Episode 3 – US Diplomacy in Eastern Germany – Then and Now w/ Timothy Eydelnant

In this episode of That’s Interesting, we talk to Consul General
Timothy Eydelnant.


Originally from Belarus, Timothy Eydelnant assumed duty as US
Consul General in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and
Thuringia in July 2017. He previously served as Syrian
humanitarian assistance coordinator for the U.S. Department of
State’s Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration. Before that,
he held various positions in Austria, Iraq, and Brazil.


In the first part of our conversation, Tim explained the US
Mission to Mitteldeutschland, what makes it special, and what his
job as the representative of the US government looks like.


We also talked about how he experienced the fall of the wall in
the midst of making his way from the Soviet Union to the US … and
how his life story prepared him to be a diplomat – or a
bridge-builder, as he called it.


Finally, we talked about the current state of transatlantic
relations between Germany and the US and what the future holds
for this partnership in Mitteldeutschland.


Our conversation was recorded on October 2 at the US Consulate
General in Leipzig.