The team

Elisabeth combines economic security and geoeconomics with issues of social inclusion and international cooperation. Her research focuses on EU-U.S. trade policy and the distributional effects of international economic policy.

She studied in Nuremberg, Berlin, and at Indiana University, and earned her Ph.D. in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin. Her professional career has taken her to the German Marshall Fund and to various research positions at the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg, the Bertelsmann Foundation in Washington, D.C., as well as at Princeton University and Georgetown University.

Elisabeth teaches International Relations and U.S. Foreign Economic Policy at HTW Berlin and the Free University of Berlin.

In addition to his work at the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, Dr Dan Krause is a lieutenant colonel of the reserve and a member of the board of the Scientific Forum for International Security. His research focuses on international security policy, German and European foreign, security and defence policy, the future of the international order with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region and non-Western states, as well as peace and conflict research.

Lea Holst works on the "Inclusive Geoeconomics" project of the German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation. She also volunteers on the board of the feminist peace organisation WILPF and as a mentor at the Claussen Simon Foundation in Hamburg. She previously worked as a project manager at the organisation FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders, which campaigns for "more women in leadership". Her work focuses on issues of global justice and political economy, with an emphasis on gender approaches.

Magnus combines in-depth expertise on the life and political career of Helmut Schmidt with public history formats centered on the foundation’s exhibition projects. Central to this work is always the question of how history and the present are interconnected.

He studied history in Göttingen and earned his doctorate at the University of Erfurt on the everyday history of World War II. Since 2005, he has worked both independently and as a staff member and exhibition curator for institutions including the German Historical Museum in Berlin, the Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Hamburg Institute for Social Research, and the University of Vienna.

After completing her bachelor's degree in history at the University of Hamburg, Lisa Querner has been studying for a master's degree in public history at the Free University of Berlin since October 2022. She worked as a student trainee at the Körber Foundation and the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation. As a member of the Exhibition and History department, she curated, among other things, the new traveling exhibition "#Challenging Democracy – From Helmut Schmidt to Today," for which she took over tour management in April 2024.

Dr Wolfgang Schmidt has been a research assistant in the "Exhibitions and History" department since 2024 and is currently conducting an interview project with contemporary witnesses from Helmut Schmidt's circle. He previously worked at the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation in Berlin from 2002 to 2023. His research and publications focus on German and international contemporary history after 1945, in particular Willy Brandt's policies towards East Germany and Germany, the history of the Cold War, transatlantic relations and North-South policy. Wolfgang Schmidt studied political science in Bonn, Lawrence (Kansas, USA) and Marburg.

Merle Strunk, M.A., is a historian specialising in knowledge transfer in museums. She has been involved in exhibition and publication projects in various institutions, including the Museum der Arbeit. As a history mediator at the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung, she works on building bridges between historical events and the present. She also works on questions of visual and public history.

Franziska heads the correspondence project at the Helmut Schmidt-Archiv, where she combines archival description and cataloguing of the impressive collection of letters with issues relating to long-term archiving and historical and political education.

She studied German Studies, European History and History at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the University of Hamburg. She has been with the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung since 2017, where she previously oversaw the ‘60 Years of the Storm Surge’ project.

Ann-Kristin Glöckner studied history, cultural studies and political science in Lüneburg, Heidelberg and Paris. She then worked in science management and research and held teaching positions at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Since January 2024, she has been working for the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation in the correspondence project of the Helmut Schmidt Archive.

Alexander is assisting with the cataloging of Helmut Schmidt’s correspondence at the Helmut Schmidt Archive. This work stems from his interest in Helmut Schmidt as a figure in international politics.

He studied history at the University of Hamburg and minored in political science during his bachelor’s program. His primary interests lie in the fields of global history—such as Germany’s colonial legacy—and European integration.

He gained his first archival experience while still a student. After completing his studies, he participated in the European Parliament’s Schuman Trainee Program in Brussels, where he worked in the Research Service.

As a student assistant, Anton helps to communicate the foundation's content to the public via various channels.

Previously, Anton studied philosophy and social sciences in Bochum and worked as a student assistant at Körber-Stiftung in the history and politics department, where he took on communication tasks and organised events. He is currently studying Politics, Economics and Philosophy (PEP) in Hamburg, where he is specialising in the analysis of collective decision-making processes in political and economic theory and practice.

Giulia is part of the administrative team and is responsible, amongst other things, for the foundation’s financial records. She also keeps a close eye on everything that contributes to a good working atmosphere – whether it’s ensuring staff have what they need to do their jobs properly or simply making sure the heating is on. Giulia holds a degree in International Business and has over 30 years’ experience in various areas of international trade.

She likes things to be lively. Her two daughters, three grandchildren, two cats and her voluntary work certainly ensure that.

For 20 years, she has been involved in international youth exchange with CISV.org

Jakob Hofmann has been supporting the BKHS as a volunteer on a voluntary social year (FSJ) since 1 September 2025, working across various departments for a period of 12 months. Prior to this, he completed his Abitur at the Sophie-Barat-Schule in Hamburg.

Natalia Meyer works as a team assistant in the administration department and also provides support in event management. In her role, she oversees organisational and administrative processes, particularly in the areas of accounts processing, budget management, and the planning and execution of events.

She is originally from Colombia, where she studied International Trade and International Relations. She subsequently completed an apprenticeship in Germany as a wholesale and foreign trade management assistant.

She lives in Hamburg and has a particular interest in international cooperation and intercultural exchange.