Goethe-Institut: Celebrating 70 years

Six years after WWII ended, the Goethe-Institut was officially launched, replacing the Deutsche Akademie (DA). In the beginning, the institute concentrated primarily on training foreign German language teachers. In this picture, language students from Ghana are seen taking a walk with their host family in Murnau, Bavaria.

In the early years, the aim of the institute was to transmit a positive image of Germany after WWII. In 1952, the first institute was opened in Athens, Greece. Other cities followed, like in Mumbai, India (pictured), where the institute is named after German Indologist, Max Mueller. In Germany, courses were offered in idyllic locations.

Politically, the Goethe-Institut was Germany's attempt at starting afresh because ultimately, the Deutsche Akademie, which was founded in 1925, had become a tool for Nazi propaganda. In 1945, the American occupying forces dismantled the Akademie, which they thought was a "Europe-wide propaganda and spying hub" for the Nazis. This picture shows language students in Schwäbisch Hall in the 1970s.

In the following years, more and more Goethe Institutes opened in different countries across the world, for example in North and West Africa, where, in the 1950s and 1960s, new countries emerged after the end of colonialism. The institute and its representatives were popular in Asia as well. German saxophonist, Klaus Doldinger (far right), is seen here with musicians in Pakistan.

Language labs were the trend for learning German in the 1980s. The institute has since realigned itself strategically by forming a wide global network through its affiliations with German cultural institutions that are active abroad. Today, nearly 169 institutes in 98 countries disseminate information on German culture and language.

In 1987, Dutch comedian Rudi Carrell caused a stir when he presented a sketch on a German TV program, showing people hurling brassieres and women's panties at Iran's revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. An angry Tehran dismissed German diplomats, canceled flights to Germany, and closed down the Goethe-Institut there.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Goethe-Institut spread its wings towards eastern Europe. The founders of the first institutes in the former communist countries had to improvise a lot. In 1992, the German Foreign Minister, Klaus Kinkel, inaugurated the Goethe-Institut in Moscow. The institute not only grew outside Germany, but also within the former East Germany.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the US also shifted the focus of the Goethe-Institut. Intercultural dialogue and understanding became its top priorities. The institute now focuses on strengthening civil society and preventing conflict. This picture shows the art and music project "Kunstdisco" in Seoul, South Korea.

In 2016, the Goethe-Institut started the "Kultursymposium Weimar," where thinkers from all over the world discuss pressing questions of our times. In 2019, the festival was themed "Die Route wird neu berechnet" (The route is being recalibrated), where participants discussed technological changes in society. In this picture, Taiwanese dancer and inventor, Huang Yi, dances with the robot KUKA.

The institute regularly organizes the "Deutschlandjahre" (The Year of Germany) events together with the Foreign Office. The event's aim is to promote a well-rounded image of the country. The "Deutschlandjahr" 2018/19 in the US saw a total of two million guests attending 2,800 events. The previous year's events were held in Mexico, where Chancellor Angela Merkel was a guest.

The COVID pandemic triggered a wave of digitalization within the institute. Helmed by President Carola Lentz and Secretary General Johannes Ebert, the institute is celebrating its 70th anniversary in November 2021. A book by Carola Lentz has been released to mark the event, and an interactive website introduces readers to the institution's eventful history.