The amount of money spent on election campaigns in the United States has increased dramatically over time, sparking debate on the influence of money in politics and its impact on the democratic process. To what extent does money determine election outcomes? Join us with Sandra Navidi, University of Cologne alumna, financial expert, attorney and CEO of BeyondGlobal; and Maureen Edobor, Assistant Professor of Law, Washington and Lee School of Law to gain a better understanding of these funding models.

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Every other member of the U.S. Senate is a millionaire, and 9 out of 10 members of the German Bundestag have spent time at a university at some point; a significant number never worked in a job outside of politics. Is it any surprise that many U.S. and German citizens consider their country’s democratic institutions out of touch when it comes to the life and work of the average citizen?

Together, we debated these questions with Center for American Progress Director of Technology Policy Megan Shahi, Missions Publiques co-director Antoine Vergne, and Centre for European Reform chief economist Sander Tordoir.

Recording Available

Constitutions used to be a symbol of national identity. In democracies, they state the principles and ideals that citizens can rally around. But does this still work today? 

Together, we debated these questions in our trans-Atlantic talk series “Across the Pond” in collaboration with Open Embassy for Democracy (OPEM), with German journalist and podcast host Hanna Israel and U.S. public historian Shelby Dains.

Recording Available

KOENIGmuseum Landshut and 1014 gave guided a tour of Fritz Koenig’s most famous sculpture, the Sphere, at the Word Trade Center/Liberty Park. Curator Dr. Holger A. Klein and KOENIGmuseum Director Dr. Alexandra v. Arnim dove into the life and work of sculptor Fritz Koenig as well as the marking and saving of the Sphere which today is placed at the park right next to Ground Zero.

Thursday, June 27th was the opening night at 1014 Fifth Avenue of the exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of sculptor Fritz Koenig, creator of the Sphere which was damaged but not destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. His public sculptures became influential abstract monuments on both sides of the Atlantic. The exhibition is accompanied by public tours of the exhibition at 1014 and at the sculpture at ground zero.

Photo Gallery Available

Politics is hard work, and holding public office is tough. Recently, it can even mean dealing with heckling and physical violence. How can we ensure that citizens stay engaged? What would politics look like if there were no one more prepared to do the job? During this discussion, we reviewed these challenges with Jasmin Miah, Head of Berlin Office at Local Governments for Sustainability (ILCLEI), and Marco Morales, Adjunct Professor at Western Washington University, teaching Introduction to Latino Studies and Latino Migrants in the U.S.  

This talk is part of our trans-Atlantic series “Across the Pond” in collaboration with Open Embassy for Democracy (OPEM). Curated and moderated by Tobias Endler.

Recording Available

Women, on average, spend 25% more time in poor health than men. At the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, global leaders discussed the necessity of increasing investments and research on women’s health to move towards closing the gap. This would not only advance women’s health, but also boost the global economy. For every $1 invested in women’s health, the leaders project an economic growth of $3.

This timely discussion and Salon-style evening curated by Claudia Mahler tackled the need for collective global funding towards women’s health with New York Times bestselling author and photojournalist Deborah Copaken, New York-based Top gynecologist, expert on Women’s Health and founder of Slàn, Dr. Molly McBride, non-for-profit GirlTrek Chief of Staff Ayanna Taylor, and America’s lead of the “Redesign Healthcare with Women in Mind” task force and Partner at Kearney Management Consulting Kate Maheu. Moderated by Claudia Mahler, founder CM Curated Conversations.

Recording Available

From Anish Kapoor’s The Bean (Chicago) and Banksy’s Balloon Girl (London), to Alexander Polzin’s Celan (Paris) and Dmitri Vrubel’s Fraternal Kiss (Berlin), public art is everywhere. While deeply integrated into our culture and aesthetics of common spaces, it is also oftentimes the object of controversy. Curator, writer, and politician Adrienne Goehler; composer and musician Sidney Corbett; sculptor, artist, and curator Alexander Polzin; and theater director and performer Mark Jackson joined us to discuss the complexities, limitations, and future of public art in the United States and Germany. Moderated by performer and political affairs officer Omar El-Okdah.

