German government to buy Embassy in Prague

The German embassy in Prague, a haven for East Germans during the final weeks of the Communist regime, may be bought by the country’s government.

Palais Lobkowicz, owned by the Czech government, may be swapped for a property in Berlin, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said today. The embassy has been “an important part of our history” since thousands of East Germans camped out on the grounds in 1989 seeking passage to West Germany, he said.

The German and Czech governments will discuss the transaction when the building has been appraised, Ploetner said. The property swap may involve the Czech government taking ownership of the former U.S. Embassy in Berlin, which is now empty, he said.

On Sept. 30, 1989, West German Foreign Minister Hans- Dietrich Genscher announced from the embassy’s balcony to thousands of East Germans that their communist government was letting them go to the West. Less than two months later, the Berlin Wall fell.

The embassy is in Prague’s Mala Strana district, one of the city’s best-preserved and most expensive locations. The U.S. embassy is about 200 meters (219 yards) away.