657 Howard Street
The New Goethe-Institut San Francisco
On October 24, we celebrated the re-opening of the Goethe-Institut San Francisco at our new location at 657 Howard Street with an evening filled with creativity, community, and cross-cultural exchange. Our new space in Yerba Buena welcomed friends, cultural leaders, and city representatives for an immersive experience showcasing C/Change: Prototyping Just Technological Futures - a testament to the power of art and tech to foster dialogue, empower voices, and inspire future generations.
The night was brought to life through a captivating exhibition with powerful prototypes, and the dance performance MIRA_Singular_Shift by Julia Riera. We were also proud to feature Step Into German, a platform encouraging youth engagement with German culture through film, music, and sustainability.Thank you to everyone who joined us as we begin a new chapter of intercultural dialogue and innovation here in San Francisco.
40 Years of Bush Street
As we were surrounded by moving boxes, we were reminiscing about all the amazing times we’ve had at 530 Bush Street, which has been our home for so long. Indeed, for over 40 years this space has been a hub of cultural exchange and language learning. It has seen countless students, artists, and scholars from around the world. We are proud of the part we’ve played in bringing the German language and culture to the San Francisco Bay Area.Take a trip down memory lane with us in this photo gallery of 40 years of Bush Street.
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530 Bush Street, home to GISF for over 40 years, was a very special place. Not only because of its special location in the heart of SF, but especially because the institute offered a unique space for events of all kinds. From exhibitions to film screenings to football events, anything was possible here.
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The Art Lounge not only provided a perfect venue for events, but also a great projection surface for a wide variety of artwork. Pictured here: Peter Eickmeyer's graphic novel adaptation of Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front"
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For the exhibition "Close to the Wind" (2013), the Goethe team was allowed to lend a hand themselves.
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The exhibition "The power of emotions" (2019) inspired not only the visitors but also the team. But not only exhibitions took place here - interested people could learn more about Goethe's language courses at Language Fairs.
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Things were a bit more formal in 2015 at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of German-Israeli diplomacy.
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...and, of course, sports were not to be neglected. Whether Bundesliga or World Cup - soccer fans were always welcome!
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What showroom can claim to have enough space for a Christmas tree so big it won't fit in the photo?!
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There was always something going on in the office on the second floor. Admittedly, the furniture and color scheme (especially in the early years) couldn't compete with the glossy offices of the tech giants here in the Bay Area, but the office certainly had charm.
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Whether German students, teachers, guests or colleagues: All were welcome
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By the way, we were not only in the office - but also in China Town...
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...at Union Square
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...or in the Golden Gate Park
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... and of course Berlin and Beyond can't be missing here! Every year, stars of the film scene are drawn to our festival in San Francisco. At Youth 4 German Cinema, the stars of tomorrow can get their first insights into the film business.
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...Finally, we want to remember the most important thing: the wonderful teams that made Bush Street the special place we are saying goodbye to. We thank everyone for the wonderful years and look forward to welcoming you to our new location!
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Berkeley 2012
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Berkeley 2012
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Costanoa 2015
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Oakland 2018
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Trip to Ocean Beach
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Lunch and farewell party of our colleague Madeleine 2023
