Hester Somsen, a seasoned Dutch diplomat, was born on March 15, 1972. She assumed her post as Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Federal Republic of Germany in October 2024, presenting her credentials on October 23 of the same year. Her appointment to Berlin follows an extensive and diverse diplomatic career dedicated to international security, crisis management, and cyber policy.
Ambassador Somsen began her career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands in 1997, where she initially worked on issues related to the former Yugoslavia. From 2000 to 2002, she served as Second Secretary for Political Affairs at the Dutch Embassy in Budapest, followed by a role at the Department of European Integration. Between 2002 and 2006, she held various senior policy officer positions in the Europe Department and the Bureau of the Secretary General.
From 2006 to 2009, she was posted as First Secretary at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Tanzania, where she focused on political and cultural affairs. Upon returning to The Hague, she led the Crisis Management and Peacekeeping Operations Unit within the Security Policy Department, first as Acting Head and later as Head of Unit.
In 2013, Ambassador Somsen was appointed Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lebanon, a post she held until January 2017. Her tenure coincided with the Syrian crisis, during which she worked on issues surrounding refugee protection, humanitarian assistance, and regional stability. Following this, she returned to the Netherlands as Director of Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she dealt with topics ranging from non-proliferation and counterterrorism to NATO and EU security coordination.
From 2020 to 2024, she served as the Deputy National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) and Director for Cybersecurity and State Threats. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing national cyber resilience and contributed to the publication of the Netherlands’ Cyber Security Strategy.
Ambassador Somsen holds a doctorandus degree in Political Science, with a specialization in International Relations and International Law, from the University of Amsterdam. She is fluent in Dutch, English, German, and French.
Her long-standing commitment to diplomacy and security policy has positioned her as a respected representative of the Netherlands, with a career reflecting deep expertise in both multilateral diplomacy and crisis response.
History
Modern relations between the Netherlands and Germany were established after the Second World War. Both states pride themselves on their relationship which is based on tolerance, peace and prosperity. As some of the original co-founders of the European Union, the Netherlands and Germany have been closely involved in the ups and downs of European issues. The two have similar views about environmental policy, development policy and the economics. However, Dutch politicians are much more reticent about the EU than their German colleagues. Germany is the main trading partner and the largest export destination for Dutch products. This is not surprising because Germany is an economic superpower.
Mission
The mission of the Dutch Embassy is to maintain the good relations between Germany and the Netherlands and to increase the mutual understanding of each other's interests.
