Misplaced Pages

#763236

80-676: The German Youth Hostel Association is a member of the European Movement Germany . To stay in a German Youth Hostel Association, you must be a member of the German Youth Hotel Association (DJH). Abroad, DJH membership also grant you access to international hostels associated with Hostelling International , with potential discounts. DJH membership is obtained through the state association responsible for each residence, and organizations such as clubs or schools can apply for corporate membership. The fee

160-750: A German government was reestablished in the western zones, the Federal Republic of Germany, which in its first years had very limited powers. In October 1949, the German Democratic Republic was founded in what had been the Soviet zone. Whereas Georg Dertinger had already been appointed the first minister of foreign affairs of East Germany in 1949, due to the Allied occupation statute the Auswärtiges Amt of West Germany

240-584: A candidate needed at least 15,000 marks/annum to join. This requirement explains why so many German diplomats married richer women because without the wealth of their wives they would never had been able to join the Auswärtiges Amt . The income requirement to enter the AA was only dropped in 1918. Aristocrats were very much overrepresented in the Auswärtiges Amt . During the Imperial period, 69% of

320-404: A climate of snobbish anti-Semitism , where Jews were considered to be too pushy, vulgar and lacking in social graces to be diplomats. There were also meritocratic elements within the AA. Besides for the income requirement, to enter the AA during the Imperial period, only candidates with the best grades at university and who knew two foreign languages were considered, and to join one had to pass what

400-771: A crucial role in the preparation of German reunification . In 2000 the Foreign Office returned to Berlin where it took up quarters in the former Reichsbank building , which from 1959 to 1990 had served as the seat of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and was enlarged by a newly built annex. The former ministry in Bonn was retained as a secondary seat. The Foreign Office has always stressed its continuity and traditions going back to 1870. A report entitled The Ministry and

480-503: A disproportionate number coming from the aristocracy. The overrepresentation of aristocrats together with its overwhelming upper-class character gave the Auswärtiges Amt an elitist cachet, and made the Auswärtiges Amt into one of the most prestigious institutions in Germany. Because of its upper-class composition, the diplomats could afford extremely expensive clothes, and the men of Auswärtiges Amt were generally considered to

560-679: A provisional Executive Committee. On 13 June 1949 the German Council of the European Movement was founded in Wiesbaden . At the inaugural meeting, 252 highly regarded members were chosen from political parties, as well as from various strands of West German society. Former President of the Reichstag Paul Löbe was the founding President and held this office until 1954. Eugen Kogon took on the role of chairman of

640-668: A reconciliation with the French Third Republic , which earned him—together with Aristide Briand —the 1926 Nobel Peace Prize . In an important sign of changed emphasis within the Auswärtiges Amt , in July 1930 Carl von Schubert  [ de ] , the State Secretary (the number #2 man in the Auswärtiges Amt ) and Stresemann's right-hand man was fired and replaced with the "crudely nationalist" Prince Bernhard Wilhelm von Bülow  [ de ] (who

720-539: A record membership level of 202 organisations. In just seven years the organisation has accumulated over 70 new memberships. To accommodate new members more efficiently, the Board of Directors now decides on the admission of new members. The 2010 AGM decided to dedicate themselves to "Good Governance" in the EU and on German EU-stakeholders. The work programme for 2010/11 stressed that the position of stakeholders and civil society in

800-693: A self-conscious Eurosclerosis, triggered by controversies over agricultural subsidies and the EU budget . This further hindered the activities of the German Council. The crisis was overcome with the adoption of the Single European Act (1987) followed by Treaty amendments of Maastricht (1993) and Amsterdam (1999). In this context the Federal Government and the German National Council worked even more closely to promote

880-811: Is a non-partisan network of interest groups in the field of EU politics in Germany. It cooperates closely with all EU stakeholders on a national and European level, most particularly with the German Federal Government and the European Commission . The EM Germany network consists of 250 member organisations representing various social groups including business and professional associations, trade unions, educational and academic institutions , foundations and political parties, amongst others. The network aims to continually improve, in close cooperation with political institutions, communication on European politics , European perspectives and

