American Council On Germany

Philadelphia: Defending Freedom: How to Make Liberal Democracy Great Again
2019-11-06 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The Philadelphia Warburg Chapter of the ACG and the Heinrich Boell Foundation will host a discussion and luncheon with Ralf Fücks, Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity and Author of Defending Freedom: How We Can Win the Fight for an Open Society.
Ralf Fücks is Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity, a German thinktank which was founded in 2017. He came to this role after more than 20 years with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the political foundation associated with the Greens. At the center of his work were green economics and ecological innovation, migration, the future of Europe and international politics. Before that he was co-chair of the Greens (1989/90) and Senator for Environment and City Development in Bremen.
Mr. Fücks is considered a leading thinker, seeking cross-party discourse. He has published in leading newspapers, gives speeches, and participates in the public debate. Mr. Fücks is an advocate for liberal ecology politics, which focus on innovation rather than prohibition. Of special importance to him is a dialogue with the economy, which he considers an invaluable actor of a “green industrial revolution.”
Ralf Fücks is coordinator of the committee “Ecological Modernization” within the Petersburg Dialogue. Like Marieluise Beck he fights for democratic opposition in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. He is a convinced European and transatlanticist.
There is no charge to attend this event; you must register to attend.

San Francisco: Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning
2019-11-06 18:00 - 21:00
The San Francisco Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and reception with Tobias David, Chief of Staff to the Lord Mayor of Leipzig on “Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning.”
Tobias David, born in 1973, grew up in Leipzig (former GDR/East Germany) and spent most of his school years under the conditions of the GDR dictatorship. Even as a teenager he was involved in opposition groups under the protection of the Catholic Church and became politically active early on. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989, driven by the peace and civil rights movement, had a lasting impact on his life.
After studying political science and communication, he worked for many years as managing director of a communications agency. In 2004 he moved to the Saxon State Parliament as advisor to the Vice-President. Since 2008, he has been the closest strategic advisor to the Mayor of the City of Leipzig. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 – which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany – began in Leipzig. Today Leipzig is not only one of the largest cities in Germany but also the fastest growing German city.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.

Phoenix: From 1989 to Today: Germany Behind the Wall
2019-11-06 18:00 - 21:00
The Phoenix Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany will host a discussion and dinner with Anja Goerz, Journalist, Radio Host, and Author.
There is a $15 charge to attend this event.
Anja Goerz is a German journalist, radio host, and author. After studying photography, she began her career in 1989 at Radio Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, where she worked as a reporter and moderator. Since 1990, she has hosted regular shows on radio stations in Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg and produced pieces for Deutschlandfunk. Since 2014, she has hosted a show on Nordwestradio.
In addition, Anja Goerz writes fiction and non-fiction. She has written several novels, and in April 2014 the Deutschen Taschenbuch Verlag published “Der Osten ist ein Gefühl” (The East is a Feeling), in which she reports on conversations she has had with people from the former GDR. The book has been reprinted several times and was a Spiegel bestseller.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.

Los Angeles: Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning
2019-11-07 12:00 - 13:30
The Los Angeles Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and luncheon with Tobias David, Chief of Staff to the Lord Mayor of Leipzig on “Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning.”
Tobias David, born in 1973, grew up in Leipzig (former GDR/East Germany) and spent most of his school years under the conditions of the GDR dictatorship. Even as a teenager he was involved in opposition groups under the protection of the Catholic Church and became politically active early on. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989, driven by the peace and civil rights movement, had a lasting impact on his life. After studying political science and communication, he worked for many years as managing director of a communications agency. In 2004 he moved to the Saxon State Parliament as advisor to the Vice-President. Since 2008, he has been the closest strategic advisor to the Mayor of the City of Leipzig. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 – which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany – began in Leipzig. Today Leipzig is not only one of the largest cities in Germany but also the fastest growing German city.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.

