American-German Institute

07/15/2026

New Podcast Episode: Soccer and Society

The 2026 World Cup has been bigger than ever before; an expanded tournament of forty-eight teams has brought record-breaking audiences. On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Andrei Markovits discusses soccer culture in the United States and Germany and its intersection with politics and society. He explores what the beautiful game means for each country, what success or failure can mean for identity and community, and why politicians should not count on success on the field boosting their success at the ballot box.

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The 2026 World Cup has been bigger than ever before; an expanded tournament of forty-eight teams has brought record-breaking audiences. On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Andrei Markovits discusses soccer …

07/02/2026

For the sixth consecutive year, the American-German Institute and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA jointly convened “Transatlantic Trade Week.” This year’s event took place as trade policy’s center of gravity continues to shift in both the United States and the European Union. Discussions examined the balance between a rules-based trading system and economic security and national sovereignty and interdependence in the transatlantic tech stack.

At an in-person roundtable on June 30, panelists discussed the U.S. and European focus on economic security, the new priority placed on industrial policy, and the resilience of the tech ecosystem. A webinar on July 1 examined the cooperation and common interests that characterize the transatlantic tech ecosystem as well as remaining tensions and differing approaches to technology governance.

For more on Transatlantic Trade Week and to watch the webinar on Transatlantic Technology and Trade, visit the

06/24/2026

New Publication: Heated Relations
The Past, Present, and Future of the LGBTQ+ Community in Germany and the United States

For over a century, LGBTQ+ communities in Germany and the United States have fought for rights and recognition, built robust civil society structures, and influenced culture, business, and politics. To better understand how these transatlantic movements have intertwined and what can be learned to maintain and further advance LGBTQ+ equality, the American-German Institute developed the project, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the U.S.: Past, Present, and Future.” Over three years, this comparative study of the history, present, and future of LGBTQ+ rights brought together members of the LGBTQ+ community for site visits and discussions across the United States and Germany.

This final publication reflects themes from throughout the three years of the project: the history of LGBTQ+ movements across the Atlantic; the role healthcare research and access have played in LGBTQ+ rights; LGBTQ+ culture’s inherent political nature; how online rhetoric has fueled anti-LGBTQ+ policies; the interplay of public opinion and funding for LGBTQ+ organizations and initiatives, and how the community participates in and contributes to economies.

It is crucial at this juncture—as LGBTQ+ rights are under threat in both countries and the broader transatlantic relationship is undergoing a fundamental transformation—to promote expertise on LGBTQ+ issues in a transatlantic context and to strengthen the special bonds and solidarity among experts and advocates.

Read more from Susanne Dieper, Jack Fornasiero, Jasmin Gräwel, Mieko Kuramoto, Eric Langenbacher, Christoph Mayer, and G. Samantha Rosenthal: https://americangerman.institute/publication/heated-relations/

06/17/2026

New episode: Forgotten LGBTQ+ Histories

The Stonewall Riots are known worldwide as a starting point for LGBTQ+ activism, and musicals like Cabaret have shared the story of the q***r experience in Weimar Berlin. But the United States and Germany are rich with diverse LGBTQ+ stories. With Eric Langenbacher, Erik Jödicke and G. Samantha Rosenthal, Ph.D. dive into the past to explore why some histories are remembered and others are forgotten. They discuss lesser-known stories of q***r activism, intersectionality in q***r histories, and the cultural reciprocity of German and American q***r communities.

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The Stonewall Riots are known worldwide as a starting point for LGBTQ+ activism, and musicals like Cabaret have shared the story of the q***r experience in Weimar Berlin. But the …

04/29/2026

New Podcast Episode: Transatlantic Fractures and the Future of U.S. Relations with Europe

The United States is reevaluating its place in the world, not only because of President Trump. The metamorphosis in American politics is affecting U.S. foreign policy profoundly, as well as America’s allies. A new book co-authored by AGI President Jeff Rathke, Transatlantic Fracture: The Erosion of U.S.-European Relations in an Unstable Order, explores these changes. Jeff Rathke talks in this episode with his co-authors Stefan Fröhlich and Jackson Janes about the shifts in the transatlantic relationship, how Europe is adjusting to the changing world order, and how the fractured partnership could re-form in the future.

Listen: https://americangerman.institute/podcast/episode-145-transatlantic-fractures-and-the-future-of-u-s-relations-with-europe/

04/09/2026

New Podcast Episode: Economic Resilience as Economic Security

The world’s leading economies are putting economic security at the top of their policy concerns. Among them, the European Union is taking a risk-based approach that seeks to deter weaponizable dependencies while still pursuing efficiency in its trade, regulatory, industrial, and technology policies. How do economic security considerations affect the global economy and the transatlantic economic partnership? In this episode of The Zeitgeist, European Commission Deputy Director-General for Trade and Economic Security Denis Redonnet discusses how the EU leverages its leadership and partnerships to ensure a resilient European economy.

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The world’s leading economies are putting economic security at the top of their policy concerns. Among them, the European Union is taking a risk-based approach that seeks to deter weaponizable …