Kultur Ensemble

The German-French Cultural Institute in Ramallah will operate with immediate effect under the joint brand name Kultur Ensemble.

The plan for a bilateral cultural institute stems from the "Aachen Treaty." This was signed by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on January 22, 2019. The "Aachen Treaty" aims to strengthen Franco-German cultural cooperation. The first Kultur Ensemble was opened in Palermo in June 2021 under the direction of the Goethe-Institut Palermo and the Institut français Palermo. In Ramallah, the second Kultur Ensemble opened in June 2022. Together, the Goethe-Institut Ramallah and the Institut français Ramallah organize a wide-ranging cultural program here in the shared premises.
 

Part of the joint property since autumn 2021 is also a Third Place. This was officially inaugurated with the announcement of the Kultur Ensemble. Since 2019, the transformation of the library into a Third Place has involved collaboration with Dutch agency Includi, led by Aat Vos, Ramallah-based architecture firm Saed Obaid, and local design studio Topaz Interiors. Third Places are new places of social bonds and collective initiatives. In this sense, the Third Place in Ramallah is intended to be a place for informal meetings, creative ideas and collective projects. It includes, among other things, a classic library, a cultural café, a maker space and a stage. The implementation of Includi's concept is intended to create a place for local Palestinian communities that is welcoming, safe and inspiring.