SECTION 10

#1732772755764

960-528: Is annually paid and help provide access to these benefits. By the late 1920s, Germany had over 2,300 Youth Hostels, but they were basic. These Hostels clearly didn’t compare to today’s standards. Often, they were no more than straw beds in “makeshift shelters” located, for instance, in village schools that were closed for the holidays. Today, the German Youth Hostel Association now operates approximately 438 modern hostels. In 1933,

1040-526: Is not to be confused with his uncle, Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow ). The replacement of Schubert with Bülow marked the ascendency of the more nationalistic fraction within the Auswärtiges Amt who favored a more confrontational foreign policy with regards to France. In May 1932 Baron Konstantin von Neurath was appointed foreign minister in the "Cabinet of the President's Friends" headed by Franz von Papen . Neurath continued on as Foreign Minister under

1120-606: Is the foreign ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany , a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign policy and its relationship with the European Union . It is a cabinet-level ministry . Since December 2021, Annalena Baerbock has served as Foreign Minister , succeeding Heiko Maas . The primary seat of the ministry is at the Werderscher Markt  [ de ] square in

1200-526: The Auswärtiges Amt appointed his son Herbert von Bismarck as State Secretary. That Bismarck appointed his son as State Secretary reflected his determination to be his own foreign minister, and his need for an utterly loyal man to run the Auswärtiges Amt when he was not around. Bismarck would not accept opinions contrary to his own, and only those diplomats who were devoted to him rose to high rank. Bismarck greatly valued accurate information, and as such diplomats tended to report what they believed to be

1280-707: The Auswärtiges Amt had belonged to the NSDAP, but justified their employment as: "I could not build up a Foreign Office without relying upon such skilled men". Upon Willy Brandt 's taking office as Foreign Minister in the Grand coalition under Kurt Georg Kiesinger starting in 1966, the office was usually connected with the position of the Vice-Chancellor . From 1974 until 1992—with a short pause in 1982— Hans-Dietrich Genscher served as Foreign Minister and continued to champion Brandt's Ostpolitik while also playing

1360-569: The European Economic Community (EEC) and Euratom in 1957, significant disagreement concerning the future of Europe remained, both between the National Councils and within the German Council itself. One controversial issue was the necessity of a European Constitution, for example. The lack of transparency in the leadership of Kogon led to his replacement as president in 1954 by Ernst Friedlaender , who reformed

1440-584: The Foreign Office , EM Germany promotes dialogue by organising events. Target groups include EU stakeholders, the federal government, the states, regions, and civil society . Due to the multitude of EBD De-Briefings and EU analysis on important European developments, EM Germany has intensified its cooperation with its member organisations, the European Commission Representation in Germany, and other ministries. In 2009

1520-615: The Lisbon Treaty was a new concept that needed to be addressed. A relatively new instrument of EM Germany is the bi-annual survey. On the occasion of each European Council Presidency, possible topics for this survey will be obtained from the member organisations. EM Germany currently consists of 250 member organisations. The Board of Directors decides upon new members. Federal Foreign Office The Federal Foreign Office ( German : Auswärtiges Amt , pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌvɛʁtɪɡəs ˈamt] ), abbreviated AA ,

1600-653: The Mitte district, the historic centre of Berlin . The term Auswärtiges Amt was the name of the Foreign Office established in 1870 by the North German Confederation , which then became the German Empire 's Foreign Office in 1871. It is still the name of the German foreign ministry today. From 1871 to 1919, the Foreign Office was led by a Foreign Secretary, and since 1919, it has been led by

1680-690: The Wannsee Conference in January 1942, the Auswärtiges Amt was represented by Martin Luther , who agreed that the Auswärtiges Amt would do everything within its power to persuade the governments of neutral and allied states to hand over their Jewish populations to be exterminated. Later on in 1942, Ambassador Otto Abetz arranged for the deportation of 25,000 French Jews to the death camps in Poland while Ambassador Hanns Ludin arranged for

SECTION 20

#1732772755764

1760-404: The 1950s, most Germans did not go to university). The requirement that one had to have a university degree to enter the Auswärtiges Amt effectively guaranteed upper-class dominance of the Auswärtiges Amt . All of the senior diplomats in the 1930s were veterans of the struggle to win Germany "world power status" in the first years of the 20th century. Hitler's goal of making Germany into

