7. März 2020
60 Years in BANGKOK

Rede des Präsidenten des Goethe-Instituts Prof. Dr. h.c. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann anlässlich des 60. Geburtstags des Goethe-Institut Bangkok

Anrede,

It is a very special occasion to which I welcome you today: 60 years of the Goethe-Institut Bangkok. It is a day of joy and gratitude for all of us and at the same time it is a day that commits us to the future, to keep the shared reflection on the world of tomorrow alive in our commitment to cultural cooperation. The two countries have long had friendly ties. Kaiser Wilhelm II and King Chulalongkon (Rama V) had good relations. Today’s Thai royal family also stands for this friendship. Today, about 25,000 Germans live in Thailand and 60,000 Thais in Germany.

SIxty years of the Goethe-Institut Bangkok stand for an eventful history of political, social and cultural changes. I will just cite one figure to illustrate these changes. Since 1932, the year its parliamentary democracy was introduced, Thailand or Siam has experienced 18 profound political changes. Against this background, the 60 years of continuous cultural work by the Goethe-Institut can be seen as a clear sign of mutual trust, the credibility of joint developments and the equivalence of the relationships with artists, cultural actors and civil society groups, as a reliable component that was confirmed again and again throughout all these changes. Perhaps it was also helpful that Germany was not seen as a colonial or imperial power like Great Britain, France, Japan or the USA.

The Goethe-Institut Bangkok was one of the earliest institutes founded around the world. It emerged from the first language course on Phyathai Street, soon enlarged in the premises on Phra Athit Street, surrounded by the National Museum, National Library, National Gallery and National Theatre. The proximity of the cultural institutions led very early to creative partnerships. The Pro Musica Orchestra was founded during those years and received great support from the Goethe-Institut. It was the forerunner of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which was also close to the Goethe-Institut. As early as the 1970s the institute became a real centre of cultural life in Thailand. A lively, discourse-enabling place, it provided a forum for discussions, it offered exhibitions and it organised concerts and workshops. It was not uncommon for the Goethe-Institut to attract high-ranking visitors, whether Federal President Lübke as early as 1962 or the Thai royal couple on various occasions. But it was also a place where social issues were passionately debated, because 1973 was the year of the revolution.

The Goethe-Institut moved one more time. In 1988 the new institute in the Soi Goethe was dedicated by Federal President Walter Scheel and a large festival community. It is still the seat of the Goethe-Institut. Over the past 60 years, it has become one of the largest Goethe-Instituts in the world; every year, more than 7,000 German learners complete the language courses, and an extensive range of programmes is received with great attention and interest, with music, film, the visual arts and literature being especially popular.

As a space for freedom and dialogue, the Goethe-Institut obviously meets a social need. Precisely because the world manifests so many differences, non-simultaneities and ruptures, because it demands a high degree of willingness to change from people, global formulas or control systems are not the solution. On the contrary, a way must be found for critical and imaginative discussions with and in the world. The Goethe-Institut in Bangkok thrives on mutual discourse. It is a benefit to see how people meet, communicate and appreciate each other here.

Even if a cultural dialogue will not solve every problem, we need it urgently. Culture can help us to confront rigid positions with creative alternatives, to resolve standstills in processes or even to be self-critical. It leads to respect and openness, but also the joy of experience and something new.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe once put it in these words: "We don’t get to know people when they come to us; we must go to them to find out what they are like." Goethe also said, "The existences of strangers are the best mirrors in which to recognise our own existence."

The Goethe-Institut Bangkok understood how to establish its cultural and educational work with astonishing continuity and at the same time react responsibly to current events. The charisma of the institute is not only due to the quality of the work, but also and especially to the people who have identified with this institute and made it so distinctive. The institute directors were excellent mediators for the dialogue between cultures. I am pleased that in addition to the current director, three former directors are present today, Anton Regenberg, Wilfried Eckstein and Norbert Spitz. Mr Regenberg was here from 1969 to 1978, Mr Eckstein from 2004 to 2009 and Mr Spitz from 2009 to 2013.

The fact that the local staff, with their high degree of professionalism, was available for an unusually long period of employment was certainly decisive for the institute’s visibility, acceptance and familiarity. That was and is a big benefit because innovations come into the world especially through the local Goethe-Instituts. There are currently 160 institutes in almost 100 countries. It’s about participation, cooperation and co-production. Diversity is part of our identity. As early as 1970, the Federal Foreign Office formulated the crucial principle that still describes the position of the Goethe-Institut: "What we give is only worth as much as our willingness to take." We therefore see ourselves as a learning community. And we do everything we can to strengthen what connects. Societies consist of more than just economies. Ultimately, our human coexistence is a cultural achievement. The Goethe-Institut Bangkok stands for this. Thanks to everyone who made this space of freedom, creativity and understanding possible in Thailand.

The spoken word shall prevail