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Goethe portrait on the wall of the Goethehaus in Rome
Image: Imago Images/Agenzia Romano Siciliani

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Topic

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theater director, and critic.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

A photo of six TV monitors in the control room of a TV studio. The bottom three show a man in a dark polo shirt.

Why the Goethe medal could spark political controversy

Why the Goethe medal could spark political controversy

Cultural workers from Georgia, Taiwan and Hungary have been awarded the Goethe medal for their courage and commitment.
ArtsAugust 28, 2023
Four square paintings depicting a cityscape in bright colors.

Sudan: What the 'gold of the grandmothers' symbolizes

Sudan: What the 'gold of the grandmothers' symbolizes

In Sudan, the fighting is tearing the country apart. An exhibition in Cologne aims to raise awareness.
ArtsJuly 3, 2023
A plane readies to touch down at an airport

Sudan: German cultural workers evacuated

Sudan: German cultural workers evacuated

Amid tense fighting in Khartoum, the German army has evacuated Goethe Institute staff from the country.
CultureApril 25, 2023
A huge building in central Berlin

Tit for tat: Russia freezes German Goethe Institut accounts

Tit for tat: Russia freezes German Goethe Institut accounts

Are Germany's cultural centers in Russia at risk of being shut down?
PoliticsApril 15, 2023
Erfurt Cathedral Hill

10 reasons to love Thuringia

10 reasons to love Thuringia

Thuringia is home to plenty of nature, history and some regional specialties.
TravelOctober 2, 202210 images
Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak

Goethe Medal winners are activists and artists

Goethe Medal winners are activists and artists

The award recognizes "outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations."
CultureAugust 28, 2022
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Adam Reichel smiles while playing guitar on stage.

How a 1991 German song became a hit in China

"Aloha Heja Je" was a hit in 1991 in Germany, and now in China — an unexpected boost to musician Achim Reichel's career.
MusicDecember 16, 2021
Two young women learning German in a language laboratory

From language teaching to cultural institute

From language teaching to intercultural dialogue—70 years of the Goethe-Institut
CultureDecember 4, 202106:54 min
Carola Lentz visiting the Goethe-Institut Cameroon

Carola Lentz: Inaugural visit in Cameroon

A visit between diplomacy and cultural exchange. The Goethe-Institut's new president travels Douala and Yaoundé.
CultureDecember 4, 202103:42 min
Goethe-Institut sign on a building

Goethe-Institut marks its 70th anniversary

For Goethe-Institut President Carola Lentz, the cultural institution's history is marked by permanent reinvention.
CultureNovember 23, 2021
A typewriter on a table

PEN celebrates its 100th anniversary

The writers association, which has championed human rights from Nazi Germany to 2021 Belarus, turns 100 on October 5.
CultureOctober 4, 2021
Skip next section Opinion

Opinion

Fritz Alwin Breithaupt

Germany needs Goethe's Faust

Fritz Breithaupt
Commentary
PoliticsSeptember 8, 2017
Mudhoon Loay Kommentarbild App

Liberal Islam is a chimera

Loay Mudhoon
Commentary
ReligionJune 24, 2017