Berlin and Los Angeles have been sister cities since 1967. Originally launched by former Berliners who had emigrated to the U.S. to work in the film industry, culture and the arts have always been a cornerstone for the relationship. Both the Villa Aurora and the Thomas Mann House have served as institutional ties connecting the two cities. More recently, economic bonds between the two cities have been increasing including exchange in the areas of environmental and climate protection and renewable energy, as well as cooperation in the startup sector. On December 7, the ACG hosted a conversation between State Secretary Christian Gaebler, Head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery, and
Ambassador Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor of International Affairs, Los Angeles.
This virtual event was part of the American Council on Germany’s series titled [virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German-American Mayors Forum, held under the auspices of WunderbarTogether USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.