In 2015 it will be Germany’s turn to assume the presidency of the G8 (Group of Eight), and thus to host the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of state and government (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada (since 1976) and Russia (since 1998)).

Schloss Elmau meets all logistical and security requirements of a G8 summit venue. The picturesque setting will provide an attractive backdrop for the talks and encounters of the heads of state and government.

The palace, which was built in 1916 by Dr. Johannes Müller to provide "space for personal and communal development free of any ideology" is important in terms of art history: since the 1950s it has become a well known international venue for chamber music.

Under the current owner it has, since the late 1990s, become an acclaimed forum for international debates and inter-religious dialogue. Special attention focuses on events that foster German-Israeli and German-American understanding.

This cosmopolitan ambiance is a conscious effort of the family of the current owner to deal openly with the long history of Schloss Elmau, also the period from 1933 to 1945, and with the ambivalent attitude of the original owner to National Socialism.

The dates of the summit are currently the subject of consultations with the other G8 member states and will be announced as soon as they have been finalised.

For more information on the summit venue, see the homepage of the hotel.

More in-depth information on the G8 process and Germany’s G8 presidency in 2015 can be found at www.bundesregierung.de.