Atlantic Academy - In A Nutshell

Founded in 1996 by the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Atlantic Academy is a state- and privately funded, non-profit, and non-partisan organization whose goal is to foster transatlantic relations by educating the public about US American politics and society.

After the end of the Cold War transatlantic relations have changed fundamentally. The overarching East-West conflict that once served as the transatlantic adhesive has been replaced by diffuse and asymmetric threats. This does not only affect foreign, security and trade relations, but also relations between the societies on both sides of the Atlantic.

Especially the younger generations hardly connect anymore with ritualized recitations of ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ or ‘Tear down this wall’ or the collective memory of the Marshall Plan and ‘Candy Bombers’. Thus, for the sake of strong transatlantic relations, not only common interests but new narratives are also decisive factors.