Washington, DC: The Future of the Liberal Order: A European Perspective
2019-11-08 11:45 - 13:45
The Washington Warburg Chapter of the ACG, the Center for Social Science Research at George Mason University, and the Heinrich Boell Foundation will host a discussion and luncheon with Ralf Fücks, Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity and Author of Defending Freedom: How We Can Win the Fight for an Open Society.
Ralf Fücks is Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity, a German thinktank which was founded in 2017. He came to this role after more than 20 years with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the political foundation associated with the Greens. At the center of his work were green economics and ecological innovation, migration, the future of Europe and international politics. Before that he was co-chair of the Greens (1989/90) and Senator for Environment and City Development in Bremen.
Mr. Fücks is considered a leading thinker, seeking cross-party discourse. He has published in leading newspapers, gives speeches, and participates in the public debate. Mr. Fücks is an advocate for liberal ecology politics, which focus on innovation rather than prohibition. Of special importance to him is a dialogue with the economy, which he considers an invaluable actor of a “green industrial revolution.”
Ralf Fücks is coordinator of the committee “Ecological Modernization” within the Petersburg Dialogue. Like Marieluise Beck he fights for democratic opposition in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. He is a convinced European and transatlanticist.
There is no charge to attend this event; you must register to attend.

Charlotte: The Future of Liberal Democracy: A European Perspectiv
2019-11-11 11:45 - 13:30
The Charlotte Warburg Chapter of the ACG and the Heinrich Boell Foundation will host a discussion and luncheon with Ralf Fücks, Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity and Author of Defending Freedom: How We Can Win the Fight for an Open Society.
Ralf Fücks is Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity, a German thinktank which was founded in 2017. He came to this role after more than 20 years with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the political foundation associated with the Greens. At the center of his work were green economics and ecological innovation, migration, the future of Europe and international politics. Before that he was co-chair of the Greens (1989/90) and Senator for Environment and City Development in Bremen.
Mr. Fücks is considered a leading thinker, seeking cross-party discourse. He has published in leading newspapers, gives speeches, and participates in the public debate. Mr. Fücks is an advocate for liberal ecology politics, which focus on innovation rather than prohibition. Of special importance to him is a dialogue with the economy, which he considers an invaluable actor of a “green industrial revolution.”
Ralf Fücks is coordinator of the committee “Ecological Modernization” within the Petersburg Dialogue. Like Marieluise Beck he fights for democratic opposition in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. He is a convinced European and transatlanticist.
There will be a charge of $25.00 for members and a charge of $35.00 for nonmembers to attend this event.

Madison: From 1989 to Today: Germany Behind the Wall
2019-11-11 16:00 - 17:00
The Madison Warburg Chapter and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for German and European Studies will host a lecture and discussion with Anja Goerz, Journalist, Radio Host, and Author.
This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
Anja Goerz is a German journalist, radio host, and author. After studying photography, she began her career in 1989 at Radio Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, where she worked as a reporter and moderator. Since 1990, she has hosted regular shows on radio stations in Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg and produced pieces for Deutschlandfunk. Since 2014, she has hosted a show on Nordwestradio.
In addition, Anja Goerz writes fiction and non-fiction. She has written several novels, and in April 2014 the Deutschen Taschenbuch Verlag published “Der Osten ist ein Gefühl” (The East is a Feeling), in which she reports on conversations she has had with people from the former GDR. The book has been reprinted several times and was a Spiegel bestseller.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.

Boston: Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning
2019-11-12 12:00 - 13:00
The Boston Warburg Chapter will host a discussion with Tobias David, Chief of Staff to the Lord Mayor of Leipzig on “Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning.”
Tobias David, born in 1973, grew up in Leipzig (former GDR/East Germany) and spent most of his school years under the conditions of the GDR dictatorship. Even as a teenager he was involved in opposition groups under the protection of the Catholic Church and became politically active early on. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989, driven by the peace and civil rights movement, had a lasting impact on his life. After studying political science and communication, he worked for many years as managing director of a communications agency. In 2004 he moved to the Saxon State Parliament as advisor to the Vice-President. Since 2008, he has been the closest strategic advisor to the Mayor of the City of Leipzig. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 – which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany – began in Leipzig. Today Leipzig is not only one of the largest cities in Germany but also the fastest growing German city.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.
Please feel free to bring your own lunch to enjoy during the discussion.

