About the Kultur Ensemble
In 2019, then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a new bilateral friendship agreement known as the Aachen Treaty. This treaty included the establishment of Franco-German Cultural Institutes, collectively referred to as “Kultur Ensembles”.
The creation of these Kultur Ensembles within the Goethe-Institut network is a collaborative effort between the Goethe-Institut, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the French Foreign Ministry. Franco-German working groups abroad, comprising representatives from the Goethe-Institut, the respective embassies and either the Institut français or the Alliance Française, convene regularly at various locations to support the development and operation of these Kultur Ensembles. This initiative is a key symbol of strengthened European cooperation.
Existing Kultur Ensembles
The first Kultur Ensembles opened in Palermo, Ramallah and Atlanta. Additionally, a symbolic foundation stone has been laid for a Kultur Ensemble in Erbil. Plans for further joint institutes are underway.
