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Goethe-Institut Cairo celebrates its 60th anniversary
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Goethe-Institut in Cairo, the Minister of State for International Cultural Policy, Michelle Müntefering, issued the following statement in Berlin today (9 May):
Egypt leads the field in cooperation on cultural relations and education in the region. To drive dialogue forward, open exchange between our societies where nothing is off limit is today more important than ever. The Goethe-Institut provides the platform and it is now impossible to imagine our multifaceted German-Egyptian relations without it. Congratulations on six decades of successful language and cultural work in Egypt!
Background information:
There is a long and broad-based tradition of cultural exchange between Germany and Egypt. The work of the Goethe-Institut in Cairo began in 1958 when it offered its first language courses. Later, a library was added as well as a diverse cultural programme. The modern, new building in the Egyptian capital is now one of the largest centres of the Goethe-Institut in the world with a staff of more than 80. In 1963, a second branch was opened in Alexandria.
The event to celebrate the 60th anniversary on 10 May is to be attended by Professor Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, President of the Goethe-Institut, and Julius Georg Luy, German Ambassador to Egypt. As part of the anniversary celebrations, Ambassador Luy will present the Egyptian Misr El Kheir Foundation with the Goethe-Institut library bus for which the Federal Foreign Office has provided funding, thus underscoring the importance of cooperation with local partners for cultural relations and education policy.