1840-551: The 548 men who served in the Auswärtiges Amt were noblemen , and every single ambassador during the German Reich was an aristocrat . The most important department by far was the Political Department which between 1871 and 1918 was 61% aristocratic; middle-class men tended to serve in the less important Legal, Trade and Colonial Departments. In the 19th century, it was believed that only aristocrats had

1920-574: The American President Theodore Roosevelt a series of letters telling him that Germany and the United States must join forces to stop the "yellow peril", especially Japan from conquering the world. It took the diplomats a long time to tell Wilhelm that Roosevelt was a Japanophile who was not impressed with Wilhelm's call for an alliance based on anti-Asian racism. A nation with whom the Auswärtiges Amt

2000-577: The Armenian genocide were "ignored" by the leadership of Auswärtiges Amt , who valued good relations with the Ottoman empire more than they did the lives of the Armenians. In 1919, the Foreign Office was reorganised as the Auswärtiges Amt and a modern structure was established. It was now under the authority of a foreign minister , though still called Amt for traditional reasons. In 1922,

2080-552: The Bundestag ; Annemarie Renger , former President of the Bundestag ; Walter Scheel , former German President; Dr Dieter Spöri , Rita Süssmuth , former President of the Bundestag ; Wolfgang Thierse , former President of the Bundestag ; Monika Wulf-Mathies , former EU Commissioner. Furthermore, EM Germany is represented on the board of EM International . EM Germany was founded as part of European Movement International on 13 June 1949. Former Reichstag President Paul Löbe

2160-538: The Convention Valéry Giscard d'Estaing . From 2004, it's specialist work on the EU was further expanded through the development of a work programme on Europe-Communication and the European perspective. The best-known EM Germany projects include the regular EBD De-Briefings and EBD Briefings. The Berlin office was opened in the late 1990s and has since become EM Germany's headquarters. Since 2022

2240-698: The DJH was merged into the Hitler Youth until the end of the Second World War . In 1949, it was re-founded at Altena Castle in North Rhine-Westphalia . Due to the coronavirus pandemic , the travel restrictions and bans on accommodations caused all DJH Youth Hostels to stop operating in spring 2020. However, a few hostels we're allowed to stay open for essential purposes or were temporarily repurposed for special uses such as sheltering

2320-674: The Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau was assassinated by members of the Organisation Consul , which reviled him both as a Jew and a supposed contributor to "creeping communism" for having negotiated the Treaty of Rapallo with Soviet Russia . The most notable head of the Foreign Office during the Weimar Republic was Gustav Stresemann , foreign minister from 1923 to 1929, who strived for

2400-552: The Foreign Minister of Germany. The Auswärtiges Amt was established in 1870 to form the foreign policy of the North German Confederation , and from 1871 of the German Empire . The Foreign Office was originally led by a state secretary (therefore not called a ministry), while the Chancellor , who usually also held the office of Prussian Minister of Foreign Affairs, remained in charge of foreign affairs. In

2480-715: The German civil service in the Nazi period. Those diplomats involved in the attempts to overthrow Hitler such as Count Ulrich von Hassell , Adam von Trott zu Solz , Count Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg , Richard Kuenzer, Hans Bernd von Haeften , and Edmund Brücklmeir comprised a small minority of the Auswärtiges Amt . The German historian Hans-Adolf Jacobsen  [ de ] wrote that for those diplomats who chose to become involved in Widerstand , given that they were steeped in Prussian traditions where loyalty to

German Youth Hostel Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-538: The Holocaust. It was an open secret." In October 1941, when Franz Rademacher visited Belgrade to meet officials of the Government of National Salvation of General Milan Nedić of Serbia, he submitted an expense claim for his trip to his superiors at the Auswärtiges Amt after his return to Berlin; on his expenses claim, Rademacher described the purpose of his trip to Belgrade as the "liquidation of Jews". At

2640-666: The Holy See 1943–1945) and Baron Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland (State Secretary 1943–1945). The overlap in goals between the professional diplomats and the Nazis were well illustrated by the memo on what should be the foreign policy of the Hitler government written by Bülow in March 1933 calling for Germany to recover the borders of 1914 and all of the lost colonies, annexation of Austria, and German domination of Eastern Europe. During

