Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has declared his renunciation of honorary citizenship of the city of Hanover.
This emerges from a letter that the SPD politician published on the online network LinkedIn on Tuesday.
The letter is addressed to Hanover's Lord Mayor Belit Onay (Greens).
Several media had previously reported about it.
At the beginning of March, the administrative committee of the Lower Saxony state capital initiated proceedings to revoke Schröder's honorary citizenship.
The former chancellor was then given the opportunity to comment.
A city spokesman was initially unable to confirm receipt of the letter on Tuesday.
It will be legally examined whether the declaration of waiver is sufficient or whether a formal administrative act to withdraw the honorary citizenship is necessary.
A decision on the withdrawal of honorary citizenship should be made on March 31.
The former chancellor is considered a longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He is also the head of the supervisory board of the Russian state energy company Rosneft.
As a result of the war in Ukraine, Schröder came under heavy criticism.
According to the city of Hanover, only the long-time former mayor Herbert Schmalstieg is an honorary citizen of the city alongside Schröder.