The office was established in 1999, with an official inauguration by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany at that time, Dr Johannes Rau. Since then, the DAAD office has moved locations on the University’s City Campus five times together with the German department.

The DAAD lecturership is attached to German studies at the University of Auckland. The lecturer is a full member of the academic staff and has teaching obligations in the areas of German language teaching as well as German culture, literature, and linguistics.

The lecturership is designated as a regular lecturership with extended responsibilities. That pays tribute to the fact that it is the only DAAD position in New Zealand and therefore serves as the nation-wide information point for all academic staff and students interested in research and study in Germany.