2720-418: The Nazi regime. Officially, the men of the Auswärtiges Amt were supposed to be non-political, but in practice the diplomats formed a "quite exclusive group" with extremely conservative views and values. For these men, unconditional loyalty to the state was the highest possible value, and though the majority of the diplomats were not ideological National Socialists, they served the Nazi regime loyally until

2800-485: The Neurath years (1932–1938), there were very few "outsiders" allowed into the Auswärtiges Amt . Aside from Ribbentrop, who served as variously as Commissioner of Disarmament (1934–35), Extraordinary Ambassador-at-Large (1935–36), and Ambassador to Great Britain (1936–1938), the most notable of the "outsiders" were Franz von Papen (Ambassador to Austria 1934–1938 and to Turkey 1939–1944), Hans Luther (Ambassador to

2880-545: The Past written by historians and released by the German government in October 2010 shows that wartime-era diplomats played an important role in assisting the Nazis in carrying out the Holocaust, and disproved the claim often made after 1945 that German diplomats were "sand in the machine" who acted to moderate the actions of the Nazi regime. In a 2010 interview, the German historian Eckart Conze , who had been in charge of

2960-607: The Treaty of Versailles and make the German Reich into a world power. The majority of the diplomats were able to sign their names on to such a program." In March 1933, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Prittwitz und Gaffron , the Ambassador to the United States, resigned on the grounds that he could not in good conscience serve the Nazi government; he was the only member of the entire Auswärtiges Amt who resigned in protest at

3040-580: The United States 1933–1937), Colonel Hermann Kriebel (Consul in Shanghai 1934–1939), and General Wilhelm Faupel (Ambassador to Spain 1936–37). Most diplomats were not believers in National Socialism, but during Nazi rule, many diplomats such as Neurath himself joined the NSDAP and/or the SS as an opportunistic way of improving their career prospects; such self-interested careerism was rampant amongst

3120-596: The acceptance and the regulatory framework of European policy in Germany and avoids activities that could be better undertaken by its member organisations. The network works in an advisory capacity with representatives of the federal states on the coordination of European public relations in the German federal level, in the European Parliament , and the Commission . Together with its institutional partner,

3200-624: The activities of the European Union . The main activities of the EM Germany include commenting on the regulatory framework of German European policy, European Public Relations and posing general questions on the development of the European Union . The network differs from the Europa-Union Deutschland or the Paneuropean Union in that it is not open to private membership. EM Germany works primarily to improve

3280-529: The ambassador in Washington, D.C., stated to American journalists that reports of a systematic campaign of extermination against the Armenian minority in the Ottoman empire were all "pure inventions", that these reports were all the work of British propaganda and no such campaign of extermination was taking place. Wangenheim's successor as ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Count Paul Wolff Metternich ,

German Youth Hostel Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-828: The areas of business, social policy, justice, and culture, as well as offering suggestions on the Government's coordination of European policy. The foundation of the European Cultural Centre in Geneva and the College of Europe in Bruges resulted in some new tasks for the German Council – namely the scholarship selection process for the college. The German Council also organised "European Schoolday", first held in 1953, but renamed in 1978 as The European Competition , in which students are asked to acquaint themselves with

3440-420: The best dressed officials in the entire German government, contributing to the Auswärtiges Amt ' s glamorous, stylist image. There were no female diplomats, and besides for the women employed as secretaries, clerks and cleaners, the Auswärtiges Amt had no female employees. That the men of the Auswärtiges Amt formed an elitist group can be seen that every single diplomat had a university degree (before

3520-469: The commission's consultation procedure to information events on the decisions of the European Council . EM Germany is further responsible for choosing running the application process for German students who wish to apply for scholarships to the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin . In addition, the EM Germany organises the European Competition , a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on

3600-455: The committee to investigate the war-time actions of the Auswärtiges Amt , stated that the Auswärtiges Amt was a "criminal organization" that was as every bit involved in the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" as the SS were. In another interview, Conze stated: "This document makes it clear that all officials in the Foreign Ministry—including low-level office clerks—knew about the mass persecution of Jews and were actively involved in

