Gitte Zschoch will become the new Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut. This decision was made by the Goethe-Institut’s Executive Board during a special meeting. Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has officially confirmed the appointment of Gitte Zschoch as the new Secretary General. She will assume the position on July 18, 2026.

Gesche Joost, President of the Goethe-Institut, emphasized the important role of the Secretary General and Chair of the Executive Board when announcing the appointment: “In Gitte Zschoch, we have gained a proven expert in foreign cultural and educational policy who also knows our institution well. Her national and international networks in culture and politics, her extensive experience in leading and modernizing an organization, and her deep knowledge of the Goethe-Institut make Gitte Zschoch particularly well-suited for this role—I am very much looking forward to working with her. With Gitte Zschoch as Secretary General and Commercial Director Doreen Kirmse, the Goethe-Institut is very well positioned to move forward as a team.”

Joost also thanked the selection committee, which conducted the multi-stage selection process on behalf of the Executive Board. The appointment of the new Secretary General followed an open call for applications.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed the appointment of Gitte Zschoch: “The Goethe-Institut is a cornerstone of our foreign cultural and educational policy. Around the world, its contribution to cultural exchange, the promotion of the German language as well as a positive image of Germany is indispensable. In appointing Gitte Zschoch as the new Secretary General, the Goethe-Institut’s Executive Board has chosen a leader who possesses many years of experience in international cultural and educational policy, has an excellent international network, and brings the necessary courage to drive change. She is therefore ideally qualified to position the Goethe-Institut for the future. I would like to thank the outgoing Secretary General, Johannes Ebert, for his many years of tireless dedication to the Goethe-Institut.”

Commenting on her appointment, Gitte Zschoch said: “I am very much looking forward to the responsibility of leading the Goethe-Institut and guiding it into the future together with its governing bodies and team. With its network spanning over 100 countries, the Goethe-Institut is a globally prominent and vital institution for Germany and its role in the world. Through its work in language and culture, it fosters trust and understanding among people across national borders and actively contributes to an image of Germany that stands for freedom, openness, and democracy. The task now is to continue strengthening the Institute and its network and to develop them strategically—exactly because certainties are currently shifting and authoritarian tendencies are on the rise worldwide. We must utilize the networks we have built to keep channels of dialogue open, even in times of crisis. I thank the President and the Executive Board, as well as the Federal Foreign Office, for their trust.”

Gitte Zschoch has been Secretary General of the ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations since October 2021. The ifa is one of the key players in Germany’s foreign cultural and educational policy and is responsible for the German Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale, which attracts 600,000 visitors. From 2018 to 2021, she headed the network of European national cultural institutes, EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture, in Brussels. Prior to that, she held various positions at the Goethe-Institut starting in 2009: in Seoul, Tokyo, Johannesburg, and at the Munich headquarters as Deputy Head of Communications, and most recently from 2015 to 2018 as Founding Director of the Goethe-Institut in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gitte Zschoch studied comparative literature at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and completed her master’s degree in modern Korean literature at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea, where she also served as a lecturer in German. Since 2025, she has also been a member of the board of the EUNIC network, which she currently chairs as president.

Gitte Zschoch will assume the position of Secretary General and Chair of the Executive Board of the Goethe-Institut on July 18, 2026. Johannes Ebert, who has served as Secretary General since 2012, will remain in office until July 17, 2026, and will continue to promote strategically important initiatives during this time. He will then take over as director of the Goethe-Institut’s regional office in Athens, concluding his career abroad per his own request.

Gesche Joost thanked the current Secretary General, Johannes Ebert, for his many years of successful service to the Goethe-Institut and commended him for continuing to lead the institution with great energy until the summer and for actively shaping this transition in personnel.

The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, active worldwide. With 154 institutes in 100 countries, it promotes knowledge of the German language, fosters international cultural cooperation, and conveys a contemporary image of Germany. Through collaborations with partner organizations in numerous other locations, the Goethe-Institut has a total of around 1,000 locations worldwide.
www.goethe.de

Kontact:

Katrin Sohns
Spokesperson / Head of Strategic Communication, Media and Politics
Goethe-Institut
Hauptstadtbüro
Tel.: +49 30 25906 548
Katrin.Sohns@goethe.de