Lessons Learned too Well? The Weimar Roots of the Transatlantic Order

On April 28, 2026, the Leo Baeck Institute will present the Leo Baeck Medal to former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will give a laudatory speech. After a ceremony honoring Scholz for his commitment to preserving the memory of Jewish life in Germany and supporting Jewish life in contemporary Germany, Chancellor Scholz will engage in a panel discussion with Secretary Blinken and journalist and author Kati Marton.

Evening Schedule

6:00 PM Reception

7:00 PM Leo Baeck Medal Presentation and Panel Discussion

Lessons Learned too Well? The Weimar Roots of the Transatlantic Order

After World War II, German emigres, many of them Jewish, were among the key architects of the transatlantic alliance. Beyond the quintessential Cold War strategists Henry Kissinger or Helmut Sonnenfeldt, they included an earlier generation shaped by the direct experience of Weimar democracy and its catastrophic collapse. Having escaped with their lives, figures like Hans Morgenthau, Ernst Fraenkel, or Karl Loewenstein, worked to build a world that would be safe for democracy and human rights. Their analyses of democratic vulnerability and authoritarian power helped define the postwar West’s understanding of itself. The emigres' shared sense of democracy's fragility, however, sometimes led them to choose a militant defense of the Western order over liberal principles.

Taking into account the experiences of these Weimar emigres, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, former U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken, and journalist and author Kati Marton will discuss the challenges facing the transatlantic order and democracy itself today.

This program is made possible with the support of Allianz of America.

About the honoree and speakers

Olaf Scholz served as the Federal Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice Chancellor and as Federal Minister of Finance from 2018 to 2021 as well as in other governmental roles.

Antony J. Blinken served as the 71st U.S. Secretary of State from 2021 - 2025. He previously served as Deputy Secretary of State from 2015-2017, and before that, as former President Barack Obama’s principal Deputy National Security Advisor. His career in public service began over 30 years ago.

Kati Marton is a journalist and author, human rights advocate, and the New York Times-bestselling author of 10 books, including “The Chancellor–The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel” (2021), and “Enemies of the People–My Family's Journey to America” (2010). An award-winning former NPR correspondent and ABC News bureau chief in Germany, she is also the recipient of the Leo Baeck Medal in 2025.