3680-419: The concept of European integration. Above all, the German Council tried to mobilise the German public by taking part in International Congresses. It also carried out opinion polls, demonstrations and published information for members and the media. Although European integration was advanced by the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 and the signing of the Treaty of Rome to establish

3760-412: The coordination of European policy, all in close cooperation with political institutions. The EM Germany network is a member of European Movement International . European Movement Germany is a not-for-profit, registered organisation, recognised and supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and by the federal budget at institutional level. EM Germany is therefore not a non-governmental organisation in

3840-414: The deportation of 50,000 Slovak Jews to the death camps. In the spring of 1944, Ambassador Edmund Veesenmayer played a key role in having 400,000 Hungarian Jews deported to Auschwitz . In 2003, the French historian Lucas Delattre published a biography of Fritz Kolbe , a mid-ranking diplomat who become a spy for the American Office of Strategic Services because he believed his country deserved to lose

3920-408: The discussion of, and the dissemination of information about, current political questions concerning Europe. In the 1990s, the name of the organisation was aligned with other national sections of European Movement International so that the German Council was henceforth known as European Movement Germany (EM Germany). The organisation's education and media work was strengthened through debates about

4000-408: The economy and monetary union, the Constitutional Treaty and eastern enlargement , for which EM Germany served as a forum. In particular, EM Germany influenced the work of the Constitutional Convention , thanks to a study group formed in conjunction with Europa-Union. It also presented policy documents concerning an improvement of the capacity to act and the legitimation of the EU to the President of

4080-419: The environment, the vegetation, and wildlife around them. This educational aspect of the hosteling idea is a core value of the Youth Hostel Association, alongside tolerance, international understanding, and open-mindedness. 51°55′54″N 8°54′59″E  /  51.93157°N 8.9165°E  / 51.93157; 8.9165 European Movement Germany European Movement Germany (EM Germany)

SECTION 50

#1732772755764

4160-442: The execution of German foreign policy. As a whole, the Wilhelmstrasse was never entirely in charge of foreign policy in the German Empire , but was instead just one out of several agencies, albeit a very important one that made and executed foreign policy. In the years 1904–1907, the Reich attempted to form an alliance with the United States on the basis of the supposedly shared fear of the " Yellow Peril " with Wilhelm writing to

4240-534: The executive committee of the German Council. His deputy was Hermann Brill . Among the members were also Konrad Adenauer , Ludwig Erhard and Theodore Heuss . After the first meeting of the German Parliament , the German parliamentary section of the German Council was created on 9 November 1949. Carlo Schmid became its chairman; having previously been elected as vice-president of the International Parliamentary Group of European Movement. The deputy chairman of this section, which by 1950 had 244 members of parliament,

4320-443: The first years of the German nation-state under Otto von Bismarck , the Foreign Office on Wilhelmstrasse No. 76 next to the Reich Chancellery had two departments: one for political affairs and the other for economic, legal and consular matters. After Bismarck's dismissal in 1890, another department for colonial policy was established, spun off as the separate Reichskolonialamt in 1907. Bismarck in order to maintain his control of

4400-415: The governments of General Kurt von Schleicher and Adolf Hitler . During the Nazi period, Neurath found himself exposed to increasing competition from Nazi politicians like Alfred Rosenberg and Joachim von Ribbentrop . In February 1938, Hitler fired Neurath and replaced him with Ribbentrop. In 1933, the vast majority of the diplomats serving in the Auswärtiges Amt came from upper-class families with

4480-435: The homeless, fever ambulance, women's shelter, e.t.c. In 2019, the DJH, which comprises approximately 450 Youth Hostels in 14 DJH regional associations,recorded about 10 million overnight stays while In 2020, it was only a little more than 3.6 million - a significant decline of 63 percent. The non-profit association was hit particularly hard by the almost complete loss of school trips and other group stays, which were historically

4560-417: The largest guest groups at the DJH. In 2020, the strongest guest groups in the possible travel season were families, many of whom had not previously considered it as holiday destinations. Richard Schirrmann’s vision, not only provided affordable accommodation for young travelers who were traveling by foot but also aimed to educate them about the great outdoors they were venturing into and raising awareness for

