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Gutmann, 71, who would be the first woman to serve in the role
and whose father fled Nazi Germany, is currently president of
the University of Pennsylvania.
Her nomination was handed to German President Frank-Walter
Steinmeier on June 18, one of the sources told Reuters. If
confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Gutmann would replace interim
appointee Robin Quinville.
Quinville took over last year from Richard Grenell, a Trump ally
who stepped down after little more than two years in the job.
"With Amy Gutmann, Joe Biden is relying on an experienced bridge
builder. She is taking on a difficult legacy after Richard
Grenell," Johann Wadephul, deputy parliamentary leader of
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative alliance, told Reuters.
During his tenure, Grenell accused Germany of undermining NATO's
nuclear deterrent and criticised Berlin's involvement in the
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia.
The standoff over the pipeline has strained ties between Berlin
and Washington. The Biden administration last month waived
sanctions on the company behind it.
The U.S. embassy in Berlin and the German foreign ministry were
not immediately available for comment on Gutmann's nomination,
which was reported first by Spiegel magazine.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Riham Alkousaa; editing by John
Stonestreet)
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