The Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften: Science & Society
John McCloy Transatlantic Forum
beginning 2022
The John McCloy Transatlantic Forum facilitates and promotes exchange and conversation between academia and the public. It aims at stakeholders from politics, business, culture, and the media who are interested in transatlantic relations under the banner of a shared understanding of democracy. The impetus for the founding of the forum is an insight that has grown out of the current crises in the world, such as the Ukraine war, tensions with China, populist movements in Europe and the United States: Democratic orders cannot be taken for granted but require maintenance and development. The forum intends to be a place of debate that explores the forms, varieties, challenges, and potentials of democracy.
The forum belongs to the research focus »Democratic Vistas: Reflections on the Atlantic World« based at Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften.
John J. McCloy I
John J. McCloy I was the U.S. High Commissioner to the young Federal Republic. John McCloy’s commitment to Germany's integration into Western alliances and his strong commitment to building civil society through education and science decisively paved Germany's way to a stable democracy after World War II. From 1949 to 1952, John J. McCloy and his family lived in Bad Homburg, in the immediate vicinity of the area where the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften is located today.
Events
04 November 2022
Formal inauguration of the John McCloy Transatlantic Forum
Keynote:
Charles A. Kupchan (Georgetown University): »The Liberal Anchor of the World To Come: The Enduring Strengths and Vulnerabilities of the West«
Welcome remarks:
Uwe Becker (Staatsminister für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten in Hessen), Alexander Hetjes (Mayor, Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe), Matthias Lutz-Bachmann (Director of Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften), John J. McCloy II (son of U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy), Enrico Schleiff (President of Goethe University)
Introductions:
Gunther Hellmann und Johannes Völz (Heads of program of the John J. McCloy Transatlantic Forum and the research focus »Democratic Vistas. Reflections on the Atlantic World«)
20 April 2023
Second John McCloy Lecture
»Deutschland, die EU und die transatlantischen Beziehungen nach der ›Zeitenwende‹«
Sigmar Gabriel (Chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke, Former Federal Minister of the Republic of Germany)
16 April 2024
Third John McCloy Lecture
»Flirt mit der Diktatur? US-Präsidentschaftswahlen im Krisenjahr 2024«
Podcast of the event
Constanze Stelzenmüller (Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.)
10 September 2024
Book launch
»Die zerrissenen Staaten von Amerika«
Arthur Landwehr (journalist)
23 September 2024
Lecture
»It Was the Best of Times: The Bright Future of the Transatlantic Alliance«
Michael Kimmage (The Catholic University of America; Center for Strategic and International Studies)
21 November 2024
Panel discussion
»Die USA nach der Wahl«
Podcast of the event
Manfred Berg (Heidelberg University), Christian Lammert (FU Berlin), Greta Olson (Giessen University)
Publications
Booklet:
Inauguration of the John McCloy Transatlantic Forum, 4 November 2022. Keynote by Charles A. Kupchan: »The Liberal Anchor of the World to Come: The Enduring Strengths and Vulnerabilities of the West«.
Download
Booklet:
Das John McCloy Transatlantic Forum: Rückblick 2023 (contents: The second John McCloy Lecture; the Fellows; the activities of the research focus »Democratic Vistas. Reflections on the Atlantic World«
Download
Booklet:
Das John McCloy Transatlantic Forum: Rückblick 2024 (contents: The third John McCloy Lecture; the Fellows; the activities of the research focus »Democratic Vistas. Reflections on the Atlantic World«
Download
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees was established in April 2023. Its members are:
Cameron Abadi (deputy editor, Foreign Policy)
Dr. Werner Brandt (chairman of the supervisory board, RWE AG)
Dr. Bettina Gentzcke ( )
Prof. Dr. Gunther Hellmann (Goethe University, Frankfurt)
Dr. Ingrid Hengster (CEO, Barclays Germany)
Felix Hufeld (former president, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority)
Iris Helene Koban (managing director, Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften)
Prof. Dr. Christian Lammert (Free University Berlin)
Jay McCloy (grandson of John J. McCloy)
Prof. Dr. Shalini Randeria (president, Central European University, Vienna)
Prof. Dr. Johannes Völz (Goethe University, Frankfurt)
The chairman of the Board of Trustees is the director of the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften, Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Lutz-Bachmann, his deputy is the former divisional board member and advisor of Deutsche Bank AG, Dr. Bernd von Maltzan.
Contact
Gunther Hellmann, Professor of Political Science, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Johannes Völz, Professor of American Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