4640-487: The leader of the United Europe Movement he organised the Hague Congress of the European Movement. The objective of this Congress was to establish National Councils which would then join an International Council of European Movement on a European level. Significantly, Eugen Kogon , President of Europa-Union from 1949, supported the establishment of the German Council of the European Movement by inviting, along with Sandys, approximately 90 public figures in January 1949 to set up

4720-493: The members: business, trade unions, education and science, political parties, and others. In June 2018, Dr. Linn Selle was elected president of the board. Current vice-presidents are Michael Gahler , MEP; Christian Petry MdB and Barbara Lochbihler MdB. The treasurer is Peter Hahn. Bernd Hüttemann has been secretary-general of the EM Germany since 2003. Honorary presidents are: Hans-Dietrich Genscher , former Federal Foreign Minister ; Philipp Jenniger , former President of

4800-522: The middle of the war. As the Ottoman empire today would be considered a third world country with almost no modern industry, the Ottoman government was entirely dependent upon weapons from Germany to fight World War I, giving the Reich a powerful form of leverage to apply against the Ottomans on behalf of the Armenians if only the political will in Berlin had been present. In a 2015 speech, the German president Joachim Gauck apologized for his country's inaction, stating that those diplomats who protested against

4880-584: The narrow sense. Its legal status and institutional relationship to the Foreign Office is similar to the Goethe Institute . In 2015, EM Germany came to a framework agreement with the German Foreign Office . The organisation works closely with the European Division of the Foreign Office as regards content and organisation. Following the European Division, certain concepts of European communication and policy-planning were adopted. Within this framework, EM Germany provides information sessions on European topics to its member organisations. Topics range from discussions of

SECTION 60

#1732772755764

4960-425: The network was awarded the "Euractiv Award for Debating Europe Nationally". The bodies of the European Movement Germany are composed as follows: the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the executive board, and the secretary general. The AGM convenes once a year. Each member organisation has one vote in the meeting. The board of directors leads the activities of the association and reflects the different areas of activity of

5040-438: The number of member organisations was growing, the German Council was increasingly faced with financial problems. This meant that the information service had to be discontinued. However the tried and tested structures that were already created for the preparation of the first direct elections to the European Parliament were subsequently retained so that they could be utilised for further elections. The 1980s were characterised by

5120-400: The office can be found in Alt-Moabit in Berlin-Mitte. In 2006 the Articles of Association were substantially remodelled so that every member organisation would have a vote at the Annual General Meeting and would pay an annual subscription. The range of member organisations has also become increasingly diverse. In 2014 EM Germany celebrated its 65th anniversary, and in 2010 EM Germany reached

5200-466: The organisational structure of the German National Council. Friedlaender subsequently fell ill and vacated his post in 1958. Hans Furler was chosen as his successor. During the 1960s the Europa-Union and the German National Council boosted their impact by establishing a joint press office. Throughout this period, direct elections to the Parliament and an extension of Parliament competencies were promoted so that government action could more accurately reflect

5280-418: The proper social standing and graces to correctly represent the Reich abroad as ambassadors, which explains why no commoner was ever appointed ambassador during the Imperial era. Additionally, during the entire duration of the "old" Auswärtiges Amt from 1871 to 1945, Catholics were underrepresented in the Auswärtiges Amt , comprising between 15 and 20% of the AA's personnel. The Auswärtiges Amt

5360-426: The state was the highest virtue, it required "extraordinary strength of character" for them to go against everything that they had been taught to believe in. After Germany's defeat in May 1945, the country was occupied and the German state was abolished by the Allies. The country was administered as four zones controlled respectively by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union. In August 1949,

5440-413: The truth back to Berlin. Right from the start, the Auswärtiges Amt was very socially exclusive. To join, one needed a university degree, preferably in jurisprudence and needed to prove that one had a considerable private income. In 1880, a candidate had to prove that he had a private income of at least 6,000 marks /annum in order to join; by 1900, the requirement was 10,000 marks/annum and by 1912,

5520-438: The very end. The dominance of the traditional "insiders" at the Auswärtiges Amt can be seen that every State Secretary during the Nazi era was a professional diplomat. The State Secretaries of Nazi Germany were Prince Bernhard von Bülow (State Secretary 1930–36), Count Hans Georg von Mackensen (State Secretary 1936–1938 and ambassador to Italy 1938–1942), Baron Ernst von Weizsäcker (State Secretary 1938–1943 and ambassador to

