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* 2004 (June 3-6) in [[Stresa]], [[Italy]]
* 2004 (June 3-6) in [[Stresa]], [[Italy]]
* 2005 (May 5-8) ''Dorint Sofitel Seehotel'' in [[Rottach-Egern]], [[Germany]]
* 2005 (May 5-8) ''Dorint Sofitel Seehotel'' in [[Rottach-Egern]], [[Germany]]

==See Also==
*[[Council on Foreign Relations]]
*[[Trilateral Commission]]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 23:16, 17 March 2006

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 The Bilderberg Conference is an annual invitation-only conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of influence in business, academic, or political circles. Due to discussions being off-the-record, it is the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. The group meets annually, in secret, at five-star resorts throughout the world, normally in Europe, although sometimes in the United States or Canada. It has an office in Leiden, South Holland.

The "Bilderberg" title comes from what is generally recognized to be the location of its first official meeting in 1954--the Bilderberg Hotel in Oosterbeek near Arnhem in the Netherlands. Although the conference is not officially regarded as a club of any sort, many members are regular attendees, and guests are often seen as belonging to a secretive Bilderberg Group.

History

The original Bilderberg conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem, from May_29 to May_30 in 1954. The meeting was initiated by Polish emigre and political adviser, Joseph Retinger. Concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, he proposed an international conference at which opinion leaders from European countries and the United States would be brought together with the aim of promoting understanding between the cultures.

Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who agreed to promote the idea, together with Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland. The guest list was to be drawn up by inviting two attendees from each nation, one each to represent conservative and liberal points of view.

The success of the meeting led the organizers to arrange an annual conference. A permanent Steering Committee was established, with Retinger appointed as permanent secretary. As well as organizing the conference, the steering committe also maintained a register of attendee names and contact details, with the aim of creating an informal network of individuals who could call upon one another in a private capacity. The declared purpose of the Bilderberg Group was to make a common political line tie between the USA and Europe in their opposition to Russia and the communist danger.

Dutch economist, Ernst van der Beugel took over as permanent secretary in 1960, upon the death of Retinger. Prince Bernhard continued to serve as the meeting's chairman until his own death, in 2004.

Declared purpose

The original intention of the Bilderberg group was to further the understanding between Western Europe and North America through informal meetings between powerful individuals. Each year, a "steering committee" devises a selected invitation list with a maximum of 100 names. Invitations are only extended to residents of Europe and North America. The location of their annual meeting is not secret, and the agenda and list of participants are openly available to the public, but the topics of the meetings are kept secret and attendees pledge not to divulge what was discussed. The official stance of the Bilderberg Group is that their secrecy prevents the members' discussions from being manipulated by the media. However, many consider class-related exclusivity to be the primary motive.

Perspectives on the nature of the group

The stated reason for the group's secrecy is that it enables people to speak freely without the need to carefully consider how every word might be interpreted by the mass media. However, as many of the attendees have gained their power through the democratic process, it is debatable if it is morally desirable for them to exercise their power off the record. This secrecy has led some to claim that the meetings have a sinister purpose—-that they are merely a front for the Round table groups, or even a semi-public front for the Illuminati or assorted other secret societies. One reason to think in this way, is that many people are at the same time members of Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg Group.

Attendees

See List of Bilderberg attendees for a longer list of Bilderberg attendees.

Attendees of Bilderberg include central bankers, defense experts, mass media press barons, government ministers, prime ministers, royalty, international financiers and political leaders from Europe and America.

Some of the Western world's leading financiers and foreign policy strategists attend Bilderberg. Donald Rumsfeld is an active Bilderberger, as is Peter Sutherland from Ireland, a former European Union commissioner and chairman of Goldman Sachs and of BP. Rumsfeld and Sutherland served together in 2000 on the board of the Swedish/Swiss energy company ABB. Former US Deputy Defense Secretary and current World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz is also a member, as is Roger Boothe, Jr. The group's current chairman is Etienne Davignon, the Belgian politician and businessman.

Meetings

See Also

References

  • Hatch, Alden (1962). "The Hôtel de Bilderberg". H.R.H.Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands: An authorized biography. London: Harrap. ISBN B0000CLLN4.
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