Eric M. Warburg Award

Atlantik-Brücke bestows an award for great accomplishments in transatlantic relations

Previous Laureates

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO-Generalsekretär (2024)
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
(2018)
Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker (former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2014)
Helmut Schmidt (former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2012)
Dr. Angela Merkel (Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2009)
Condoleezza Rice (U.S. Secretary of State, 2007)
George H.W. Bush (former President of the United States of America, 2002)
Otto Graf Lambsdorff (former German Minister of Economic Affairs, 2000)
General (ret.) Klaus Naumann (Chairman of the military board of NATO, 2000)
Veterans of the Berlin Airlift (on the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift 1998)
German Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl (1996)
Dr. Manfred Wörner (former Secretary General of NATO,1994)
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger (former U.S. Secretary of State,1992)
Paul H. Nitze (former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, 1990)
Eric M. Warburg (Founder of Atlantik-Brücke e.V., 1988)

1988: First award to Eric M. Warburg

“Eric M. Warburg as a person is the bridge over the Atlantic.” These are the words former German President Richard von Weizsäcker chose on the occasion of the first Eric M. Warburg Award ceremony in 1988 to honor the commitment of this great German-American.

The banker Warburg, who was born in 1900 in Hamburg as Erich Moritz Warburg, grew up in a large, internationally minded family. Persecuted as a Jew, Warburg left his home country in 1938 under pressure from the National Socialist regime and became an American citizen. After World War II, he decided to return to Germany to participate in the reconstruction of his homeland. His father Max gave him the following maxim for his life: “We live in this world for rent, we can promote things, relieve pain, help, but not rule. Our mission is to serve humbly and reverentially. We are men of service.”

With the Eric M. Warburg Award, Atlantik-Brücke not only commemorates one of its founders, but also of one of the great personalities of the young Federal Republic of Germany and Germany’s firm rootedness in the West. At the same time, Atlantik-Brücke seeks to honor personalities in Germany and North America who, in the spirit of Eric M. Warburg, have contributed to securing and consolidating Germany’s place in the Atlantic community. Eric M. Warburg (1900 – 1990) himself was the first recipient of the award named after him in 1988.

Chrystia Freeland: „Let’s not underestimate our collective power“
In her acceptance speech for Atlantik-Brücke's Warburg-Award, Chrystia Freeland emphasized how important it is for Canada and Germany to stand up for multilateralism - especially in times of growing nationalism.
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Minister Freeland honored with Warburg Award
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland was presented with the Eric M. Warburg Award by Atlantik-Brücke in recognition of her strong commitment to CETA, the trade agreement between Canada and the EU. She is the first Canadian to receive the Warburg Award.
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Award Ceremony for the Eric-M.-Warburg-Prize honoring Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker
On June 4, 2014, the Atlantik-Brücke recognized former Federal President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker in Berlin for his outstanding commitment to transatlantic relations by awarding him the Eric M. Warburg Prize. Friedrich Merz, Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke, provided the laudation in front of the exclusive circle of guests. He emphasized, “You are a shining example for […]
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