German-American Institute Heidelberg
The German-American Institute Heidelberg (DAI) is a cultural institution in Heidelberg that is dedicated to international exchange. One focus is the transatlantic dialogue between Germany and America. There are a total of ten DAIs in Germany with different orientations. The Heidelberg House is the largest and most widely positioned. As a “place of the free spirit”, the main topics are science, literature and politics. Around half a million visitors (DAI annual report 2014) come to the DAI every year, the circle of friends has over 4500 members.
history
After the end of the war, the central task of the “America Houses” in Germany was to promote the democratization of Germans based on America as a model. Its main task was to represent the USA and re-education through information. The whole diversity of American culture, politics and society should be represented - also critically. In 1946, the " Amerika-Haus " opened in Heidelberg with a library that also offered international newspapers. The demand was so great that an “America House on Wheels” supplied the rural population around Heidelberg with literature and the press . At the beginning of the 1960s the library's holdings had grown to 17,000 copies; today there are over 20,000, plus around 3,000 DVDs and audio books, as well as numerous English-language newspapers and magazines. In 1951 the "Amerikahaus" moved from Hauptstrasse to Sofienstraße 12, where it is still located. It has been called the German-American Institute since the late 1970s.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was mainly the demonstrators against the Vietnam War that saw the building as a branch of the US government. In 1978, Jakob Köllhofer (director of the DAI since 1987) was a program manager who was open to new trends. Among other things, he invited Rudi Dutschke , the icon of the student movement, to the DAI in Heidelberg, but also organized panel discussions on US foreign policy under President Jimmy Carter with US soldiers stationed in Heidelberg. Today the DAI is one of the leading cultural institutions in the country.
There has been a close cooperation with the Heidelberg Ruprecht-Karls-Universität since the 1970s, and even today many DAI events take place in the university's premises. On May 15, 1969, the DAI was in the national public focus when the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude covered the DAI with over 1900 meters of white foil. The initiator and organizer of the Christo action, in which the slate roof of the building was unintentionally damaged, was the local poster artist and lawyer Klaus Staeck , for whom this art action turned into a financial debacle.
The facility is supported by the Schurman Society. V., named after the former US ambassador and sponsor of Heidelberg University, Jacob Gould Schurman . The DAI is mainly financed by the City of Heidelberg, the Friends of the DAI, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also receives support from the American embassy. A large part of the budget is generated by the DAI itself.
Cultural activities
Festivals
The DAI is the organizer of several large festivals.
The International Science Festival - Geist Heidelberg has been taking place in the Heidelberg DAI since 2011. For six to eight weeks, the DAI invites renowned scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, well-known authors and representatives of leading international institutions. The top-class festival is aimed at a broad public, but is also valued by experts. The festival guests included Noam Chomsky , Harald zur Hausen, Iris Berben and Harald Lesch ,
As part of the company founded in 2014 International Guitar Festival Heidelberg were among others already Göran Söllscher and Pepe Romero in Heidelberg guest. Internationally successful pianists can also be heard regularly at the Heidelberg Piano Week , which has been organized in cooperation with the turn-of-the-century society since 1988 .
Since 2002 historical and modern silent films have been shown at the “ International Festival of Silent Film and Live Music ”. The films are accompanied by music from all genres and with different cast.
Literary Center Heidelberg
On December 1, 2014, Heidelberg received the title “ UNESCO City of Literature ”, a good year later, on January 22, 2016, the “Heidelberg Literary Center” (LiZ) was founded in the DAI. The aim of the LiZ is to “literarise the whole city” (DAI boss Köllhofer) and to bundle the activities that have been going on for decades. The LiZ is guest at various locations across the city. In addition to well-known writers such as Günter Grass, Martin Walser, Jorge Semprun or TC Boyle, more often unknown authors are invited to readings or discussions. The focus here is not on the consumption of texts, but on the creative engagement with the author and his work.
Library
The DAI library is the only public English-speaking library in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. It is a place for many different social activities and seminars. The English-speaking “Discussion Groups” and the “Library Book Club” meet regularly. In the “Writers' Room” workshops since 2014, young scriptwriters have been designing TV series based on the US model. The project is attracting attention across Germany.
Events
With its daily events on literature, society, politics and science, the DAI addresses a broad target group in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and beyond. This includes readings, lectures, conferences (since 2010 empathy conference, since 2011 “Meaning of Life” conference), panel discussions, concerts and poetry slams. Prominent guests who accepted the invitation from the DAI include the Dalai Lama , Vint Cerf and Noam Chomsky .
additional offers
Kindergartens: The DAI is the sponsor of two international, English-speaking kindergartens in the Heidelberg districts of Altstadt and Neuenheim with a total of 150 places. Children from twenty countries between the ages of two and six are looked after and instructed in English in small groups and not only learn the language, but are also made familiar with the most diverse cultures. There are two carers for every twelve to 14 children. The kindergarten fee is graded according to the parents' income. There are sponsorships for children from refugee families.
“HD Ink - Ideas on Paper!” Is based on the model of the “826 Valencia” initiative founded by the American author Dave Eggers . The aim is to promote the language skills of young people, with or without a migration background, through literature and creative writing. Volunteer tutors with educational experience teach in learning tandems between six and sixteen year olds. The project's patron is Bülent Ceylan .
The “One World Language School” of the DAI offers language courses and language holiday camps for children and adults at various levels for the languages English, German and Spanish. Native speaking teachers teach in small groups.
The DAI also provides a makerspace and provides technology and equipment that visitors can use to get creative themselves. The project is also aimed at young and adult refugees. The young inventors are supervised on a voluntary basis by students, technicians and craftsmen. The exchange takes place in the weekly “Makers Meetup” and in workshops. The “Raumfänger”, a mobile, inflatable event room, was developed and built from the makerspace.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ "Heidelberg must and should keep moving" . ( rnz.de [accessed on February 22, 2017]).
- ↑ ruprecht - Heidelberg student newspaper :: www.ruprecht.de - Xeneris media :: www.xeneris.net: :: www.ruprecht.de. Retrieved February 22, 2017 .
- ↑ The art does not take place in the hall - the poster artist Klaus Staeck , documentary by Andreas Ammer , 60 minutes, 2019, produced by SWR television
- ↑ Imprint - German-American Institute. House of Culture. In: DAI German . ( dai-heidelberg.de [accessed on February 22, 2017]).
- ^ Heidelberg Literary Center: "Telling against the brutalization of our time" . ( rnz.de [accessed on February 22, 2017]).
- ↑ Urs Humpenöder: "Writers' Room": We now make our series ourselves . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . March 5, 2016, ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed February 22, 2017]).
- ^ The international kindergartens of the DAI - German-American Institute. House of Culture. In: DAI German . ( dai-heidelberg.de [accessed on February 22, 2017]).
- ↑ A mobile event tent from Heidelberg: inflate it, done! ( rnz.de [accessed on February 22, 2017]).
Coordinates: 49 ° 24 ′ 28 " N , 8 ° 41 ′ 38" E