The Latest at Goethe - Nine Questions for ...

Jan Hillesheim on Tokyo: “If I Were the Emperor of Japan …”

(10 September 2013) The Japanese number their trees, but most of their streets have neither a name nor the buildings numbers. The Japanese are very proper and never blow their noses. There is a secret racetrack in the middle of Tokyo. In this interview, German teacher Jan Hillesheim tells us about the land of the rising – and setting – sun.More ...

Anne Gaffrontke on La Paz: “I’ll Miss the Warm-Heartedness”

(6 August 2013) Anne Gaffrontke’s year as a volunteer in the cultural sector is almost over – sadly, as she has grown fond of Bolivia’s capital city. In our interview, we talked about gorgeous views, multiculti and appropriate behaviour in the salt flats.More ...

Moritz Kasper on Nairobi: “Here I Realize Just How German I Am”

(10 July 2013) Originally, Moritz Kasper just wanted to do an internship in Nairobi, but now he has been living in the Kenyan metropolis for a year. In this interview he tells us why he misses the German summer, what Nairobi’s Heavy Metal scene has to offer and what Kenyans think of his cooking skills.More ...

Petra Köppel-Meyer on Kiev: “Nuuuu”

(4 June 2013) Geographically and culturally, Ukraine is not that far from Germany, yet we know very little here about Europe’s second largest state: for example about Kiev’s green lungs or Kurkov’s penguins. Petra Köppel-Meyer from the Goethe-Institut Kiev is willing to coach us.More ...

Lukas Schultheiß on Paris: “Everyone Here Is Totally Stressed Out”

(8 May 2013) For Lukas Schultheiß, Paris’s best features are the Seine, the architecture and the fact that the city partly resembles a quaint little village. In this interview, the 19-year-old doing his voluntary civil service at the Goethe-Institut shares his views on the Paris mentality, the Métro and the rent.More ...

Anette Rummel on Jerusalem: “A Puzzle that’s Not Easily Put Together”

(4 April 2013) Judaism, Islam and Christianity converge in Jerusalem – sometimes at full force. Even falafel and hummus can get caught in the crossfire. Anette Rummel spoke with us about biblical animals, the Jerusalem marathon and Israeli cleaning habits.More ...

Katrin Sohns on Jakarta: “The Indonesian Sense of Humour is Similar to Ours”

(6 March 2013) The traffic jams in Jakarta are not just a much-quoted characteristic of the city, but they are real. Katrin Sohns, Head of Cultural Programmes at the Goethe-Institut Jakarta, spoke with us about the traffic, which costs her her typical German punctuality, and about Indonesian flexibility, from which Germans could learn a good deal.More ...

Leena Reimavuo on Helsinki: “People are Always Looking for Polar Bears Here!”

(6 February 2013) Don’t be taken in! If all you associate with Finland is saunas, lakes and tangos, Leena Reimavuo from the Goethe-Institut Helsinki will straighten you out – and explain why German literature is a big thing this year in Finland.More ...

Katina Klänhardt on Almaty: “That Dreadful Borat”

(4 January 2013) Katina Klänhardt knew very little about Almaty when she moved there for the Goethe-Institut. In the interview she tells us what awaited her in the Kazakh city. Not just an impressive mountain panorama, but also opera, jazz and apples.More ...

Margit Djiango on Yaoundé: “I Was Never Homesick”

(5 December 2012) The French and English spoken in Cameroon are enriched by over 200 languages: Margit Djiango, a staff member at the Goethe-Institut Yaoundé, talks about wordplay, the green of Mont Fébé and a little sack of earth from home.More ...

Christian Kutscher on Montevideo: “Maté is Always a Must”

(7 November 2012) Nothing happens in Uruguay on Independence Day: Christian Kutscher, staff member at the Goethe-Institut Montevideo, talks about the night that steals the holiday’s show, the discovery of slowness and Uruguay’s true religion.More ...