5600-457: The war on the account of the genocide it was waging against the Jews. Delattre stated that Kolbe really was a case of a diplomat being "sand in the machine" as Kolbe provided intelligence to help his country lose the war, but added sarcastically that if every German civil servant really were "sand in the machine" as almost all of them claimed to be after 1945 that Hitler would never had managed to get anything done. Diplomats like Kolbe were very much

5680-486: The wishes of the public. The second half of the 1970s was dominated by direct elections scheduled for 1979 and saw increased activity in public relations which focused on encouraging voter turnout and providing information regarding party political groupings on a European level. Meanwhile, the number of member organisations of the German Council steadily increased and regional organisations were established. Today European Movement Germany boasts 14 regional committees. Although

5760-410: The world's dominant power. The Auswärtiges Amt was split into three factions competing against one another, namely one faction of men loyal to Bismarck, another faction loyal to Friedrich von Holstein , and yet another faction led by Prince Philipp von Eulenburg and Prince Bernhard von Bülow , who would later become chancellor. This constant plotting and scheming between these factions weakened

5840-549: The world's greatest power was thus a foreign policy goal that the diplomats embraced quite headily. The German historian Eckart Conze stated about the overlap in viewpoints between the diplomats and the Nazis: "...the top diplomats in the Weimar Republic were opposed to a liberal political order and parliamentarianism. And then the Nazis built political and ideological bridges for them. They announced their intention to reverse

5920-568: Was Heinrich von Brentano. The Secretary was Fritz Erler. At its inception, the European Movement possessed a non-partisan character. The work of the German Council was financed through public funding, through State grants in the first months and, from 1950 onwards, by the Federal Chancellery . A more defined role for the German Council slowly became apparent. The executive committee under the leadership of Eugen Kogons met regularly and made statements on European policy, particularly in

6000-544: Was appalled by the Armenian genocide, and, unlike Wangenheim, Metternich was prepared to speak out against the genocide. In August 1916, the triumvirate known as the Three Pashas , which ruled the Ottoman empire, informed the German government that if Count Metternich was not recalled, he would be declared persona non grata . Metternich was promptly recalled from Constantinople rather risk a public relations disaster which potentially could damage German-Ottoman relations in

6080-502: Was largely a Protestant institution with Protestant candidates favored over Catholic candidates when it came to recruitment. Even more underrepresented were the Jews. During the Imperial period from 1871 to 1918, the Auswärtiges Amt had only three Jewish members, plus four Jews who had converted to Lutheranism in order to improve their career prospects. If Jews were not formally excluded, Jewish candidates were rarely accepted because of

6160-714: Was much concerned during the Imperial period was the Ottoman empire , especially during the Armenian genocide . In 1915, the German ambassador to the Sublime Porte , Baron Hans von Wangenheim told the American ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Henry Morgenthau Sr. : "I do not blame the Turks for what they are doing to the Armenians... They are entirely justified". On September 28, 1915 Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff ,

6240-462: Was not reestablished until 15 March 1951. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer took office as the first Foreign Minister in Bonn until he was succeeded by Heinrich von Brentano in 1955. By and large, the men who had served in the new Auswärtiges Amt were the same men who had served in the old Auswärtiges Amt . In a Bundestag debate on 23 October 1952, Adenauer admitted that 66% of the diplomats of

6320-635: Was the founding President and held this position until 1954. Although thoughts of a united Europe were already centuries old, the notion became concrete in the aftermath of the Second World War . Winston Churchill 's famous speech in Zürich in September 1946 was highly influential in this regard. In this speech, he advocated a new order in Europe; one of cooperation between the independent states of Europe. His son-in-law, Duncan Sandys , took on this idea. As

6400-459: Was widely considered to be one of the toughest diplomatic entrance exams in the world. The reign of Emperor Wilhelm II was from 1888 to 1918. In the years preceding World War I , the Auswärtiges Amt was responsible for the country's foreign policy under Emperor Wilhelm II , and played a key role in the Reich' s pursuit of Weltpolitik (World Politics), under which Germany sought to become

#763236