Cleveland: The Future of Liberal Democracy: A European Perspective
2019-11-12 12:00 - 14:00
The Cleveland Warburg Chapter of the ACG and the Heinrich Boell Foundation will host a discussion and luncheon with Ralf Fücks, Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity and Author of Defending Freedom: How We Can Win the Fight for an Open Society.
Ralf Fücks is Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity, a German thinktank which was founded in 2017. He came to this role after more than 20 years with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the political foundation associated with the Greens. At the center of his work were green economics and ecological innovation, migration, the future of Europe and international politics. Before that he was co-chair of the Greens (1989/90) and Senator for Environment and City Development in Bremen.
Mr. Fücks is considered a leading thinker, seeking cross-party discourse. He has published in leading newspapers, gives speeches, and participates in the public debate. Mr. Fücks is an advocate for liberal ecology politics, which focus on innovation rather than prohibition. Of special importance to him is a dialogue with the economy, which he considers an invaluable actor of a “green industrial revolution.”
Ralf Fücks is coordinator of the committee “Ecological Modernization” within the Petersburg Dialogue. Like Marieluise Beck he fights for democratic opposition in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. He is a convinced European and transatlanticist.
There is no charge to attend this event; you must register to attend.

Denver: From 1989 to Today: Germany Behind the Wall
2019-11-13 18:00 - 21:00
The Denver Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany will host a discussion and dinner with Anja Goerz, Journalist, Radio Host, and Author.
There is a $20 charge for ACG members and a $30 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
Anja Goerz is a German journalist, radio host, and author. After studying photography, she began her career in 1989 at Radio Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, where she worked as a reporter and moderator. Since 1990, she has hosted regular shows on radio stations in Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg and produced pieces for Deutschlandfunk. Since 2014, she has hosted a show on Nordwestradio.
In addition, Anja Goerz writes fiction and non-fiction. She has written several novels, and in April 2014 the Deutschen Taschenbuch Verlag published “Der Osten ist ein Gefühl” (The East is a Feeling), in which she reports on conversations she has had with people from the former GDR. The book has been reprinted several times and was a Spiegel bestseller.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.

NYC: The Fall of the Wall 30 Years On: Lessons from One of History’s Most Unexpected Inevitable Events
2019-11-14 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG will host a breakfast briefing with Ambassador John C. Kornblum Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
Ambassador John C. Kornblum has a long record of service in the United States and Europe both as a diplomat and as a businessman. He is recognized as an eminent expert on U.S.-European political and economic relations, in particular in central and eastern Europe. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 1997 to 2001. Before that, he occupied a number of high-level diplomatic posts, including U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, special envoy for the Dayton Peace Process, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Process), Deputy U.S. Ambassador to NATO, and U.S. Minister and Deputy Commandant of Forces in divided Berlin. From 2001 to 2009, he was Chairman of Lazard Freres Germany. He currently serves as Senior Counsellor to the international law firm Noerr LLP and as a senior advisor to the worldwide consultancy Accenture. Ambassador Kornblum has also served on a number of Supervisory and Advisory Boards, including those of ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG, Bayer AG, Russell Reynolds, and Motorola Europe. He is a member of the Boards of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, the American Academy in Berlin, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, and of numerous nonprofit organizations on both sides of the Atlantic, and he is a former ACG Board member. He received a B.A. from Michigan State University in 1964, and he has been the recipient of many awards, including a Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit from Germany and an Order of Merit from Austria.

Chicago: The Future of the Liberal Order
2019-11-14 12:00 - 14:00
The Chicago Warburg Chapter of the ACG and the Heinrich Boell Foundation will host a discussion and luncheon with Ralf Fücks, Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity and Author of Defending Freedom: How We Can Win the Fight for an Open Society.
Ralf Fücks is Managing Director of the Center for Liberal Modernity, a German thinktank which was founded in 2017. He came to this role after more than 20 years with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the political foundation associated with the Greens. At the center of his work were green economics and ecological innovation, migration, the future of Europe and international politics. Before that he was co-chair of the Greens (1989/90) and Senator for Environment and City Development in Bremen.
Mr. Fücks is considered a leading thinker, seeking cross-party discourse. He has published in leading newspapers, gives speeches, and participates in the public debate. Mr. Fücks is an advocate for liberal ecology politics, which focus on innovation rather than prohibition. Of special importance to him is a dialogue with the economy, which he considers an invaluable actor of a “green industrial revolution.”
Ralf Fücks is coordinator of the committee “Ecological Modernization” within the Petersburg Dialogue. Like Marieluise Beck he fights for democratic opposition in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. He is a convinced European and transatlanticist.
There is no charge to attend this event; you must register to attend.