Copyright: Bernhard Ludewig/Goethe-Institut

Daniel Göpfert on Krakow: “One of the Most Beautiful Views Anywhere”

(8 October 2012) As many Polish jokes as there are, as little many Germans know what life is really like in the country next door. Daniel Göpfert, the director of the Goethe-Institut Krakow, talks about what the Polish people think of Barack Obama and why it’s a good idea to visit the Stary Teatr in Krakow next year.More ...

Josefin Fürst about Stockholm: “Literature Plays a Major Role”

(5 September 2012) When people think of Stockholm, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the medieval city centre Gamla Stan (Old Town) and the skerry coast. But the Swedish capital has much more to offer. Josefin Fürst from the Goethe-Institut talks about the favourite pastime activities of the Swedish and why she likes to travel to Germany.More ...

Judith Maiworm on Havana: “The Cuban People Are Very Enthusiastic about the Arts”

(6 August 2012) The economic and political situation of the country is not exactly positive. Yet, the Cubans are optimistic people. Judith Maiworm tells us why it is important to open a Goethe-Institut in Havana, if only to give the people there access to books and the Internet.More ...

Renate Fisseler-Skandrani on Tunis: “Democracy Takes Time”

(4 July 2012) Renate Fisseler-Skandrani has lived in Tunisia for 25 years. Only since the Tunisian Revolution, though, has the freelancer at the Goethe-Institut Tunis felt like a citizen of the country. In an interview she talks about the time of transition, the sea of cars by the shore and the special attraction of Carthage.More ...

Shamim Manzar on Karachi: “The Pakistanis Have Learned Patience”

(4 June 2012) The beach, the sea, and tropical climate, that is Karachi, but it is also poverty and bloody attacks. Between the two, a young music scene is emerging that seeks links with the west. Shamim Manzar, member of the staff at the Goethe-Institut Karachi, knows all sides of the Pakistani city.More ...

Heinrich Stricker on Sarajevo: “There Were No Windowpanes at 10 Degrees Below”

(5 May 2012) Sarajevo is characterized by an ease in taking things on, its old-fashioned cafés and cosy cevapčići restaurants. Heinrich Stricker has been in charge of the language programme at the Goethe-Institut there since 2010. In the interview he speaks about coffee rituals, sacrificed lambs, and feisty Herzegovinian women.More ...

Therese Eckardt on Ulan Bator: “They Drive the Way They Ride”

(3 April 2012) What do we know about Mongolia? Probably not much more than about morin khuurs, which are played there. What is life like in the land of mineral resources, among felt tents and meat eaters? Therese Eckardt, Goethe staff member in the Ulan Bator liaison office, reports.More ...

Nadine Müseler on Rabat: “Café Weimar – the City’s Hippest Place”

(8 March 2012) In Marocco, enthusiasm for street theatre is high, as is the illiteracy rate. It is a tough place for people in the arts. Nonetheless, Rabat is now seeing the upsurge of a young, lively, and critical arts scene. Nadine Müseler, an employee at the Goethe-Institut, talks about art and everyday life in Morocco.More ...

Ilona Goyeneche on Santiago: “The Chileans Always Pick Themselves Back Up”

(7 February 2012) Chile is a country of extremes: icebergs in the south, probably the world’s driest desert in the north. And right in the middle is Santiago, a place where many new things are created, as Ilona Goyeneche of the local Goethe-Institut reports.More ...

Rita Soares on Luanda: “Too Loud, Too Full, Too Much”

(4 January 2012) Oil and diamond deposits in the region have turned Angola’s capital city of Luanda into a booming economic metropolis. The inhabitants escape from the weekend construction noise to the more serene outskirts. Rita Soares reports on life in the world’s most expensive city.More ...

Heidrun Rottke on Dublin: “Suddenly, the Premiere Was at the Door”

(9 December 2011) Lonesome island folk? Not the Irish! They indulge in festivities and love conviviality. Heidrun Rottke from the Goethe-Institut in Dublin talks about the pubs, Irish humour and unexpected visits.More ...

Peter Zygowski on San Francisco: “The Students Thank Me”

(8 November 2011) San Francisco has been the home of Goethe staff member Peter Zygowski for 25 years. In our interview, the German teacher talks about Californian cool, German soccer and the big Loma-Prieta earthquake of 1989.More ...