Recording available

On May 23rd, we hosted a panel discussion on the topic of sustainability: In an increasingly interconnected world, where the pursuit of sustainability transcends boundaries, are we doing enough to apply our scientific knowledge to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a sustainable society? The conversation explored bridging the gap between knowledge and action and exchanging new ideas for pathways to a sustainable future with Rector of the University of Cologne and DAAD President Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, Columbia Law School Professor Michael B. Gerrard, and Dianne Anderson, Director, Office of Sustainability at NYU. Moderated by broadcast journalist Dr. Yaena Kwon!

The symposium, initiated by visual artist and researcher Adam Vackar and Residency Unlimited, delved into the intricate relationship between humans and the botanical world, spotlighting the Giant Hogweed as a symbol of this dynamic. The event showcased a multidisciplinary array of perspectives, featuring contributions from artists, botanists, theorists, psychotherapists, and thinkers - Ph.D. Candidate in the History of Art at Yale University Bara Bartunkova, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment professor Dr. Bernd Blossey, independent curator Isabella Indolfi, Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management at The New School Dr. Abigail Perez Aguilera, and Parsons School of Design Synthetic Ecosystems Lab professor Dr. Harpreet Sareen.

Freedom of the arts is essential for any democracy, but what role do the arts play when democracies come under pressure? This concert and dance performance by Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet took a leap from mid-century composers into the present. Featuring music by Ursula Mamlok, Tania León, and Alyssa Regent. Moderated by Carl Bettendorf.

Freedom of the arts is essential for any democracy, but what role do the arts play when democracies come under pressure? This performance at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York for Songs from Exile presented works of Ruth Schonthal and Erich Zeisl.

Freedom of the arts is essential for any democracy, but what role do the arts play when democracies come under pressure? This concert performance brought us to the Center for Jewish History, Leo Baeck Institute New York for Songs from Exile with works by Rosy Geiger-Kullmann, Paul Aron, and Ernst Toch - introducing two German-Jewish composers in American exile: Paul Aron and Rosy Geiger-Kullmann, with world premiere performances.

Freedom of the arts is essential for any democracy, but what role do the arts play when democracies come under pressure? Kai Hinrich Müller joined us at Goethe-Institut New York for “Opera and Democracy” to explore the past and present of being forced out of a country or a home and the struggles to continue artistic practices elsewhere. Featuring Brigid Cohen, Associate Professor of Music at New York University; Gracie Golden, Artistic Freedom Initiative’s Senior Officer for Strategic Initiatives & Relocation; and Michael P. Steinberg, professor of history and music, German studies, and author of “The Afterlife of Moses: Exile, Democracy, Renewal”.

What do truly sustainable workplaces look like? Vitra joined 1014 for a conversation that sought to explore these questions around embodied carbon, material sourcing, and the implications for designing today’s workplaces with Sydney Mainster, Vice President of Sustainability and Design Management at the Durst Organization, and Lindsey Wikstrom, founding partner of Mattaforma. Moderated by Jack Murphy, Executive Editor of The Architect's Newspaper, with insightful perspectives from architecture, sustainability leadership, and design management.

As artificial intelligence permeates both research environments and our daily lives, inquiries about its positive and negative impact are essential. Esteemed physicist Jesse Thaler and IBM researcher Hendrik Strobelt shed light on these issues, drawing from their experiences in working with AI in the natural sciences. Moderated by Renate Kurowski-Cardello, President of the Kurt Forrest Foundation.

Recording Available

Democracies seem to be wilting from lack of genuine interchange and compromise. How can educators support explorations of controversial subjects in ways that engage people’s hearts as well as minds? What tools of critique build connections rather than obstacles between people? Legal scholar Martha Minow and choreographer, educator and writer Liz Lerman discussed such questions and offered examples that show how developing our capacities to find new routes and pathways to each other can be taken from classrooms and seminar rooms into the wider world. Moderated by Professor Irene Kacandes, Dartmouth College.

