Goethe-Institut,PragueGoethe-InstitutOsloThe Goethe-Institut inLa Paz,BoliviaLibrary of the Goethe-Institut PhilippinesGermanEaster traditions at Goethe-language centre,Shenyang
TheGoethe-Institut (German:[ˈɡøːtəʔɪnstiˌtuːt];GI,Goethe Institute) is anonprofit Germancultural organization operational worldwide with more than 150 cultural centres across 99 countries, promoting the study of theGerman language abroad and encouraging internationalcultural exchange and relations. Around 246,000 people have studied German in these courses per year. It is named after German poet and statesmanJohann Wolfgang von Goethe. As a registered association, the Goethe-Institut e.V. is politically independent.[1]
The Goethe-Institut fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German culture, society and socio-political affairs. This includes the promotion of German films, music, theatre, and literature. Goethe cultural societies, reading rooms, and examination and language centres have played an important role in the cultural and educational activities of Germany in many countries for more than 60 years.[2]
Partners of the institute and its centres are public and private cultural institutions, the German federal states, local authorities and civil society. Much of the Goethe-Institut's overall budget consists of annual grants from theGerman Foreign Office and the German Press Office. The relationship with the Foreign Office is governed by a general agreement. Further, self-generated income and contributions from sponsors and patrons, partners and friends support the work of the Goethe-Institut.[3]
1953: The first language courses run by the Goethe-Institut began inBad Reichenhall. Due to growing demand, new centres of learning were opened inMurnau andKochel, the focus of selection being on towns which were small and idyllic and which showed post-war Germany at its best. Lessons were taught based on the first textbook developed by the Goethe-Institut, known by its authors' names "Schulz-Griesbach".
1953-55: The first foreign lectureships of what was the German Academy were taken over by the Goethe-Institut. Responsibilities included German tuition, teacher training and providing a programme of cultural events to accompany courses.
1959-60: On the initiative of the head of the arts sector of the Foreign Office,Dieter Sattler, the Goethe-Institut gradually took over all existing German cultural institutes abroad.
1962: A Goethe-Institut opened inMalaysia with more than 200 students enrolled.[4]
1968: Influenced by the student revolts of the late 1960s the Goethe-Institut readjusted its programme of cultural events to include socio-political topics and avant-garde art.
1970: Acting on behalf of the Foreign Office, German politicianRalf Dahrendorf developed his "guiding principles for foreign cultural policy". Cultural work involving dialogue and partnership was declared "the third pillar of German foreign policy". During theWilly Brandt era, the concept of "extended culture" formed the basis of activities at the Goethe-Institut.
1976: The Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut signed a general agreement governing the status of the Goethe-Institut, henceforth an independent cultural organisation.
1980: A new plan regarding the location of institutes within Germany was drawn up. Course venues in small towns, mostly inBavaria, were replaced by institutes in cities and university towns.
1989/90: The fall of theBerlin Wall marked a turning point for the Goethe-Institut. Its activities in the 1990s were centered on Eastern Europe, where numerous new institutes were set up.
2001: The Goethe-Institut merged with the cultural organization Inter Nationes.
2004: The Goethe-Institut established the first Western information centre inPyongyang,North Korea, operational until 2009.[5] The Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes also reverted to its original and official name, Goethe-Institut (GI).
The Goethe-Institut is mainly financed by the federal government of Germany, and has around 1,000 employees and an overall budget of approximately 366 millioneuros, more than half of which is generated from tuition and examination fees. The institute offers training courses and scholarships, including tuition waivers, to students from foreign countries, who are or want to become teachers of German as a foreign language.
InGhana,Togo andCameroon, the Goethe-Institut opened its first branches in Africa in 1961.[6]
InMalaysia, the Goethe-Institut opened its doors in 1962 in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city.
InKhartoum,Sudan, the Goethe-Institut first opened its doors in 1963 as the fourth African branch.
InBangladesh, the Goethe-Institut opened inDhaka in 1961. It was relocated to its present premises in Dhanmondi in 1967.[7]
InLebanon, the Goethe-Institut operated in Rue Gemmayze, one ofBeirut's renowned streets. After the2020 Beirut explosion it relocated to Beirut's central district.
InIran, the Goethe-Institut opened inTehran in 1958, but was forced to close in 1981 in a diplomatic row between the host country and Germany. The institute continued some activities under the German embassy in Tehran as a "point for dialogue."
InPakistan, the Goethe-Institut has two branches. TheGoethe-Institut Karachi is located at Brunton Road, Civil Lines, near the Chief Minister's Residence. It is located in an old bungalow. TheLahore chapter of the Goethe-Institut is named "Annemarie Schimmel Haus", in honour of the well-known GermanOrientalist and scholar. This centre shares its premises with theAlliance française Lahore (AF), and together they organise joint cultural events.[8]
The institutes in India are called Max Mueller Bhavans, in honour of the German philologist andIndologistMax Müller. They are situated inChennai,[9]Coimbatore,[10] Pune, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore (Bengaluru).
In Indonesia, there are two Goethe-Institutes, inJakarta andBandung, and a Goethe-Zentrum inSurabaya.
The institute has developed a series of exams for learners of German as a foreign language (Deutsch als Fremdsprache, DaF) at all levels: A1 up to C2. These can be taken both in Germany and abroad and have been adapted to fit into theCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the standard for European language testing. There is also one exam, theGroßes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, which is at a still higher level than the highest CEFR level.[16] Below is a table of the basic Goethe-Institut exams as they fit into the scheme:[17]
Goethe-Zertifikat B2 (Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf)
600–800
B1
Goethe-Zertifikat B1 (Zertifikat Deutsch)
350–650
A2
Goethe-Zertifikat A2/ Fit In Deutsch 2
200–350
A1
Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1/Fit In Deutsch 1
80–200
In 2000, the Goethe-Institut helped to found the Society for Academic Test Development (Gesellschaft für Akademische Testentwicklung e.V.). The resulting TestDaF exams are run by theTestDaF-Institut inHagen. The tests are supported by theGerman Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and are aimed at people who would like to study atGerman universities, academics and scientists. The TestDaF can be taken in Germany as well as in 65 other countries. For language teachers, there is the "Green Diploma" to acquire and prove qualifications in teaching German as a foreign language.[18]
The two US-related annually granted awards for literature translations from German into English are the renownedHelen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize, and theGutekunst Prize of the Friends of Goethe New York. The latter is open to college students and to all translators under the age of 35 who, at the time the prize is awarded, have not yet published.[19]
Once a year, the Goethe-Institut awards the Goethe Medal, an official decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It honours foreign personalities who have performed outstanding service for the German language and international cultural relations. The Goethe Medal was established by the executive committee of the Goethe-Institut in 1954 and acknowledged as an official decoration by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1975.
Goethe-Institut Villa Kamogawa (Japanese: ゲーテ・インスティトゥート・ヴィラ鴨川), is a German institution hosting artist residencies inKyoto, Japan. Established in 2011 with an opening ceremony conducted byChristian Wulff, then President of Germany,[20][21][22] it is located on the banks of theKamo River in close vicinity toKyoto Imperial Palace. Villa Kamogawa is one of three major German arts residency programmes abroad, together with Rome'sVilla Massimo andVilla Aurora in Los Angeles.[23][24] It hosts three groups of four artists every year.[24] Former fellows includeDoris Dörrie,[25]Jörg Koopmann[26] andStefan Goldmann.[27]
^"Das Goethe-Institut"(PDF).Bundestag. Berlin: Bundestag, Wissenschaftliche Dienste. 2006.Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved25 May 2019.
.jpg)
