The Goethe-Institut USA stands in solidarity with the Black community against acts of violence, hatred and racism. Our efforts at promoting a transatlantic relationship between Germany and the United States would be for naught if we stood by in silence during a time of great unrest and upheaval. We are privileged to be located in cities throughout the US with rich Black history, culture, and activism, and we stand with our neighbors in this time.

How does the past take shape? What happens in the process of coming to terms with the past? What social repercussions are associated with the rooting of history in monuments and memorials? How can those narratives be shifted or upended through alternative, innovative approaches to memorialization? Learn more about our ongoing project Shaping the Past, a partnership between Monument Lab, the Goethe-Institut, and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (German Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb).

We are excited to welcome the new director of the Goethe-Institut Chicago, Dr. Leonhard Emmerling. His most recent post was at Max Müller Bhavan Delhi (the Goethe-Institut in New Delhi, India) where he served as the Regional Programm Director for South Asia. The Goethe-Institut Chicago team is looking forward to his exciting programming ideas and innovative leadership and is excited to get to work with Leonhard for the next six years in Chicago.