![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/JKornblum-scaled.jpg)
Remembering John C. Kornblum (1943 – 2023)
The American Academy in Berlin mourns the passing of trustee John C. Kornblum. We offer heartfelt condolences to his wife, Helen, his children, and to his extended family and friends.
John’s unwavering commitment to fostering transatlantic relations, coupled with his diplomatic finesse, made him an invaluable contributor to the American Academy in Berlin’s mission of fostering intellectual and cultural exchange between the United States and Germany.
John’s more than forty years of active presence in Europe made him one of the most experienced and effective American practitioners on Europe and Atlantic relations. A high point of his efforts was the June 1987 speech by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. He also played a defining role in many of the important events leading up to the end of the Cold War, including the Quadripartite negotiations on Berlin (1970-1973), German reunification in 1990, and enlargement of NATO in 1997, among others. His distinguished career culminated in his final diplomatic role as United States ambassador to Germany — the first American ambassador to serve in a united Germany in Berlin since 1941.
His legacy will forever resonate within the walls of the Academy, where his passion for dialogue and understanding left an indelible mark.
He will be greatly missed.
Share This
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/rhodespost.jpg)
Ben Rhodes on the Two American Stories
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HKP-Merkel-1.jpg)
Angela Merkel Receives the Henry A. Kissinger Prize
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-20-Fellows.jpg)
Announcing the 2019-20 Class of Berlin Prize Fellows
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/macron.jpg)
William Drozdiak on Emmanuel Macron and the Future of Europe
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HKP2023_1.jpg)
Jens Stoltenberg Receives the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/02.jpg)
The 2021 Henry A. Kissinger Prize
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/duyunfordb.jpeg)
The Deutsche Bank Fellowship in Music Composition
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HAK-In-Memoriam_2.jpeg)
Remembering Dr. Henry A. Kissinger (1923-2023)
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BJ34News.jpg)
The 2020-21 Berlin Journal
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Indyk-Opener.jpg)
Remembering Ambassador Martin Indyk (1951-2024)
The American Academy in Berlin mourns the passing of longtime friend, supporter and repeated Distinguished…
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/D-11.jpg)
Panel Discussion: US-German Relations One Year Later
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RCH-Tallin-opener.jpg)
The Holbrooke Forum in Estonia
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Image-Grid_08.jpg)
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Receives the 2022 Henry A. Kissinger Prize
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Fall2021Program.jpg)
The Spring 2021 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spring2023program.jpg)
The Spring 2023 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/01_KP_0093_Maltzahns-Schlöndorff-Kornblum-greet-Gore.jpg)
Al Gore at the American Academy
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/midtermmap.jpg)
The US Midterm Elections
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/spring2022Program.jpg)
The Spring 2022 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BJ36_Cover_News.jpg)
The 2022-23 Berlin Journal
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Jafa-7-Ralph-K.-Penno.jpg)
Max Beckmann Talk with Arthur Jafa
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/KJM-at-AAB.jpg)
Kerry James Marshall at the American Academy
From April 21 to May 1, the American Academy in Berlin hosted Chicago-based artist Kerry…
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/winter2018programteaser.jpg)
The Winter 2018 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/galanewsOPENER.jpg)
The 2017 Gala at The Met
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/8C5A3915.jpg)
Beyond “Wilkommenskultur”
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BJ35news.jpg)
The 2021-22 Berlin Journal
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-19-Class-of-Fellows-.jpg)
The 2018-19 Berlin Prize
BERLIN—April 25, 2018—The American Academy in Berlin has awarded Berlin Prizes—semester-long fellowships in Berlin—to 24…
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Carol-Kahn-Strauss-WEB.jpg)
Announcing the Carol Kahn Strauss Fellowship in Jewish Studies
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2474_142.jpg)
Remembering Wolfgang Mayrhuber (1947-2018)
The American Academy in Berlin mourns the passing of Wolfgang Mayrhuber (seen in the above…
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/G-3.jpg)
Gayatri Spivak at the American Academy
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Snyder3.jpg)
Timothy Snyder on Language and “Not-Even Fascism”
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Group-Photo.jpg)
Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Gala
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/vidlernews.jpg)
Anthony Vidler (1941-2023)
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/spring2020program2.jpg)
The Spring 2020 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Haubnews-1.jpg)
Remembering Erivan Haub (1932-2018)
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-21-Class-of-Fellows-.jpg)
The 2020-21 Berlin Prize Fellows
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/goeltz-e1585218666859.jpg)
Remembering Richard K. Goeltz (1942-2020)
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1407197_©_Glave-Custom.jpg)
A Centennial Birthday
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BJ32news.jpg)
Berlin Journal 32
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fall2023program1.jpg)
The Fall 2023 Program
![](https://www.americanacademy.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-22-Class-of-Fellows.jpg)