About us

Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Helga Haftendorn (1933–2023) was the founder of the Foundation for German-American Academic Relations (SDAW) and a member of its Board of Trustees until her death. Professor Haftendorn conducted research at the Otto Suhr Institute of the Free University of Berlin, where she was Director of the Center for Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy. In addition to numerous research appointments abroad, she held several visiting professorships, including at Georgetown University, Stanford University, and the European University Institute in Florence. Her research focused on German and American foreign and security policy, transatlantic relations, security policy, NATO and nuclear deterrence. For her research, she received the Max Planck Prize for International Cooperation in 1995 and the Federal Cross of Merit in 1996. In 1998, Professor Haftendorn established the Foundation for German-American Academic Relations.