Consulate General of the United States, Munich

The Consulate General of the United States in Munich serves as the official representation of the US government in Bavaria. It handles matters for American citizens and promotes relations between Bavaria and the United States. The consulate houses several departments, including US Foreign Commercial Services, Political Affairs, and Consular Services. It is the third-largest US diplomatic mission in Germany, after Berlin and Frankfurt. The consulate has a history dating back to 1835, though its operations were suspended during the Second World War. After resuming in 1946, it moved to its current site between 1957 and 1959. The building was designed by Sep Ruf, a Munich architect, and completed in the late 1950s. It is one of the last modernist US consulates built in Germany during that decade and is protected as a historic monument. Security changes in the late 20th century altered its original open appearance. Visitors approaching the consulate see a modernist office building raised on concrete stilts. The structure reflects the clean lines of 1950s design and remains in use today. Inside, the consulate carries out its diplomatic and consular work behind secure entrances. The building stands on land once occupied by a studio designed for photographers in the early 20th century.