“BayernLB has welcomed the opportunity of building upon the aims of the Goethe-Institut of supporting German Language abroad and fostering international cultural cooperation. This has been possible together with the Goethe-Institut London and other corporate partners as founding member of the Friends of the Goethe-Institut London, where we have been able to develop the strategy and witness the fruits of having already sent around 100 young people to Germany from right across the UK. These young people would not otherwise have had this unique opportunity to be building bridges between the UK and Germany (so far through the medium of football and active work experience). Perhaps now more than ever, these initiatives are necessary to contribute towards a greater understanding of one another across our European borders. There is so much more we can do, together!”

Christoph Weaver, GM, BayernLB London Branch

“Now more than ever, it is vital to nurture the links that bind the UK and Germany to each other: as a passionate, lifelong European, I acknowledge as a 'remainer' that we have been lazy in our belief that the political benefits of European integration are self-evident to the British people. They are not. However, at a deeper human level, nothing has changed: we both remain members of an unruly family, bonded by geography, history and culture.  It is this deeper bond that we must amplify and strengthen, in the expectation that in time our political stars will in one way or another, come into alignment once again. I hope that more German businesses will step forward to support the work of the Goethe-Institut at this time of dislocation.”

- Anthony Forbes Watson, M.D. at Pan Macmillan