Over the past twelve years, Klaus-Dieter Lehmann left his mark on the Goethe-Institut. It is befitting that the end of his Presidency falls into Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Under his leadership, a strong commitment to Europe was the foundation on which the Goethe-Institut built its global success story. Carola Lentz succeeds him at a time when international cultural cooperation is called on more than ever to foster trust and understanding through active partnership between people and societies. We have a shared responsibility to ensure a bright future for international cultural relations.