NYC: European (Dis)Integration: Brexit and the Future of the EU
2019-11-15 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG will host a breakfast briefing with Ambassador Peter Wittig, German Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Ambassador Peter Wittig has served as German Ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2018. He served as Ambassador to the United States from 2014 to 2018. Prior to this, he was German Ambassador to the United Nations in New York from 2009 to 2014 representing Germany during its tenure as a member of the UN Security Council in 2011 and 2012. Ambassador Wittig joined the German Foreign Service in 1982. He has served at the Embassy in Madrid; as private secretary to the Foreign Minister at the headquarters, then located in Bonn; and as Ambassador in Lebanon and in Cyprus. He was the German Government Special Envoy on the “Cyprus question” (the division of Cyprus). He has acquired extensive knowledge of the Middle East. Before starting his career in the German Foreign Service, Ambassador Wittig studied history, political science, and law at Bonn, Freiburg, Canterbury, and Oxford universities and taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Freiburg.

Los Angeles: From 1989 to Today: Germany Behind the Wall
2019-11-15 12:00 - 13:30
The Los Angeles Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany will host a discussion and lunch with Anja Goerz, Journalist, Radio Host, and Author.
There is a $25 charge for ACG members and a $35 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
Anja Goerz is a German journalist, radio host, and author. After studying photography, she began her career in 1989 at Radio Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, where she worked as a reporter and moderator. Since 1990, she has hosted regular shows on radio stations in Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg and produced pieces for Deutschlandfunk. Since 2014, she has hosted a show on Nordwestradio.
In addition, Anja Goerz writes fiction and non-fiction. She has written several novels, and in April 2014 the Deutschen Taschenbuch Verlag published “Der Osten ist ein Gefühl” (The East is a Feeling), in which she reports on conversations she has had with people from the former GDR. The book has been reprinted several times and was a Spiegel bestseller.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.
This event is held in partnership with the Wende Museum of the Cold War.

Nashville: The Path to Freedom and German Unity: The Peaceful Revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall 30 Years On
2019-11-18 18:00 - 20:00
The Nashville Warburg Chapter and the Sister Cities of Nashville will host a discussion and reception with David Gill, German Consul General in New York on “The Path to Freedom and German Unity: The Peaceful Revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall 30 Years On.”
David Gill was born in 1966 in Herrnhut, Saxony, in former East Germany. He was denied a higher education by the Communist regime for political reasons. Instead, he trained and worked as a plumber before joining a preparatory protestant school and later the theological seminary of the Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. In 1990, he was the chairman of Normannenstrasse Citizens’ Committee which initially oversaw the dissolution of the Ministry of State Security at the Stasi headquarters and then served as the secretary of the Special Committee for the dissolution of the Stasi of the East German Parliament.
After Germany’s unification, Mr. Gill became spokesman and head of the research division of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi-Files before studying law in Berlin and Philadelphia. After holding positions in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and at the Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Berlin, he served as the Deputy Representative of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union. During Federal President Joachim Gauck’s term from 2012-2017, he was state secretary and chief of staff to the President. Since August 2017, he has been the German Consul General in New York.
On Mr. Gill’s first visit to the United States in 1992, Mr. Gill participated in the American Council on Germany’s American-German Young Leaders Conference in Nashville.

NYC: Transatlantic Stammtisch for Young Professionals
2019-11-21 18:30 - 20:30
The American Council on Germany will hold a Transatlantic Stammtisch on Thursday, November 21.
$10 to attend includes first drink. Snacks provided.
Transatlantic Stammtisch brings together young professionals for informal networking opportunities with individuals interested in transatlantic relations, Germany, and the German language. Conversations are conducted in both English and German.

