Rainer Pollack am 25. Oktober 2023
Rede von Rainer Pollack anlässlich des 50. Jubiläums des Goethe-Instituts Glasgow

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. (Robert Louis Stevenson, 19th century)
Goethe-Institut Glasgow is not 50 years old, but 50 years young! The seed that Robert Louis Stevenson mentions has sprouted beautifully here!

Dear Minister Robertson,
Dear Ambassador Duchêne,
Dear Ambassador Berger,
Dear Bailie McCabe,
Dear Director Deleuze,
Dear Mr Budd,
Dear Mrs von Ruckteschell-Katte,
Dear Mrs Dede,
Dear guests and friends of the Goethe-Institut,
Dear colleagues,

I would like to welcome you to our festive get-together.
The journey through France, England and Scotland by train was lovely.
I am delighted to be here with you this evening, albeit briefly.

I am happy to commence a special anniversary: 50 years of Goethe-Institut with our European friends in Glasgow, in Scotland.
This is my first institute anniversary in the post-Corona era.
A time that has demanded the utmost of us and changed our priorities.
New crises and unthinkable events have entered our minds and call for more civil society engagement.
Among others, the Goethe-Instituts in Chennai, Sarajevo and Yaoundé also had a milestone birthday in the last three years.
And had to celebrate alone.
Although the limits highlighted and caused by Corona have become manageable, new boundaries have come into our focus.
I am fully convinced: Education and culture are key elements for the tasks that lie ahead of us. And can help us overcome our new hurdles.
 If we all want to and if we do not let our spirit break!
Often it is art and culture that put their finger on the pulse.
They draw attention to social problems and question values.
But they also point out alternatives and enable understanding possible, even where the boundaries seem insurmountable.
That is why the work of the Goethe-Institut is so important, from my point of view perhaps even more important than ever:
In exchange with the world. For diversity, understanding and trust.
With still 158 institutes in 98 countries, the Goethe-Institut has been the largest intermediary organisation in Germany's cultural relations and education policy since 1951.
The Goethe-Institut at our European partner Scotland is an important building block.
Glasgow, with its vibrant arts and cultural scene, is one of two locations in the United Kingdom.
In 1957 the Scottish-German Society was founded with 400 language learners at the time. This planted the first seeds.


The official founding of Goethe-Institut Glasgow took place in 1973 – the year the United Kingdom joined the European Community.
The seed sprouted and became the still tender plant.
Today, 50 years later, EU membership is history.
Yet Goethe-Institut Glasgow is very much alive and a visible sign of the extraordinary German-Scottish cultural relationship.
The plant has strengthened and blossomed.
And now it thrives because of the nutrient rich soil and the vital water!
And such is Glasgow, as a wonderful city, for the institute and the many wonderful and excellent partners here on site that help to keep it alive!
Thanks and congratulations to our friends of the Alliance Francaise Glasgow, too! Heartly congratulations to your 40th anniversary!
In our 50 years, highlights of the journey were, for example:
The opening of Garnethill Park in Glasgow in 1990. In this context, Glasgow was European Capital of Culture.
In 2004 we moved into a joint building with the Alliance Française Glasgow.
Since then, both institutions have formed a special European presence in Glasgow in this house at Park Circus.
This underlines the European idea, the Franco-German friendship and especially the friendship with you, ladies and gentlemen, here in Glasgow, in Scotland.
Another highlight was certainly the Climate Change Conference in 2021, taking place in Glasgow.
In this context, the Goethe-Institut Glasgow, among others, themed "Weather Glass or Crystal Ball? Mapping the Weather in Arts and Science", drawing attention to the new trends in art and culture that accompany climate change.
Since 2023, there have also been two PASCH schools in Scotland, Bishopbriggs Academy in Glasgow and Paisley Grammar School in Paisley.
The PASCH initiative networks more than 2,000 schools worldwide where learning German is particularly important.
I am pleased that two schools in Scotland also belong to this selected group!
50 years is half a century. That's a long time. It's easy to look back at the past.
A past that was not always easy. Today, the challenges around the world are confrontational.
However, we see this anniversary here in Glasgow above all as a prelude to the future.
A future for which everyone can do or bring about something themselves.
Just as we also see our transformation process in the Goethe-Institut as a prelude to the future due to the geopolitical turning point.
The changes in our network are necessary, but inevitable for renewal.
We are present in 98 countries around the world, which is about half.
Since Corona, we also know what opportunities digitalisation brings and thus reach more people than ever. Who knows what the next 50 years will bring?
One thing is certain: we will continue to act as a strong interface for cultural exchange between Germany, Scotland and our network, thus strengthening European cooperation.
We are looking forward to many more projects and cooperations in the field of culture and language.
Once again, I would like to congratulate the wonderful and effective work that has been done over decades and is being done every day with renewed vigor.
I would especially like to thank you, dear current and former colleagues, for 50 years of tireless dedication, for creative programs and ideas, for stimulating Scottish-German exchange, for networking and fostering partnerships.
The partners and friends of the Goethe-Institut who are present in such large numbers today are testimony to how well you have done this work.
We will look forward to the next decades. My personal and sincerest gratitude to all local partners for the wonderful cooperation.
I wish us all a pleasant evening with insightful conversations and inspiring encounters.

Thank you very much!