I’m in Berlin right now, a city that for most of my lifetime has personified all things cutting edge, particularly regarding architecture and design.

I came to here to speak at a conference on political communications and the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, hosted by a leading German think tank. I also had the opportunity to tour the Reichstag–the seat of German parliamentary government–and meet several high-level female members of parliament to discuss involving more German women in the political process.

Symbols of freedom and separation are everywhere in Berlin.

The Reichstag’s structure itself epitomizes the new Germany. Glass walls and ceilings are meant to represent the government’s transparency. Wooden catwalks and “green” design courtyards speak to Germany’s intense commitment to sustainability. Exposed steel beams and ventilation systems herald the country’s industrial core.

All the while, remnants of communism are scattered throughout Berlin-from Soviet graffiti on the inner walls of the Reichstag, to the occasional stretches of the Berlin wall that are still standing–all are deliberately placed as eerie reminders of Germany’s past.

The U.S. is now Germany’s closest ally and partner outside the European Union. This relationship was cemented just 60 years ago this month with the Berlin Airlift, where the Western Allies conducted one of the largest humanitarian efforts and logistical feats of all time.

With new challenges in this transatlantic relationship, such as climate change and trade, my visit to Germany reminds me of the need for increased communication and collaboration between the two countries. I’m also reminded of the relevance of one of President John F. Kennedy’s best speeches:

“Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was civis romanus sum [I am a Roman citizen]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’…All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!”