NYC: Citizens, Cities, and Cooperation
2019-11-26 18:00 - 20:00
Providing mobility, health, education, job opportunities, and a safe and clean living environment in times of structural as well as climate change are common challenges for municipalities around the globe. A lot can be achieved at the local level. Through international city2city cooperation, these achievements can be shared, spreading best practices and impact beyond city limits and national borders.
Following a workshop, the public panel discussion will address the benefits of city2city cooperation, including corporate and civil society initiatives, and brings together experts and practitioners to answer the following questions: When does city2city cooperation work well? What are the challenges to international city cooperation? What role does the corporate and civil society sector play?
Panel discussion with Miriam Roure, Christian Herzog, and Andrés Ramirez.
Miriam Roure is passionate about improving cities through technology and design. She is the Program Director at URBAN-X, an accelerator built by MINI and Urban Us, dedicated to investing in and supporting entrepreneurs developing urban solutions. Previously, Miriam worked at MIT Senseable City Lab, a research laboratory dedicated to exploring the future of cities from a data and sensor-based technology perspective. Trained as an architect and urban planner, she also worked at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam. Miriam holds degrees from Harvard University (MArchII) and Cornell University (BArch). She co-organized the first Harvard xDesign Conference in 2013.
Urban X
Christian Herzog is the first point of contact at Berlin Partner for startups, investors, to be digitized SMEs and upscaling companies being interested in Berlin. Over the last 4 years, he has grown the capital into a “Start Alliance” aiming to strengthen the cooperation between Berlin and other international startup hubs, such as NYC, Tel Aviv, Shanghai and Paris. Christian holds the position of Head of Division Digital Business and drives the development of Berlin as an internationally known place to be for startups and as a breeding ground for innovations in the area of Smart Cities, ICT, Media, Creative Industries and Digital Transformation.
Berlin Partner for Business and Technology
Start Alliance
Andrés Felipe Ramirez is a Colombian writer, curator and cultural producer, working in the realm of architecture, urban planning and media. He is the co-founder and Managing Director of PLANE–SITE, an agency devoted to the production and dissemination of original content about the built environment. At PLANE–SITE, Andrés leads a wide-range of projects – from exhibitions and publications, to design competitions and international conferences. Andrés co-founded and directs Aerial Futures, a nonprofit research platform that convenes timely conversations surrounding the architecture of flight. Andrés conceived the traveling exhibition Denise Scott Brown: Wayward Eye (2018); curated Garden City Mega City, Urban Ecosystems of WOHA, at the Museum of the City of Mexico (2017); curated of the first contribution of the Seychelles to the XV Venice Architecture Biennale Between Two Waters, Searching for Expression in the Seychelles (2016), and co-curated Medellín, Topography of Knowledge at the Aedes Architecture Forum (2015).
PLANE-SITE
In cooperation with Berlin Partner, TOA, the German Consulate General New York , the American Council on Germany, and TEP.
Please register here to join us for the panel discussion.

NYC: The Future of German Politics and Transatlantic Relations: A View from Bavaria
2019-12-03 18:00 - 20:00
The ACG and the Hans Seidel Foundation will host a discussion and reception with Markus Blume, Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Member of the Bavarian State Parliament; Stephan Mayer, Secretary of State at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community; and Alexander Radwan, Member of the German Bundestag and Member of the Finance Committee and of the Committee of Foreign Affairs.
Markus Blume has been a Member of the Bavarian State Parliament since 2008 and the Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU) since 2018. He has also served as the Chairman of the CSU Economic Commission since 2011. Mr. Blume first studied physics at the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, then political science at the Bavaria School of Public Policy Munich.
Stephan Mayer has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 2002 and the Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community since 2018. Prior to being appointed as the Secretary of State, Mr. Mayer served as Spokesperson for Homeland Security of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group between 2013 and 2017. He holds a degree in law from the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.
Alexander Radwan has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 2013, where he is a Member of the Finance Committee and of the Committee of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Radwan also serves as Spokesperson for Middle East Affairs. Prior to being appointed to the Bundestag, Mr. Radwan served as a Member of the European Parliament (CSU/European People’s Party) from 1999 to 2008 and then as a Member of the Bavarian State Parliament from 2008 to 2013. Mr. Radawan studied Mechanical Engineering at the Fachhochschule Munich, then law at the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.

NYC: 27th Annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner
2019-12-04 18:00 - 22:00

NYC: From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
2019-12-09 12:00 - 14:00
The ACG and the Consulate General of Germany will host a discussion and luncheon with Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of the GDR and former Member of the German Bundestag (SPD).
Markus Meckel is a German politician and former Protestant pastor who was a prominent critic of the East German (GDR) regime. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic and was a member of the opposition starting in the 1970s. In 1989, he co-founded the Social Democratic Party in the GDR and became its deputy chairman. After the first free democratic elections in the GDR, he served as Foreign Minister and negotiated German unification in the framework of the 2+4 talks involving the two Germanies and the four allied powers. Later he served as a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2009.