Eva Schulz on Melbourne: “There’s Culture Non-Stop Here”

(8 October 2011) Melbourne is the cultural metropolis at the other end of the world. At least Eva Schulz from the Goethe-Institut there thinks so. She gushes about a city with vibrant districts where culture never sleeps.More ...

Sebastian Huber on Mexico City: "I Look Forward to the Chaos"

(7 September 2011) Mexico City’s image is characterized by culture and vitality, but also by drug wars and corruption. It has quite different facets, as Sebastian Huber, staff member at the Goethe-Institut in Mexico, explains. In this interview he tells us about German film weeks, Mexican spontaneity and The Labyrinth of Solitude.More ...

Claudia Marchegiani on Copenhagen: “Everyone Sits Outdoors at Eight Degree Temperatures”

(4 August 2011) Copenhagen has much to offer, from one of Europe’s biggest jazz festivals to a vibrant alternative arts scene. Claudia Marchegiani from the Goethe-Institut Denmark talks about the cultural and political topics the people of Copenhagen are now concerned about and which Danish book she likes to give her German friends.More ...

Erika Broschek on Istanbul: “Two Continents Begin Here.”

(5 July 2011)Istanbul is an intense city, says Erika Broschek, director of language programmes at the local Goethe-Institut. In this interview, she does away with the bias that the Turkish metropolis is not part of Europe and declares her love for the Bosporus.More ...

Michael Flucht on Pune: “Love It Or Leave It”

(27 May 2011) He got to know and love India on the hippy trail. Today, Michael Flucht is the director of the Goethe-Institut in Pune. In the interview he speaks about crowds, globalization and the way Indians cope with death.More ...

Edem Attiogbé on Lomé: “Germany is Still Very Visible Here Today”

(7 April 2011) Lomé, the capital of Togo, is the city where Edem Attiogbé was born. In 2010 he became the first African-born director of a Goethe-Institut. In the interview he talks about the traces of the German colonial era, his country’s small steps in progress and African zest for life.More ...

Beate Kolberg on Novosibirsk: “Like in Tolstoy”

(12 March 2011) Drink vodka pure and cold: you’ll live to be a hundred years old! Not every Russian drinks lots of it, but vodka is important in Russia. Beate Kolberg from the Goethe-Institut Novosibirsk talks about Siberian temperatures, vodka and serenity.More ...

Petra Behlke-Campos on Lima: “Savouring the Moment in the Here and Now”

(4 February 2011) The City of Kings has plenty to offer: Colonial architecture, museums and broad beaches. Petra Behlke-Campos, director of the Goethe-Institut Lima, talks about the Peruvian relaxed sense of time, culinary highlights and her love of the sea.More ...

Elisa Costa on Rome: “Life Here is Always a Battle”

(11 January 2011) Mamma mia was yesterday! Italy’s men are no longer the mama’s boys they’re made out to be. What’s more, your average Italian is more flexible than most Germans, but also under more stress. Elisa Costa from the Goethe-Institut Italy talks about Italians, Germans and clichés.More ...

Manfred Stoffl on Montréal: “Canadians Are More Bureaucratic Than We Are”

(11 December 2010) As the world’s second-largest Francophone city, Montréal is an island in otherwise English-speaking North America. It seems unusual that people here would be interested in Germany, but Manfred Stoffl reports the opposite. In our interview he talks about multilingualism, the GDR and German wine.More ...

Beate Becker on Ramallah: “There is Nothing That’s Impossible”

(6 November 2010) Most people associate Palestine with the Middle East conflict und refugee camps. Beate Becker has come to know Ramallah as an open city where a person can feel at home. In our interview she talks of the city’s charms, the art of improvisation and her unforgettable experience in no man’s land.More ...

Michael Chand on Kathmandu: “We Are Used to Chaos”

(20 October 2010) Just thinking of the breathtaking landscape of the Himalayas sends German holidaymakers into raptures – thinking of Germany triggers enthusiasm in young Nepalese in particular. The head of the Goethe Centre in Kathmandu talks about the desire to learn German, the great passion of the Nepalese for festivities of all kinds and their eternal search for peace.More ...

