Multifaceted Partnership

Germany and the United States of America are bound by a robust friendship founded on shared experiences, values and interests. Politics, economics, culture and military cooperation are all facets that make up German-US relations.

Political relations

: Enlarge image; "Thank you for unity," read the signs these members of the crowd are holding up at a 2005 ceremony in Germany honoring former President Bush, Chancellor Kohl and Soviet President Gorbachev.; (© dpa)

Germany owes much to the United States. In the period after World War II the United States initially provided political support and economic assistance under the Marshall Plan to West Germany. Without the United States as guarantor of freedom in the decades of the Cold War, Germany would not have been able to regain its national unity as a free nation.

As leading examples, both countries embody the principles of individual, inviolable freedom on the one hand and the rule of law and participation on the other. In associations such as the United Nations, both pursue freedom, democracy and human rights – but also free trade, prosperity and sustainable development for all the world's peoples.

Intensive cooperation

: Enlarge image; Chancellor Merkel visited President Bush on his private ranch in Crawford, Texas, in November 2007.; (© BPA; by Kugler)

There is intensive cooperation between Germany and the US in the fight against international terrorism. Together with its allies, Germany is assisting in conflict management, for instance in Afghanistan, the Balkans or the Middle East, through both military engagement and civilian assistance, such as support in building up police forces and development aid. In connection with Iraq, Germany is providing humanitarian assistance and is prepared, in cooperation with the United Nations, to support civilian and economic reconstruction and the training of Iraqi security forces.

Alongside the war on terrorism, close cooperation between the security services and the future of the Midd

: Enlarge image; Chancellor Merkel met with then-Senator Obama in July 2008 in Berlin.; (© BPA; by Imo)

le East, bilateral US-German relations focus on security issues, in particular the transatlantic security alliance (NATO), the joint mission in Afghanistan and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapon capability as part of the E3 plus 3 process.

The good professional contacts between government agencies on both sides – underlined by regular visits to the United States by the German Chancellor and regular visits to Germany by the US President – and the lively exchange of views between German and American parliamentarians are important elements of bilateral relations.

The sensitive relationship with six million Jewish Americans is a special facet of our bilateral relations. The German government and parliament maintain active contacts and dialogue with Jewish-American organizations to foster mutual understanding.

Economic relations

: Enlarge image; Germany and the United States are important economic partners.; (© dpa - Bildfunk)

Germany and the United States are important economic partners. The US is Germany’s principal trading partner outside the EU and Germany is the US’s most important trading partner in Europe. The volume of bilateral trade in goods (on a dollar basis) increased once again in 2007. German exports to the US grew by 5.9% and German imports from the US by as much as 20.2% compared with 2006. (This trend is due in part to the favorable effect of the dollar/euro exchange rate on US exports.) The Transatlantic Economic Partnership between the USA and the EU, which was launched in 2007 on Germany’s initiative, opens up additional opportunities.

The two countries are important to each other as locations for investment. The United States is the main investment destination for German companies, and the second-largest foreign investor in Germany, after the Netherlands, is the United States.

Vibrant cultural relations

Germany and the United States enjoy vibrant cultural relations. Every year hundreds of thousands of people travel across the Atlantic – as tourists, participants in exchange programs or as artists, performers, scientists, academics and students.

: Enlarge image; American stundents can earn bachelor's and master's degrees at many German institutions.; (© dpa - Report)

Some 16 million American soldiers lived in Germany with their families in the years after the second world war, coming to appreciate the country and bringing the American way of life with them. The individual transatlantic bonds formed by their experiences are heart-felt and enduring.

A long, rich tradition of exchanges has allowed American and German young people to experience each other’s countries. Those of college age benefit from over 1,000 cooperative agreements between German and American universities. American students can earn internationally recognized Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Germany’s institutions of higher education. High-school aged students on both sides of the Atlantic also participate in exchanges that allow them to live with a host family, learn the language and experience the other country’s school system.

Performing and visual arts

: Enlarge image; Over 1 million people saw "The MoMA in Berlin" exhibit in 2004 at the New National Gallery.; (© dpa - International)

In their own cities and towns, Germans and Americans can experience each other’s countries through art and the performing arts. Every year, museums and galleries in Germany and the United States exhibit treasures and contemporary works in feature exhibitions. Orchestras, ensembles and dance troupes bring their interpretations to audiences. The latest American dance beats are popular in Berlin and Munich nightclubs. Likewise German pop and modern music acts often make inroads on the American scene.

Film is another important area where Germans and Americans interact and learn about each other’s cultures. Hollywood film celebrities flock to the annual Berlin International Film Festival, one of the industry’s most important gatherings, and Berlin has emerged as one of Hollywood’s favorite European settings for feature films. In the other direction, German and actors, directors, and film score producers have long played important roles in the American film industry.

German-American herigage

Today, some 46 million Americans, nearly one quarter of the population, are of German descent. German-American communities are vibrant in major US cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh, and New York. Thousands of German-American cultural groups are active in communities in just about every state.

German-American Heritage

Military relations

: Enlarge image; German soldiers serve in the NATO-led ISAF in Afghanistan.; (© dpa - Bildfunk)

Germany is a close ally of the US in the fight against international terrorism. There is also close cooperation between the two countries in disaster relief and efforts to settle international conflicts. Prime examples are the deployments in Afghanistan and the Balkans, where Germany has made available nearly 8,000 soldiers, making it one of the largest providers of troops after the US.

Even after completion of measures for the global redeployment of American troops, Germany remains the country hosting the largest peace-time contingent of American forces outside the US.

This situation fosters close relations with the Federal Armed Forces – reflected in joint maneuvers and the intensive exchange between the two sides on the further development of deployment procedures and weapon systems.

The Federal Armed Forces also maintain stationary training units in the US, where German troops are trained in close contact with their American counterparts. In addition, German units are sent to the US every year to take part in joint maneuvers. A network of exchange and liaison officers in both countries further contributes to good military relations.

Source: Federal Foreign Office