Philadelphia: From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
2019-12-10 12:00 - 14:00
The Philadelphia Warburg Chapter, German Consulate General in New York, and German American Chambers of Commerce Philadelphia will host a discussion with Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of the GDR and former Member of the German Bundestag (SPD), on “From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall”
Markus Meckel is a German politician and former Protestant pastor who was a prominent critic of the East German (GDR) regime. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic and was a member of the opposition starting in the 1970s. In 1989, he co-founded the Social Democratic Party in the GDR and became its deputy chairman. After the first free democratic elections in the GDR, he served as Foreign Minister and negotiated German unification in the framework of the 2+4 talks involving the two Germanies and the four allied powers. Later he served as a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2009.
There is no charge to attend this event; you must register to attend. Cancellations after December 8 and no-shows will be charged $20.

Pittsburgh: From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
2019-12-11 11:30 - 13:30
The Pittsburgh Warburg Chapter, German Consulate General in New York, and German American Chambers of Commerce will host a discussion with Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of the GDR and former Member of the German Bundestag (SPD), on “From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall”
Markus Meckel is a German politician and former Protestant pastor who was a prominent critic of the East German (GDR) regime. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic and was a member of the opposition starting in the 1970s. In 1989, he co-founded the Social Democratic Party in the GDR and became its deputy chairman. After the first free democratic elections in the GDR, he served as Foreign Minister and negotiated German unification in the framework of the 2+4 talks involving the two Germanies and the four allied powers. Later he served as a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2009.
There is a charge of $20 to attend this event.

NYC: Protecting You Digital Identity: The Future of Data Security
2019-12-13 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG will host a breakfast briefing with Professor Dr. Christoph Meinel, CEO of the Hasso Plattner Institute and Dean of the Digital Engineering Faculty at Potsdam University.
Professor Dr. Christoph Meinel is CEO of the Hasso Plattner Institut and Dean of the Digital Engineering Faculty at Potsdam University. He is also a Professor of Computer Science at HPI and holds the Chair of Internet Technologies and Systems. He teaches courses on IT Systems Engineering in HPI’s Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs and on the MOOC (massive open online courses) platform developed by his team openHPI. He supervises numerous Ph.D. projects and is a teacher at the HPI School of Design Thinking.
Professor Dr. Meinel’s current research focuses on security engineering, knowledge engineering, and Web 3.0/Semantic Web. He is also scientifically active in Design Thinking research. His earlier scientific work concentrated on efficient algorithms and complexity theory. He is the author or coauthor of more than 25 books and anthologies, as well as numerous conference proceedings. He has had more than 550 (peer-reviewed) papers published in scientific journals and at international conferences and holds a number of international patents. He is a member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), Director of the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program, Honorary Professor at the TU Beijing and at the Dalian University of Technology, Visiting Professor at Shanghai University, Concurrent Professor at the University of Nanjing, and a member of numerous scientific committees and Supervisory Boards.

Chicago: From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
2019-12-13 12:00 - 14:00
The Chicago Warburg Chapter, German Consulate General in Chicago, and the International House at the University of Chicago will host a discussion with Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of the GDR and former Member of the German Bundestag (SPD), on “From the Peaceful Revolution to German Unification: Reflecting on 30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall”
Markus Meckel is a German politician and former Protestant pastor who was a prominent critic of the East German (GDR) regime. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic and was a member of the opposition starting in the 1970s. In 1989, he co-founded the Social Democratic Party in the GDR and became its deputy chairman. After the first free democratic elections in the GDR, he served as Foreign Minister and negotiated German unification in the framework of the 2+4 talks involving the two Germanies and the four allied powers. Later he served as a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2009.
Those with disabilities who need assistance should contact the Office of Programs and External Relations in advance at 773-753-2274 or i-house-programs@uchicago.edu.

Hot Topics Call: The Rise of Tensions with Iran
2020-01-14 10:00 - 11:00
The ACG will host a Hot Topics Call with Dr. Cornelius Adebahr, Political Analyst and Nonresident Fellow at Carnegie Europe.
To register, please fill in the form below. Dial-in information will be sent prior to call.

NYC: German Foreign Policy in a World Without Leadership
2020-01-17 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG will host a breakfast briefing with Professor Dr. Stefan Fröhlich, Professor of International Politics and Political Economy at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
This event is only open to members of the ACG.
Stefan Fröhlich is Professor of International Politics and Political Economy at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He is currently also a guest professor at the College of Europe (in Brugge and Natolin) at Oxford University, and at the Universities of Bonn and Zurich. His fields of research include EU foreign, economic, and security policy; transatlantic relations; German foreign, economic, and security policy; and international political economy. He is a frequent commentator on international affairs for German and international media.

