US Ambassador Amy Gutmann is leaving Germany in the summer for personal reasons.
The 74-year-old wants to join her husband, who has to return due to his professional commitments, US Embassy spokeswoman Elisabeth Rosenstock-Siller told dpa late on Monday evening.
She had informed her staff and colleagues in the German government of her decision to return to the United States this summer.
Gutmann, a former professor of political science, has been ambassador in Berlin since February 2022. The multi-award-winning political scientist with German-Jewish roots had previously been president of the renowned University of Pennsylvania for many years. She had no experience as a diplomat.
Rosenstock-Siller went on to say that Gutmann was proud of the work she and her team had done to support German-US relations. She plans to fulfil a busy schedule with numerous commitments before her departure.
Before Gutmann came to Berlin, the top position in the US representation had been vacant for more than 20 months due to a blockade by the opposition Republicans in the US Senate.
The ambassador's post had been left vacant for almost 16 months following Donald Trump's election as US president. Richard Grenell then took up the post in May 2018. He made few friends in Berlin political circles with his abrasive manner.