Time for a little Sunday morning history lesson. Who remembers the Marshall Plan from history class? It was a plan for rebuilding Western Europe after World War II that was named for Secretary of State George Marshall. In the four years that the plan was active, the U.S. gave $13 billion in aid to a number of European countries. You can get the full rundown on Wikipedia, but those are the basics. This may have been a goodwill gesture, but it was also self-serving. By financing much of Europe’s reconstruction, the US was able to influence the direction that these European governments were taking. That’s important when you’ve just fought a war to oust fascists who were able to gain control due to a power vacuum created by an insufficient resolution to a previous war. Of course, the Marshall Plan didn’t prevent the Cold War, but it did create a much more favorable situation for the U.S. It also helped Germany recover more quickly, and for that they thanked us with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, “a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance.” It was a gift of of DM 150 million, and it now lives on as a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “is dedicated to the promotion of greater understanding and common action between Europe and the United States.”

An International Gift

The German Marshall Fund of the United States now exists as “an independent American public policy and grantmaking institution,” but they continue to work on “the most pressing transatlantic issues, both inside and outside Europe’s changing borders.” Beyond their office in Washington, DC, they also have locations in Berlin, Bratislava, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, Ankara, Bucharest, Turn, and Stockholm. To get a feel for the kind of work that the GMF does, you can take a look at their Policy Initiatives, their Fellowships, their Experts, and their Grantmaking. If you’re interested in foreign policy, then it’d be hard to find a more interesting place to work than the German Marshall Fund of the United States. You can check out their Jobs page, and take a look at the one position that seems suitable for a new grad—Program Assistant – Comparative Domestic Policy. You can apply by sending a cover letter and current resume to hr@gmfus.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• GMFUS.org
• Jobs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States
• About the German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Staff at the German Marshall Fund of the United States
• The German Marshall Fund of the United States’ FAQ
• The German Marshall Fund of the United States’ Annual Report

Did you already know about the Marshall Plan?

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4 responses to “German Marshall Fund of the United States”

1. Ed says:

   June 14, 2010 at 12:33 pm

   This is a pretty cool entry. Thank you Will!

   Reply
2. Pete says:

   August 11, 2010 at 4:25 pm

   Thanks for this article this sounds awesome. But it appears the Jobs page link isnt working.

   Reply
   • Willy Franzen says:

     August 12, 2010 at 9:13 am

     Hi Pete,

     Just fixed the links. I hate when companies change the architecture of their website, but don’t redirect the old links. It makes no sense.

     Reply
3. Pete says:

   August 12, 2010 at 5:16 pm

   Wow, now that’s good “webmastering”. Keep up the good work this site is making the job hunt a bit less stressful.

   Reply