Professor Dr. Fröhlich was Director of the postgraduate European Studies Program at the Center for European Integration Studies in Bonn from 1998 to 2002 and spent time in Washington, DC, as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins (2002-03); the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2007); and the German Marshall Fund’s Transatlantic Academy (2016-17).
He is a board member of the German Atlantic Council (Berlin), Center for European Integration Studies (Bonn), German Council on Foreign Relations (Berlin), German Society for Political Science, Association for European Integration (Berlin), and the Institute for European Politics (Berlin). He is the author of numerous books and more than 200 articles on German and European foreign policy and transatlantic relations.
He studied Political Science, Economics, as well as American and Spanish Literature in Bonn, Paris, and Washington (MA 1985; Ph.D. 1989; “Habilitation” (Dr.phil.habil.) 1996).

DC: The Future of Transatlantic Relations: Strong Ties in Rough Times
2020-01-21 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG will host a breakfast breaking with Steffen Kampeter, Director General and Member of the Presidental Board of the Confederation of German Employers’ Association (BDA) in conversation with Peter Rough, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute.
This event is only open to members and Young Leader Alumni.
Steffen Kampeter is CEO of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA). Previously, he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance and was also a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2016. An economist by training, he was the majority leader in the Budget, Appropriations, and Ways and Means Committee and chaired the working group on budget policy of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group. In his Westphalian constituency Minden-Lübbecke, Mr. Kampeter serves as Chairman of the local CDU.

NYC: Transatlantic Trade and the Economic Implications of Brexit: A View from Germany
2020-01-28 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG and the Wirtschaftsrunde will host a breakfast briefing with Dr. Volker Treier, Chief Executive of Foreign Trade and Member of the Executive Board at the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, and Melanie Vogelbach, Head of International Economic Policy and Foreign Trade Law at the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce.
This event is only open to members of the ACG and the Wirtschaftsrunde.
Dr. Volker Treier is the Chief Executive of Foreign Trade and a Member of the Executive Board of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK e.V.). The DIHK is a network of bi-national German chambers, delegations, and representations of German industry and commerce (AHKs) in 92 countries worldwide. Dr. Treier earned his Doctorate in Economic Sciences at the University of Bamberg in 2002 and has been with the DIHK in various positions since 2003.
Melanie Vogelbach is Head of International Economic Policy & Foreign Trade Law at the DIHK. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Studies at the Technical University Dresden and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs at New York University as a Fulbright Scholar. Ms. Vogelbach has been at the DIHK since 2014, first as Press Secretary then Managing Director of its Federal Young Entrepreneurs Association. She has held her current position since June 2019.

Hot Topics Call: Brexit and What It Means for Germany
2020-01-29 11:00 - 12:00
The ACG will host a Hot Topics Call with Nicolai von Ondarza, Deputy Head of Research Division at the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik.
To register, please fill in the form below.

NYC: New German and European Climate Policies
2020-01-30 08:00 - 09:30
The ACG and the University Alliance Ruhr will host a breakfast briefing with Professor Dr. Cristoph M. Schmidt, Chairman of the German Council of Economic Experts and President of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research.
This event is only open to members of the ACG.
Professor Dr. Christoph M. Schmidt is the current Chairman of the German Council of Economic Experts (Sachverständigenrat Wirtschaft) and has been a member of the council since 2009. He is also President of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research in Essen, Germany, and lectures on economic policy and applied econometrics at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. In 2011, Dr. Schmidt was appointed to the Enquete Commission for Growth, Welfare, and Quality of Life of the German Bundestag. His field of research is applied econometrics with a recent focus on macroeconomic questions related to energy, health, and labor market policy.
Dr. Schmidt received his M.A. and Ph.D. at Princeton University in 1989 and 1991, respectively, and in 1995, and he received the degree of Dr. rer. pol. habil. from the University of Munich. In November 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Economics and Management at Leibniz University in Hannover. He served as an Editor of the German Economic Review and the Journal of Population Economics, and he has published articles in journals such as The Review of Economics and Statistics and the Journal of Public Economics.
