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Welcome

... to the Goethe-Institut Washington, the globally active cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany. We promote international cultural exchange, support the learning and teaching of the German language abroad, and create spaces for ideas, education, and social dialogue. Since opening our doors in 1990, our location in the District of Columbia has been a hub for transatlantic networking and open discourse.

Goethe-Institut Washington at LIZ DC © Five Squares Development

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1990-2025: Goethe-Institut Washington

For 35 years, the Goethe-Institut Washington has been a vibrant hub for intercultural exchange, presenting a rich and diverse cultural program. Its offerings range from conferences, lectures, and discussions to film screenings, concerts across genres, author readings, and visual, theatrical, and dance productions. Over the decades, the Institute has welcomed numerous distinguished German and American artists, scholars, and intellectuals. As a key contributor to German-American cultural relations, the Goethe-Institut Washington plays a vital role in fostering transatlantic dialogue. Explore our “Best of” timeline and celebrate decades of creativity, exchange, and trust as we step into a new year together.

Bird's eye perspective of the building that houses the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC with a banner that says "35 years Goethe-Institut Washington" @ Goethe-Institut © Goethe-Institut

Goethe-Institut USA

Your Experts for Learning German

Join our free trial sessions

We offer free 60-minute trial sessions, giving you the opportunity to learn more about our online courses and different formats before our next course term starts.

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Next:

May and June

Trial Classes © Goethe-Institut

The Goethe-Institut USA is Germany's offical cultural center with  convenient and effective German online courses as well as internationally recognized language certificates.

As the international market leader for German courses, we bring you unparalleled expertise and a commitment to delivering top-notch language education.

  • online group, individual and business courses for all levels
  • professional and highly trained instructors
  • state-of-the-art, interactive, and fun teaching methods

All courses

All Exams

Teaching German

Information for German teachers, such as teaching materials and professional development opportunities.

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Explore online

  • 24/7 | Online | Streaming films

    Goethe on Demand

    Stream all of the Goethe-Institut’s curated series of German films from one platform, always for free. With more films available than ever, the hardest choice will be picking one to watch first. Presented as a part of Among Friends – Unter Freunden, a campaign of the Goethe-Institut USA to celebrate and strengthen transatlantic friendship. Start streaming the expanded selection now!

    Scene from the film “No One's with the Calves” Photo (detail): © Filmwelt Weydemann Photo (detail): © Filmwelt Weydemann

  • Gegenüber Magazine

    Gegenüber connects perspectives from across (German:gegenüber) the Atlantic, in Germany and North America. Our editorial team and contributors from Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Germany, and the United States offer balanced perspectives with multimedia pieces on societal issues, art, business, and science.Gegenüber tackles transatlantic topics, regional quirks, and common denominators, offering a political interpretation of culture and a cultural interpretation of politics.

    Logo Gegenüber Magazine © Goethe-Institut © Goethe-Institut

  • eLibrary

    Onleihe is the free digital library of the Goethe-Institut. We offer access to over 20,000 German-language e-books, audiobooks, learning materials for German learners, magazines, newspapers, and streaming films and more — all available for free with no subscription and no ads.

Visit Us Goethe-Institut Washington

Address

1377 R St. NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009
USA

Contact

Phone

+1 202 847 4700

Email

info-washington@goethe.de

Opening Hours

Mon-Thur:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Fri:
available online (closed to the public)
Registration:
germancourses-usa@goethe.de

Our staff

Goethe-Institut Washington Event Space © Goethe-Institut Washington

  • Contact and opening hours

    Get all the details at a glance: opening hours, contact options, directions on how to get here, and public closure days. Click here to plan your visit.

  • Rent our event space

    Host your next event at the Goethe-Institut. Our conference and event spaces are available Monday–Friday, 9 AM–8 PM, and are free of charge for qualifying nonprofit organizations promoting diversity and mutual understanding (other contributions apply). Please note that availability is limited.

  • Career

    The world is your oyster! Our work culture is defined by diversity, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Want to join the team? Click here to view our current job openings.

  • Sponsors

    Want to support our work? Become a member of the Friends of the Goethe-Institut (FoGI) to promote our mission and make our projects more visible in the community. Let’s be friends!