Publisher Urvashi Butalia of India, writer Emily Nasrallah of Lebanon and civil rights activist Irina Shcherbakova of Russia were awarded the Goethe Medal on 28 August. Every year, the Goethe-Institut confers the official decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany to honour figures who have performed outstanding service for international cultural dialogue. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, the…
Tag: Goethe Institute
Germany’s Foreign cultural policy: ‘The third pillar of diplomacy’ — Goethe de| It has undergone a rapid transformation- FM Steinmeier
It is the foundation of foreign policy, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said of Germany’s foreign cultural policy. In recent years it has undergone a rapid transformation. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier The foreign cultural policy of Germany has undergone rapid changes; | © Fotolia Germany’s Foreign Cultural Relations and Education Policy (Auswärtige Kultur- und Bildungspolitik),…
Germany’s Culture of Welcoming: Library Services for Refugees and Asylum Seekers — By Beate Detlefs on Goethe de
Arriving in a new country with a different culture and language confronts all refugees with a challenge. To make their arrival easier, libraries in Germany offer many different services and so contribute to a culture of welcoming. Knowledge and encounter | Photo (detail): © Robert Kneschke – Fotolia.com “Coming to Leipzig”, “Someone is on the…
Under One Roof: Multigenerational houses — Goethe de article by Nora S. Stampfl on a popular trend in Germany
Living in a Multigenerational House – behind this is the idea that young and old can mutually support one another. In Germany, this form of living is becoming increasingly popular, even among elderly people. But is it a solution to current social problems? Meeting cafe at the multigenerational house in Lemgo | © Thorsten Krienke…
Islamic Culture: Resplendence of the Caliphate — Article by Rüdiger Schaper on Goethe de / video
IS terrorists are laying to waste the great cities of early Islamic culture. An exhibition by the Museums of Berlin in the Emirate of Sharjah is of blazing topicality. It shows artefacts of a culture in great danger. By Rüdiger Schaper The great mosque of the Umayyad in Damascus: the Islamic World must shed the…
A Letter from Yangon |Acrobats on the Bamboo — By Franz Xaver Augustin on Goethe de / Video
A peculiar stirring in the heart: Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Photo: Manuel Oka The golden sweep of the pagoda reflects the first morning rays, glows in the evening sunset and glistens in the warm halogen of its nightly illumination. There are plenty of power blackouts in Yangon, yet I have never seen the floodlights on…
Open dialogue on thorny issues: The "Muslim Associations as Community Activists" project — Article by Claudia Mende on two German Institute’s latest initiated project
Read article in Deutsch (German) In der Mitte der Gesellschaft: Muslimische Gemeinden als kommunale Akteure — Qantara de ***** Beyond all the intellectual debates about their religion, most Muslims in Germany face difficulties in their everyday lives that they would dearly like to solve. The Goethe-Institut, in co-operation with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, has initiated…
1,000 Schools in India Teaching English, Hindi, Marathi…and now German — Goethe de article by David Weyand
Read article in Deutsch „1.000 Schulen“ in Indien: Englisch, Hindi, Marathi – Deutsch ***** Once a housewife, now a German teacher: people like Padma Sharma are in demand in India. The nation is experiencing a German language boom. The 54-year-old teaches at a middle school near Mumbai although she only learned the language herself…
Gentleman on a Tour of Africa: “I Suddenly Noticed What I Missed” — Goethe de
He is Germany’s most successful reggae artist and has done plenty of travelling. But Africa, where reggae has its roots, was unknown to Gentleman. He now completed his first tour of Africa on the invitation of the Goethe-Institut. We were curious about his reactions, so we interviewed him. Gentleman in Dakar, Senegal (Photo:…
Goethe-Institut in Myanmar: We’re Open!
