Berlin academy of the arts

Founded in 1696 by Frederick III of Brandenburg with the intention of having a place for discussion and sharing of ideas, the original name was Prussian Academy of Arts. Today the Berlin Academy is the arts council of the government. Membership is by election of the general assembly and is limited to 500 persons. Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akademie_der_K%C3%BCnste