Rüdiger Bolz on Athens: “My Table is Your Table”

(8 September 2010) “Why doesn’t Angela Merkel like us?” It’s the question Rüdiger Bolz hears most often. In this interview, the director of the Goethe-Institut Athens tells us how the Greeks can be salvaged, what we can learn from them and that it’s simply impossible to plan your dream project.More ...

Judith Geare on New Zealand: “We Never Turn on the Heat”

(6 August 2010) German is the language of love – at least it is for many New Zealanders. That’s what Judith Geare says and she ought to know: Geare is not only the head of the language department at the Goethe-Institut Wellington, but also a New Zealander. We talk with her about rugby, nature and warm jumpers.More ...

Eleonore Ellwanger on Romania: Think Schnapps, Not Dracula

(7. Juli 2010) Corruption, crime and communism: Romania has been part of the EU since 2007 and yet the Eastern European country still grapples with negative associations. Eleonore Ellwanger tells us why they are mistaken and how good life can be in the diversified city of Bucharest.More ...

Jens Rösler on Shanghai: “Chinese Isn’t Difficult”

(4. Juni 2010) In China, the people work seven days a week, eat dogs and never heard the word individualism. Jens Rösler from the Goethe-Institut in Shanghai reveals the truth behind the stereotypes.More ...

Kaie Kukk on Estonia: “Even We Have a Beer Festival”

(7 April 2010) The Estonians have reason to be happy: the euro will soon be introduced and next year, Tallinn can proudly wear the title European Capital of Culture. Kaie Kukk reports on eternal icicles, Estonian inventiveness and the wealth of festivals.More ...

Wolf Iro on Moscow: “Personal Freedom in a Traffic Jam”

(4 March 2010) Muscovites love their cars – even if they spend more time standing still in them than driving. The status of the theatre in Russia and why many have an almost too positive image of Germany – nine answers from Wolf Iro, the head of cultural programme work at the Goethe-Institut Moscow.More ...

Raimund Wördemann on Seoul: "It Makes Traditional Western Ways Seem Strange"

(5 February 2010) They live in a divided land, so many Koreans are particularly interested in reunified Germany. Raimund Wördemann, director of the Goethe-Institut Korea reports on opinions of the "Berlin-Bonn Model," traps in hotel rooms and party-crazed Koreans.More ...

Anja Geissel on Singapore: “Food, Food, Food!”

(4 January 2010) The Singaporeans are gourmets, yet they are also bureaucrats. Their laws are strict, but they are tolerant towards anyone who is ethnically or culturally different. How does the balance of diversity work? Anja Geissel, who has been the head of the language department at the Goethe-Institut Singapore for three months, reports.More ...

Jana Binder on São Paulo: "Forget About Rhythm!"

(4 December 2009) Political scandals, crime and filth: that is the image of São Paulo. Jana Binder reveals what really makes the megacity tick. In our interview, the director of the cultural department talks about urban design, the anarchy of places and the fine art of “jeitinho”.More ...

Jutta Gehrig on Belgrade: “Our Guests Are Always Thrilled”

(3 November2009) The people in Belgrade like most of all to spend their time in the cafés. What they read there and why many of them wonder whether Germans think poorly of Serbs are some questions answered by the director of the Goethe-Institut Belgrade, Jutta Gehrig.More ...

Klaus Krischok on Sydney: “The Best Vietnamese Noodle Soup Outside Hanoi”

(3 October 2009) Is beer really a food and not a beverage in Germany? Klaus Krischok is often asked this question in Australia. The director of the Goethe-Institut in Sydney is always surprised by the great interest in Germany. Nine answers to questions about water, prejudices and the “Berlin factor.”More ...

Katharina von Ruckteschell about Johannesburg: “You Are in Africa and at the Same Time Not in Africa”

(4 September 2009) Institute directors around the world answer nine questions to offer insights into their daily work, the particularities and mysteries of their cities and cultural pointers you won’t find in any travel guides.More ...

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