German Chancellor Angela Merkel will speak Nov. 3 to a joint session of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office announced today. Merkel will be the first German leader in 52 years to address the legislative body, and her speech comes just six days before the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Congress will warmly welcome Chancellor Merkel to the Capitol next month as part of her visit to the United States," Pelosi said in a released statement. "We look forward to hearing the Chancellor's views on how we can continue to work together to confront international security threats, to implement necessary climate change measures, and to resolve the global financial crisis."

The last German leader to speak before Congress was Konrad Adenauer, a German spokesman said at a news conference held this morning to announce Merkel's speech.

Reuters reports that "Adenauer, like Merkel a member of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), was West Germany's first postwar chancellor and an ally of the United States in the Cold War."

Merkel's speech will take place Nov. 3 at 10:30 a.m. in the House chamber.