Recording Available

The Covid-19 pandemic was a major setback for the path towards eradicating world hunger. Now, climate change, water scarcity, population growth, and multiple conflicts around the globe such as the war in Ukraine and the Middle East are making it difficult for the global community to get back on track. Availability, as well as access, to nutritious food is in jeopardy. In this conversation, 1014 and the American Council on Germany revisited the topic of food security in their virtual series Resilience & Adaptation 2.0., with experts Ambassador Ertharin Cousin and Alexander Müller.

This trans-Atlantic conversation about migration, part of a series called Humanities for Humans presented in partnership with the Walter de Gruyter Foundation (Berlin), explored current migration trends, why they are happening, and how the role of so-called “race” have influenced the history of migration. Featuring Legal Scholar and Dr. Kathryn Abrams, University of California, Berkeley and Migration and Racism Expert and Independent Scholar Dr. Mark Terkessidis, Berlin, Germany. Moderated by Professor Irene Kacandes, Dartmouth College.

Recording Available

The world of work is undergoing an unprecedented period of change. Globalization, demographic trends, technology, and climate all have an impact on today’s labor markets. Transitioning to a green economy is one of the major tasks, with global labor unions calling not only for an environmentally, but also socially sustainable approach. What is the scope of this “just transition”, and how can it be realized?

On Tuesday, November 28, the American Council on Germany and 1014 hosted a second virtual discussion on the future of work with Thorben Albrecht, Policy Director of IG Metall and former State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and Dr. Annelise Orleck, Professor of History at Dartmouth College.

Recording Available

Today, when people think about the future of work, they often think about working remotely and hybrid work. But the topic is much broader and deeper – especially since many workers are not able to work off-site or take advantage of hybrid working conditions. 1014 and the American Council on Germany discussed the future of work with Steffen Kampeter, Chief Executive Officer of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Confederation of German Employers‘ Associations (BDA), and Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

Recording Available

At a time when there is talk of "fake news" and "alternative facts", the question arises as to the role and status of truth in democracy. In conversation with the historian Sophia Rosenfeld (UPenn), Alexander Görlach discussed truth and probability, science and faith in liberal democracy.

Organized with generous support by the Kurt Forrest Foundation.

Recording Available

The role of informal networks in international business is often underestimated but, can be vital for achieving business success. Informal networks can provide access to valuable information, resources, and contacts, as well as foster trust and collaboration among individuals and organizations. Together, with panelists Dr. Sheila M. Puffer, Dr. Sven Horak, Dr. Mridul Agrawal, and Dr. Grace Chun Guo, we evaluated the the value of informal networks for achieving business success.

Recording and Photo Gallery Available

On identity, racism, and perceptions of sexuality in Germany, North Africa and the U.S.

German-Moroccan journalist and author Mohamed Amjahid writes about identity, racism, and perceptions of otherness in his books and columns. His latest book “Let’s Talk about Sex, Habibi” takes a look behind closed doors and examines love and desire in Morocco, Germany – and the many (sometimes false) perceptions of it. The American Council on Germany joined 1014 in an intimate discussion with Mohammed exploring these very topics.

1014 and the American Council on Germany hosted a virtual discussion with Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for The New York Times, and Anna Sauerbrey, Foreign Editor at the weekly DIE ZEIT, about the evolving geopolitical landscape, emerging alliances, and the growing polarization between Western democracies and authoritarian regimes in light of the horrendous developments unfolding in the Middle East. 

Recording Available

Artists Annette Cords (“Delirious Disruptions”) and Villa Albertine Fellow Euridice Zaituna Kala engaged in conversation about how urban spaces, architecture, and culture influence their art during Open House New York and Archtober.

Matt Ball and Harriet Bartlett of David Chipperfield Architects presented an introduction into the new 1014 – space for ideas during Open House New York 2023.