Atlantische Initiative

The Atlantische Initiative (Atlantic Initiative) is a Berlin-based registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2004 to promote German-American friendship and to support science and research in the field of international relations. It is a non-profit civil-society organization rather than a commercial company, but it operates a family of branded media and think-tank properties that give it a distinct public identity in the German foreign-policy debate. The association's best-known project is Atlantic Community, an online think tank launched in 2007 as a Web 2.0 platform. It was designed not merely as a discussion forum but as a space where users could formulate policy concepts intended to influence practical politics. By November 2011 it reported more than 6,000 members, and by August 2012 more than 7,000. Articles could be submitted by anyone at atlantic-community.org, and the Atlantische Initiative regularly distilled the best contributions into "Atlantic Memos" with policy recommendations sent to decision-makers. The platform also hosted policy workshops; the 2012 edition, "Your Ideas, Your NATO," was tied to the NATO summit in Chicago. Because of this profile, Atlantic-Community.org came to be described as a "Facebook for foreign policy." A second flagship property is Global Must Reads, a monthly publication issued since August 2005 that summarizes important articles from specialist journals, the press, and academia. The Atlantische Initiative claims a readership of more than 22,000 people and describes it as the "most widely read foreign-policy publication in the German language." Despite the association's name, the Must Reads cover topics beyond German-American relations, including digital security and women in leadership positions. In November 2011 the association launched the blog Deutschlands Agenda, with the self-declared aim of "foreign policy for all." It offered a discussion forum on German foreign policy and was supported until the end of April 2012 by the Bundespresseamt and the Haniel Foundation; from May 2012 it was funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt, the German Bundeswehr Association, BP, and the Allianz Kulturstiftung. The blog was officially presented on 8 February and published an article by Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, followed in May 2012 by an article from Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière. It set regular thematic priorities—Afghanistan through the end of January 2012, then "Germany in the EU" in February—and planned themes such as the G8 and G20, the BRIC states, new global powers, and the NATO summit. Its goal was to turn debate into "memos" with recommendations for politicians; a first memo on the Bundeswehr appeared in March and a second on German foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific in November 2012. The association is chaired by Johannes Bohnen and Jan Kallmorgen. Other founding members included Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (then a member of the Bundestag, FDP), Björn Sackniess, Christoph Schwegmann (Federal Ministry of Defence), Andrea Stürmer (Zurich Financial Services), Rüdiger C. Sura (Deutsche Bank), Jan Techau (Carnegie Europe), Philipp-Christian Wachs (Haus Rissen), Magnus Prinz zu Wied (Huntsman Materials & Effects), Tobias Wolny (BP), and Lars Zimmermann (Stiftung Neue Verantwortung). A 32-member advisory board drawn from business, politics, and academia supports the association. Historically it financed its work from member contributions, public grants, and commissioned work for third parties. The Atlantische Initiative has received recognition including the 2008 RIAS Award, designation as an official "Land of Ideas" location in 2009, and the 2009 speaker and dialogue prize from Berlinpolis and ProDialog. It remains active as a civil-society brand in German and transatlantic foreign-policy discourse.

The Atlantische Initiative was founded in Berlin in 2004 as a registered association dedicated to "promoting German-American friendship and the promotion of science and research in the field of international relations." Its founding members were Johannes Bohnen and Jan Kallmorgen, who serve as chairs, together with Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (then a member of the Bundestag, FDP), Björn Sackniess, Christoph Schwegmann (Federal Ministry of Defence), Andrea Stürmer (Zurich Financial Services), Rüdiger C. Sura (Deutsche Bank), Jan Techau (Carnegie Europe), Philipp-Christian Wachs (Haus Rissen), Magnus Prinz zu Wied (Huntsman Materials & Effects), Tobias Wolny (BP), and Lars Zimmermann (Stiftung Neue Verantwortung). A 32-member advisory board from business, politics, and academia supports the association. Historically, it financed its work from member contributions, public grants, and commissioned work for third parties. In August 2005 the association began publishing Global Must Reads, a monthly summary of important articles from specialist journals, the press, and academia. The publication grew to a claimed readership of more than 22,000 and was described by the association as the "most widely read foreign-policy publication in the German language." Its topics extend beyond German-American relations to areas such as digital security and women in leadership. In 2007 the Atlantische Initiative launched Atlantic Community, a Web 2.0 online think tank. The community was intended not only as a discussion platform but as a place where users could formulate policy concepts capable of influencing practical politics. Anyone could submit articles at atlantic-community.org. The association regularly distilled the best contributions into "Atlantic Memos" with policy recommendations and sent them to decision-makers; the site also carried current press reports and recommendations on think-tank publications. Policy workshops were organized on the platform, where the best contributions were recognized, memos drafted, and recommendations presented at events. The 2012 workshop, "Your Ideas, Your NATO," was tied to the NATO summit in Chicago. By November 2011 the community reported more than 6,000 members, and by August 2012 more than 7,000. Because of this profile, Atlantic-Community.org came to be regarded as a "Facebook for foreign policy." In November 2011 the association initiated the blog Deutschlands Agenda, with the self-chosen claim "foreign policy for all," offering a discussion forum on German foreign policy. The project was supported until the end of April 2012 by the Bundespresseamt and the Haniel Foundation; from May 2012 it was funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt, the German Bundeswehr Association, BP, and the Allianz Kulturstiftung. The blog was officially presented on 8 February and published an article by Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, followed in May 2012 by an article from Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière. It set regular thematic priorities: Afghanistan was debated until the end of January 2012, and February began with "Germany in the EU." For 2012, themes such as the G8 and G20, the BRIC states, new global powers, and the NATO summit were planned. To set strong substantive accents, articles were invited from experts, think tanks, bloggers, politicians, and the editorial team. The blog's goal was to formulate "memos" with recommendations for politicians from the debates; a first memo on the Bundeswehr was published in March and a second on German foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific in November 2012. The association has received several recognitions: the 2008 RIAS Award, designation as an official location in the "Land of Ideas" in 2009, and the 2009 speaker and dialogue prize from Berlinpolis and ProDialog. It remains active as a civil-society organization in German and transatlantic foreign-policy discourse.

• 2012

  Atlantic Community reported more than 7,000 members by August; "Your Ideas, Your NATO" policy workshop tied to the NATO summit in Chicago; first memo on the Bundeswehr in March and second on Asia-Pacific foreign policy in November.

• 2011

  Deutschlands Agenda blog initiated in November; Atlantic Community reported more than 6,000 members.

• 2009

  Named an official location in the "Land of Ideas" and received the Berlinpolis/ProDialog speaker and dialogue prize.

• 2008

  Received the RIAS Award.

• 2007

  Atlantic Community online think tank launched.

• 2005

  Global Must Reads monthly publication launched in August.

• 2004

  Atlantische Initiative founded in Berlin as a registered association.

Non-partisan, non-profit transatlantic foreign-policy think tank and information platform bridging German and American policy communities.

• Atlantic Community

• Global Must Reads

• Deutschlands Agenda

• Atlantic Memos

1. 1Atlantische Initiative – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Atlantische Initiative – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Über uns – Unser Auftrag | atlantische-initiative.orgatlantische-initiative.org
4. 4Wettanbieter ohne LUGAS 2026: Sportwetten Bonus Vergleichatlantische-initiative.org