From Goethe to Soraya: German-Iranian stories

Germany and Iran have been connected since long before either country looked like it does today. At first, their ties were mostly cultural; only later were official diplomatic relations established. Here is a brief look at that shared history.

Goethe's enthusiasm for Persian poetry

In 1814, at age 65, German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe read a translation of the "Divan of Hafez"— a collection of poems by the Persian poet and mystic Hafez.

He was captivated, writing: "And even if the whole world were to sink, Hafez, with you, with you alone do I wish to compete!"

Born around 1315, Hafez's real name was Mohammed Schemseddin. "Hafez" is an honorary title given to those who have memorized all 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran. In Iran, Hafez remains a national poet, and many households still own a copy of his "Divan."

Goethe saw a kindred spirit in Hafez. In 1819, he published his own "West-Eastern Divan." Like Hafez's work, it explores themes of love, human conflict, the transience of life, and spiritual insight. It also advocates cultural openness and mutual understanding. 

"Whoever knows himself and others will recognize here as well: East and West can no longer be separated," Goethe wrote.

Nearly 200 years later, that cultural bridge endures. In 2000, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami visited Germany and, together with Germany's then-President Johannes Rau, he unveiled a Hafez-Goethe monument in Weimar.

Persia as a pawn of world powers

In ancient times, Persia was a vast empire, but over the centuries it lost its dominant position. In the 19th century, two new great powers vied for influence on the Asian continent. The rivalry between the British Empire and the Russian Tsarist Empire is known as "The Great Game." Persia became a pawn in their struggle.

Under the Qajar dynasty, the Persian court sought closer ties with Europe's royal houses, seeking to break free from British and Russian influence. In 1857, Persia and the Kingdom of Prussia signed their first official trade and friendship agreement.

In 1873, the Persian ruler Naser al-Din Shah became the first Middle Eastern monarch to visit Europe.

In Berlin, he was received by Emperor Wilhelm I and recorded in his travel diary: "He [the Emperor, editor's note] works already in the morning and then on until late into the night. We kings of the Orient are grateful to our ancestors that they did not bring us into the world as such workhorses. Allah has his prophets, and I have my ministers."

Yet Naser al-Din Shah was by no means idle: He strove for reforms in Persia and took an interest in European technology. He sought closer political and economic ties with the newly unified German Empire. In 1885, Germany opened its first diplomatic mission in Persia, further strengthening relations.

Wilhelm Wassmuss: The German Lawrence of Arabia

The British officer Thomas Edward Lawrence became famous for fighting alongside the Bedouins against the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt, instigated by the British, in World War I. Less well known is Wilhelm Wassmuss — a German diplomat who fought alongside the Persians against the British and is sometimes called the "German Lawrence of Arabia."

Born in 1880 in Ohlendorf, 60 kilometers from Hanover, Wassmuss joined the German Foreign Office and later served as vice-consul in Persia. He became familiar with the country and its people. He spoke Farsi and forged close ties with local leaders. When World War I broke out, the German Empire sought to incite resistance against British influence in the region. German diplomat Max Freiherr von Oppenheim devised a secret plan, aiming to weaken the enemies of the German Empire by inciting the Muslim world against them.

Wassmuss took on the mission and managed to persuade some local rulers to engage in guerrilla warfare. In 1915, he and his allies seized the British consulate in Bushehr, in what today is southwestern Iran. But it was only a matter of time before the Persians and Wassmuss could no longer hold out against the advancing British troops, and the mission failed.

After the war, Wassmuss returned to Germany — but memories of Persia continued to haunt him. In 1924, he established a farm in Bushehr, hoping to use the proceeds from the harvest to compensate his former comrades-in-arms for their participation in the resistance against the British, just as he had once promised. The venture failed and in 1931, Wassmuss returned to his homeland disillusioned. He died shortly thereafter.

New friends: The Pahlavis

The German Kaiser abdicated in 1918, ending the monarchy and giving way to the Weimar Republic. In Persia, Reza Khan rose to power amid domestic unrest and, in 1925, deposed the Qajar dynasty, becoming Reza Shah Pahlavi.

He launched a program of modernization and centralization, seeking technical expertise and industrial models from Europe, especially Germany. German firms, including Junkers, contributed to early aviation development and air transport initiatives, while German engineers and companies participated in constructing sections of the Trans-Iranian Railway. In 1929, Persia and the Weimar Republic signed a friendship and commercial treaty formalizing diplomatic and economic relations.

Reza Shah continued to maintain cordial economic ties with Germany after the Naziscame to power in 1933. In 1935, he officially requested that the country be referred to as "Iran," the native name, instead of "Persia." During World War II, Iran declared itself neutral, but British and Soviet troops occupied the country in 1941 and forced the pro-German Reza Shah to abdicate. His son, Mohammed Reza Shah, took the throne and cooperated with the Allies. Iran gained full sovereignty in 1946.

Soon economic ties between the two countries intensified. German companies built factories, hospitals and roads in Iran. In 1966, the two countries signed an arms agreement, and in 1974, construction began on the nuclear power plant in Bushehr with the involvement of Germany.

Soraya: 'Germany's favorite empress'

In 1951, the Shah of Iran married Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary, the daughter of an Iranian diplomat and his German wife. Soraya's European background and striking presence drew widespread media attention in both Iran and abroad.

Seven years after the lavish wedding, the marriage ended when it became clear that she could not have children and provide a male heir, a central concern for the Pahlavi dynasty. The divorce fuelled intense tabloid coverage in Germany, which had little positive to say about the Shah and Iran — straining bilateral relations. Iranian authorities protested and threatened diplomatic consequences, and the German government even considered a law to protect foreign heads of state from insults, informally dubbed "Lex Soraya." However, the law was never enacted.

The Shah's visit to Germany in 1967 marked another turning point. For the first time, the state guest was not met with jubilation but rather with vehement protest. Iranian students and expatriates demonstrated against political repression and human rights abuses in Iran, carrying placards reading "All of Persia is a concentration camp" and "Murderer," and accusing the monarch of oppressing his people. The Ministry of Justice ultimately decided against prosecution, and unresolved issues with Iran were left to be handled through diplomatic channels. The visit is also infamous for the violence German police used against the protesters. Officers prevented protesters from leaving, beat them with clubs and even shot and killed one of them.

After the revolution

After the fall of the Shah in 1979, many Western countries distanced themselves from the new Islamic Republic, but West Germany pursued a policy of dialogue. In 1984, Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher became the first high-ranking Western politician to visit the new regime, and other German politicians followed. However, political tensions, human rights violations, and the course of the Iranian leadership ultimately brought an end to the once close German-Iranian partnership.

This article was originally written in German.