Quandt Lecture Series

The Herbert Quandt Distinguished Lecture Series was established in honor of Herbert Quandt (1910-1982), who was instrumental in taking BMW to enduring international success in the post-war period.

Alongside his business accomplishments, Herbert Quandt was also a generous and far-sighted philanthropist, who was keenly interested in fostering dialogue and increasing mutual understanding within and among nations. The Quandt Lecture series was conceived to honor and to advance these noble ideals.

Prior Quandt Lectures

  • April 24, 2024: The Honorable Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, made the first presentation in the United States of his influential official report on ‘The Future of the Single Market in Europe’. Our partners at The Atlantic Council co-sponsored the event, and you can watch a full recording on their website here.
  • October 1, 2015: To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, CGES partnered with the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation for the 6th Quandt Lecture. The lecture, entitled “The 25th Anniversary of German Unification: A Conversation with Two Architects”, was delivered by Dr. Theo Waigel, Former German Federal Finance Minister and Honorary Chairman of the CSU, and Robert Zoellick, Chairman of Goldman Sachs’ International Advisors.
  • November 2, 2009: Hans Dietrich Genscher, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1992) delivered the 5th Quandt Lecture entitled, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall: End of History or New Chance for Mankind?”
  • September 10, 2004: U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivered the fourth Quandt Lecture entitled, “The Transatlantic Future.”
  • September 15, 2000: This period marked the 10th anniversary of the founding of CGES. A two-day celebration started with the third Quandt Lecture, delivered by German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Mr. Fischer’s address was entitled “Towards a New Transatlantic Partnership: The United States, Germany and Europe in an Era of Global Challenges.”
  • November 8, 1999: CGES was pleased to welcome William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, to deliver the second Quandt Lecture entitled “The Tenth Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Beginning of the Velvet Revolution.”
  • July 23, 1997: Roman Herzog, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, inaugurated the Quandt lecture series with his address on “The German-American Partnership in the 21st Century.”