Karachi Branch Reopens after a Two-Year Break
Founded in 1956, the German cultural institute had to be closed in for safety reasons in 2002, following the bombing of a nearby hotel in the centre of the city.
Situated at the heart of the humming metropolis with its 14 million inhabitants, the new Goethe Institute will provide its visitors, customers and German and Pakistani staff with a safe and attractive working environment which will allow the institute to pursue its activities in full.
Dialogue with Islam
These will focus on the sociopolitical exchange which has been intensively encouraged under the motto of "Dialogue with Islam" since 2001.
Forums for discussing the role of education and religion in the state and society and initiatives to strengthen social, civilian and democratic constitutional structures are planned, says head of the institute Petra Raymond in Karachi.
In addition to providing a platform for information and debate, the Goethe Institute will also be supporting cooperative ventures between young Pakistani artists and German partners.
"In Pakistan there is a keen interest in forging links with the international dance, theatre, film and literary scene. The Goethe Institute can act as a catalyst here," Raymond continues.
The Goethe Institute also sees the reopening as an opportunity to modernise the range of information and language services available in Karachi.
Readers and learners will now have an internet café at their disposal, plus multimedia classrooms, a gallery and a tropical garden which can also be used for special events.
Besides the institute in Karachi the Goethe-Institut also runs the Annemarie Schimmel House in Lahore. The Goethe Institute here, named after Islam scholar Annemarie Schimmel, offers language tuition, library and information services and also various programmes of cultural events.
© Goethe Institute 2004