In light of recent tensions surrounding security priorities, economic cooperation, and a broader questioning of shared values, the partnership between Germany and the United States remains essential to the prosperity and security of both sides of the Atlantic. Fostering constructive dialogue on difficult issues, promoting understanding of varied perspectives, and engaging new stakeholders in transatlantic relations is critical to maintaining a resilient relationship. Aspen Germany, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., are planning two delegation trips, bringing 30 U.S. leaders from politics, business, media, and civil society to Germany for an open, constructive dialogue on shared challenges.
The first trip, “Discover Germany,” will take place September 20–25, 2026, in Düsseldorf and Berlin. It is designed for U.S. state-level political leaders who shape policy on the ground but rarely engage directly with their German counterparts. The program combines high-level meetings with members of the German Bundestag and senior government officials, site visits to leading German companies and research institutions, and roundtables with think tanks and civil society. The focus of this trip is security and economic cooperation as well as the people-to-people ties that hold the partnership together at the subnational level.
The second trip, November 8–13, 2026, will bring U.S. leaders from politics, media, and civil society to Berlin and Leipzig, including participation in the international forum “Berlin Freedom Week”. This trip will focus specifically on democratic resilience and freedom as core transatlantic values. Participants will engage with Germany’s memory culture firsthand, visiting sites of the SED dictatorship and the former GDR, while also meeting with media leaders, defense innovators, and policy makers.
Both programs are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
