German-Nicaraguan Library

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The German-Nicaraguan Library and the Bertolt Brecht library bus have been working successfully in Nicaragua since 1993 and 1987, respectively .

The German-Nicaraguan Library

The German-Nicaraguan Library is a public reference library in Managua . It was founded in September 1993 and until 2001 was located on the premises of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Managua. On March 16, 2001, a larger library building could be moved into. It covers 463 square meters, has a large reading room with 65 user spaces and a book magazine that currently has space for over 14,000 books. Of these, 14% are school books, 33% national and international literature, 15% children's and young people's books, 38% non-fiction .

On average, more than 150 children and young people visit the library every day to do their schoolwork and to study, or to read, do handicrafts or play in the children's room. There are hardly any textbooks in Nicaraguan schools. This deficiency is compensated for in the library.

The German-Nicaraguan library is the only library in the country that has a comprehensive inventory of German literature in Spanish, consisting of literature, philosophy, psychology, religion, history, biographies and youth literature.

Bertolt Brecht book bus

Since March 1987 the "Bert Brecht" book bus has been supplying literature to four prisons and surrounding communities.

Currently (as of July 2010) the prisons in Granada , Matagalpa , Chinandega and the women's prison “La Esperanza” are served. Nicaragua's prisons can hardly provide medical or psychological support for prisoners - even less for education. The book bus makes it possible for inmates to receive further training. Therefore, books on coping with one's own life, self-knowledge, psychology, religion, philosophy and professional development are particularly in demand. National poets and international literature are also read. Many inmates do not learn to read and write until they are in custody. Therefore, children's books are often borrowed.

In addition to the work in the prisons, the book bus also drives to three rural communities to lend to schoolchildren. For them it is often the first contact with children's and youth literature. The books can be borrowed for a month.

The story of the project

  • 1984, May: Project founder Elisabeth Zilz visits Nicaragua for the first time. Development of the idea of ​​a book bus to quench the hunger for reading after the successful literacy campaign. Support of the project application by Ernesto Cardenal , Nicaragua's then Minister of Culture.
  • 1985, November: Establishment of the manual binding "Sophia Scholl" in Managua by a German bookbinder. Bookbinding still works today.
  • 1987, March: Commissioning of the first “Robur” bookbus and beginning of continuous work with the bookbus in Nicaragua in factories, prisons, social centers and with children in the countryside.
  • 1992, August: Foundation of the non-profit Frankfurt association "Ein Bücherbus in Nicaragua eV"
  • 1993, October: Establishment of the German-Nicaraguan Library on the premises of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Managua.
  • 1995: Purchase of the new book bus, brand "Toyota", to replace the old "Robur".
  • 1998, March: Founding of the Nicaraguan non-profit non-governmental organization Asociación Alemana - Nicaraguense de Cultura "Bertolt Brecht", ANAC.
  • 1998, September 8th: Award of the Federal Cross of Merit to the initiator of the project Elisabeth Zilz in Frankfurt am Main.
  • 2000: Donation of a piece of land by the City of Managua for the construction of the German - Nicaraguan Library in Managua.
  • 2001, March 16: Inauguration of the new library in the Linda Vista district.
  • 2008, January: Award of the "Rubèn Darìo" order, one of the highest honors in Nicaragua, to Elisabeth Zilz
  • 2009: The non-profit association Pan y Arte eV based in Münster takes over the financing of the project from the Frankfurt association “Ein Bücherbus in Nicaragua” eV.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://banmanagua.wordpress.com/
  2. ↑ http://banmanagua.wordpress.com/category/der-bucherbus/
  3. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from April 19, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bundesregierung.de

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