Since the American Academy in Berlin opened its doors in 1998, its Fellows have been the central focus of its activities. Fellows are in residence at the Hans Arnhold Center for one academic semester or, occasionally, for a full academic year. Bosch Fellows in Public Policy tend to come for six to eight weeks. Past Fellows have included Kendall Thomas, Stephen Hartke, Julie Mehretu, C.K. Williams, Alex Ross, Jeffrey Eugenides, Caroline Walker Bynum, Katherine Boo, and Jonathan Safran Foer. For more information on the current class of Fellows, please click here.

Distinguished Visitors are also invited to the Academy and typically stay at the Hans Arnhold Center for one to four weeks. Past Distinguished Visitors include Samuel R. Berger, Maya Lin, Helen Vendler, Chuck Close, and William Styron.

While in residence, Academy Fellows engage in a wide range of intellectual and cultural projects, some of them with links to Germany. Moreover, they establish close working affiliations with institutions related to their fields, from university departments, to museums, scientific institutions, and other public and private organizations.