Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut (GI) (German: [ˈɡøːtə ɪnstiˈtuːt]; English: Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations.
The Goethe-Institut fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German culture, society and politics. This includes the exchange of films, music, theatre, and literature. Goethe cultural societies, reading rooms, and exam and language centers have played a role in the cultural and educational policies of Germany for close to 60 years.
It is named after German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The Goethe-Institut e.V. is an autonomous and politically independent.
Partners of the institute and its centers are public and private cultural institutions, the federal states, local authorities and the world of commerce. Much of the Goethe-Institut's overall budget consists of yearly grants from the German Foreign Office and the German Press Office. The relationship with the Foreign Office is governed by general agreement. Self-generated income and contributions from sponsors and patrons, partners and friends broaden the scope of the work of the Goethe-Institut.
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[edit] History
1951 The Goethe-Institut was founded as successor to the German Academy (Deutsche Akademie/DA), which was founded in 1925. Its first task was to provide further training for foreign German teachers in Germany.
1953 The first language courses run by the Goethe-Institut began in Bad Reichenhall. Due to growing demand, new centres of learning were opened in Murnau and Kochel, the focus of selection being on towns which were small and idyllic and which show post-war Germany at its best. Lessons were taught from the first textbook developed by the Goethe-Institut, the now legendary "Schulz-Griesbach".
1953-55 The first foreign lectureships of what was the German Academy were taken on by the Goethe-Institut. Responsibilities include German tuition, teacher training and providing a program 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 of the German cultural institutes abroad.
1968 Influenced by the student revolts of the late 1960s the Goethe-Institut readjusted its program of cultural events to include socio-political topics and avant-garde art.
1970 Acting on behalf of the Foreign Office Ralf Dahrendorf developed his "guiding principles for foreign cultural policy". Cultural work involving dialog and partnership was declared the third pillar of German foreign policy. During the Willy 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 organization.
1980 A new concept regarding the location of institutes within Germany was drawn up. Places of instruction in small towns, mostly in Bavaria, weree replaced by institutes in cities and university towns.
1989/90 The fall of the Berlin Wall marked a turning point for the Goethe-Institut. Its activities in the 1990s were centred on Eastern Europe. Numerous new institutes were set up as a result.
2001 The Goethe-Institut merges with Inter Nationes.
2004 The Goethe-Institut established the first Western information centre in Pyongyang, North Korea (closed in 2009).[1]
The Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes reverted to its original and official name, Goethe-Institut (GI).
2005 The Goethe-Institut was honored with the Prince-of-Asturias Prize of Spain.
2007 For the first time in more than ten years the German parliament increased the funds of the Goethe-Institut.
2010 Bruno Bozzetto created a new Goethe-Institut film named "Va Bene".
[edit] Organization
The Goethe-Institut is mainly financed by the national government of Germany, and has around 3,300 employees and an overall budget of approximately 278 million euros at its disposal, more than half of which is generated from language course tuition and examination fees. The Goethe-Institut offers scholarships, including tuition waiver, to students from foreign countries, who want to become teachers of German. One of the selection criteria for these scholarships is social or financial need.
The Goethe-Institut has its headquarters in Munich. Its president is Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, the General Secretary Dr. Hans-Georg Knopp; Financial Manager Mr. Jürgen Maier.
[edit] Exams
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 the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF), the standard for European language testing. There is also one exam, the Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, which is at a higher level than the highest CEF level. Below is a table of the basic Goethe-Institut exams as they fit into the scheme:
| CEF level | Goethe-Institut exam | Instructional hours needed |
| C2 | Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung, Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom | 750-900 (both) |
| C1 | Goethe-Zertifikat C1 - Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung (neu), Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch | 600-750 (both) |
| B2 | Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf, Goethe-Zertifikat B2 | 375-540 (ZDfB), 450-600 (GZ B2) |
| B1 | Zertifikat Deutsch | 300-450 |
| A2 | Start Deutsch 2 | 128-255 |
| A1 | Start Deutsch 1 | 64-128 |
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 the TestDaF-Institut in Hagen. The tests are supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and are aimed at people who would like to study at German universities, academics and scientists. The TestDaF can be taken in Germany as well as in 65 other countries.
[edit] Recognition
In 2005, along with the Alliance française, the Società Dante Alighieri, the British Council, the Instituto Cervantes, and the Instituto Camões, the Goethe-Institut was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for achievements in communications and the humanities.
In 2007, it received a special Konrad Duden Prize for its work in the field of German language.[2]
[edit] By country
- In Iran, the Goethe-Institut opened in Tehran in 1958, but was forced to close in 1981 in a diplomatic row between the host country and Germany; the institut reopened under the German embassy in Tehran as a "point for dialogue."
- In Pakistan, the Lahore chapter of the Goethe-Institut is named "Annemarie Schimmel Haus", in honour of the well-known German Orientalist and scholar, who wrote extensively on Islam and Sufism; the Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus shares its premises with the Alliance française Lahore (AF), and together they organise joint cultural events.
- The Instituts in India are called Max Müller Bhavans, in honour of the German philologist and Indologist.
- In Indonesia, there are three Goethe-Instituts—in Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya—and 29 school partners.
[edit] Virtual presence
The Goethe-Institut offers e-learning courses.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Goethe-Institut |
- Official Goethe-Institut web site (in German and English)
- TestDaF homepage
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