The Goethe-Institut in Myanmar was closed for more than 50 years. Now, it has reopened, giving local artists hope for investments in culture and education. They also hope that their country stays on the right pathway to democracy and justice. By Peter von Becker Villa in need of a makeover: The future institute in Yangon…
Mannheim Theatrical Production in Tehran: The Dawn Behind the Smog — Goethe de article on German performance at the Fadjr Festival
It was the first German guest performance at the Fadjr Festival since 2008. With support from the Goethe-Institut, the Mannheim National Theatre brought The House of Bernarda Alba to Tehran. The excursion was a great success – and an ambivalent experience – for the actresses. By Ralf-Carl Langhals The Iranian capital city of Tehran…
Goethe de — The Migration Debate: Humanity on the Move
Half a million migrants are seeking their fortunes far from home. What do we know about these migration flows? Now, a series of unique discussions is trying to bring light into darkness. By Tim Neshitov The series of discussions World Wide : Work brings a variety of work cultures together for talks (Photo: Münchner Kammerspiele)…
German teacher Naomi Schönhagen on Bangalore: “Everything Works – At the Very Last Minute” — Goethe de article
Bangalore is the world’s administrative office. Those who ring a call centre of an international company often end up speaking to someone in this south Indian city. As a German teacher, Naomi Schönhagen is the odd one out among all these IT professionals. We spoke with her about what shocked her and what she has…
“We-Traders- Swapping Crisis for City: The World the Way We Like It” — Goethe Institute’s projects shaping the streets of Lisbon, Madrid, Toulouse, Turin and Berlin in effective ways
Cities undergo constant change. Usually, a handful of people make decisions influencing the lives of thousands. The project We-Traders now brings citizens together who take their city’s fate into their own hands. By Anne Kilgus The We-Traders project links five European cities (Photo: A-Linha) It’s heating up in the Cozinha Popular da Mouraria….
Digital Rear-View Mirror: So, How Was 2013? — Goethe de article on important projects and milestones and the new multimedia app
Photos, videos and digital maps – the yearbook app provides fast and interactive information about the work of the Goethe-Institut (Photo: Goethe-Institut / Bernhard Ludewig) December is the month in which we review the past year. At the Goethe-Institut the look back is aimed at the future, because for the first time a multimedia app…
Kabul in the Picture: My City, the City in a Rubbish Dump — Goethe de article by Bernhard Ludewig
Kabul is disappearing in exhaust fumes and garbage (photo: Mansour, Abdul Khaleq, Majid) 21. November 2013 A group of absolute beginners, a difficult topic and not nearly enough time – not necessarily the best conditions for a photo workshop. But I was to head just such a workshop in Kabul. Here the report on an…
Goethe de: Hardly Anybody Any Longer Says “Immigrant” –- German literature by authors whose mother tongue is not German
Ever since Melinda Nadj Abonji won the 2010 German, and soon thereafter Swiss, Book Prize for her novel „Tauben fliegen auf“ (i.e., Doves Take Wing), hardly anybody any longer has made much of a fuss about a number of writers whose mother tongue is not German but whose works have lastingly enriched German literature. It…
Video Project on the Arab Spring: 100 Voices Instead of 1001 Nights — Goethe de news story and videos
Courtesy of Goethe de Which way is the Arab World going? – 100 Voices on the changes in the region (Photo: Goethe-Institut) 16 October 2013 There are plenty of glorified notions in the west about the Arab World. The project 100 Voices allows an Egyptian bookseller, a Tunisian dancer and a Moroccan philosopher – and…
Language Camp: Where “Boring” is Just a Word — Goethe de article on 56 pupils from all over the world met in Germany to revise German vocabulary, conjugate verbs and to explore the place
Schwäbisch Hall recently hosted 56 pupils from all over the world. They gathered there to revise German vocabulary, conjugate verbs, visit the Experimenta and explore the town, which, although larger than a “hall,” is not easy to get lost in. By Jahn Nitschke On a map, PASCH pupils point out their countries (Photo: Jahn Nitschke)…
Online Survey: And Now about Europe, Mr. Eco! — Goethe de online survey in which 22,235 people from 30 countries participated
Leonardo da Vinci is the most significant artist, democracy the most significant contribution to world culture, and Latvians love Winnie-the-Pooh. These are, at any rate, some of the results of an online survey about Europe. Umberto Eco comments on the outcome of the Europe List. Connoisseur of Europe Eco: “A certain optimism” (Photo: Das blaue…
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