Walter J. Lindner

Walter J. Lindner is a German ex-diplomat and professional musician. He is the former State Secretary of the German Foreign Office from 2017-2019 and was Spokesman of the German Foreign Office from 2002-2006. In his last posting before retirement, he was ambassador of Germany to India from 2019-2022 and in 2021 became first German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan. As a musician and studio-owner he has released nine records with a tenth album in the works. He has also served in Ankara, Managua and New York, and as Head of the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Center, as Director for African Affairs and as the ambassador to Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Seychelles, Venezuela and South Africa, Lesotho und Swaziland. Lindner also served as Special Representative of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German Government for the fight against Ebola. In March 2024 German Edition House Ullstein published his first book : “Der alte Westen und der Neue Süden - was wir von Indien lernen sollten”. Indian Edition-House Juggernaut published an English version in January 2025, ”What the West should learn from India”. Since November 2023 he is also public speaker at London Speakers Bureau.

Diplomatic service

Walter J. Lindner entered diplomatic service in 1988. He has served numerous postings in Germany's Federal Foreign Office such as Deputy Head of the Task Force for Human Rights, the Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson and Spokesman for Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. He has been the German Ambassador in Kenya, Seychelles, Venezuela, South Africa and India.

Life as a musician

At the Richard Strauss Conservatory, now part of the University of Music and [Performing Arts Munich], Linder learnt the piano, flute, guitar, bass and orchestra conducting. He also studied jazz in Graz, Austria. He then saved enough money driving taxis and trucks in Germany and went to Berklee College of Music in Boston.