Dear Ministers, Media Colleagues, Goethe-Institut Munich head office staff,
We are writing from the Save the Goethe-Institut Kinowelt Committee in Toronto, Kanada and are providing for your information a copy of our correspondence with Dr. Professor Jutta Limbach, President of the Goethe-Institut in Münich.
Attached please find our original letter in English and German (dated 25 May 2007) and our third and most recent email message to Dr. Limbach (dated 30 July 2007), ALL still awaiting acknowledgment.
Inquiries regarding this unfortunate matter can be addressed to Scott Miller Berry [scott @ imagesfestival.com] or to Vera Frenkel [vfrenkel @ sympatico.ca]
With thanks for your kind attention, and best wishes,
Vera Frenkel
Scott Miller Berry
on behalf of a concerned intellectual and creative Canadian community
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
THE SILENCE OF GOETHE INSTITUT PRESIDENT DR. JUTTA LIMBACH
Subject: FYI : Re: Silence from Prof. Dr. Jutta Limbach
30 July 2007
Dear Professor Doctor Jutta Limbach,
Regarding the cancellation of the cultural facilities of the Goethe-Institut Toronto - in our view a short-sighted and unwise decision -- we have, as you know, written to you twice (on 29 June and 10 July 2007) and have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply.
You have received as well copies in both English and German of the
initial letter on this subject sent to key people in media and government
in both our countries, describing in detail the unhappy consequences of so
severely reducing the influence in Canada of this important institution.
We regret that, to date, you have chosen not to reply. From our combined
experience in the realm of international cultural production, exhibition, and
intellectual exchange, we cannot help but perceive your silence as an unfortunate and unprecedented discourtesy. This is quite disappointing, especially from a colleague whom we have, in the past, considered worthy of the highest honours.
It is not too late to respond and we hope you will do so as fully as possible, giving a clear account of the reasons for your negative decision regarding the Goethe-Institut's work in Canada, and prospects for a reversal of this decision. If your silence persists, however, you will understand that we will need to govern ourselves accordingly.
Sincere regards,
Scott Miller Berry, M.A.
Executive Director
Northern Visions International Festival of Independent Film/Video, New Media, Installation and Performance
THE IMAGES FESTIVAL
448-401 Richmond Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA
+1 (416) 971 8405 telephone
+1 (416) 971 7412 facsimile
http://www.imagesfestival.com
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
on behalf of the SAVE KINOWELT Committee
---------------------------
SENT 29 June + 10 July 2007:
Dear Professor Dr. Jutta Limbach,
I am writing at the suggestion of Mr. Alexander Farenholtz of the German Federal Cultural Foundation in Halle with whom my colleague Dr. Professor Vera Frenkel had the pleasure of meeting again in Kassel during Documenta 12.
We remember with appreciation and admiration your visit to Toronto in the fall of 2003 to receive your honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University and on behalf of the Save Kinowelt Committee in Toronto, are reaching out to you in a spirit of colleageality & comradeship from your second home in Toronto.
From the attached documents, you will of course perceive our sincere disappointment at the Goethe-Institut's decision to close its excellent and much-needed cultural facilities in downtown Toronto. There is every evidence that this decision will have a serious negative impact on collaborations and partnerships with Germans, with Canadians and international cultural entities in this most cosmopolitan -- according to UNESCO -- city in the world.
To provide you with a more detailed entree into the current situation, I have attached copies (in both German and English) of the letter that was sent not long ago tothe German Ministers of Finance & Culture and to selected representatives of the German media in order to to share Canada's dismay at this decision.
We would be most grateful if you could convey this information to your colleagues in Munich and elsewhere, and indeed to anyone who might be helpful in restoring to pride of place the facilities and programmes we have lost or their equivalent. In addition, if there are those you would recommend we contact, we would be pleased to pursue this further with interested parties, whether through correspondence, or in person.
Professor Frenkel has just returned from Kassel, and assures me she would be more than willing to host a visit of any colleague of yours that you would assign, as a member of the Royal Society of Canada (Academies of the Arts, Sciences and Humanities). She is also in a position to facilitate introductions that might be helpful to such a visitor, and would be pleased to do so.
With profound hopes for a positive outcome and heartfelt thanks for your assistance in this urgent matter.
Warm regards from Toronto,
Scott Miller Berry, M.A., Executive Director
THE IMAGES FESTIVAL
Northern Visions International Festival of Film, Video, New Media and Installation
448-401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA
+1 (416) 971 8405 telephone
+1 (416) 971 7412 facsimile
www.imagesfestival.com
on behalf of the SAVE KINOWELT Committee
30 July 2007
Dear Professor Doctor Jutta Limbach,
Regarding the cancellation of the cultural facilities of the Goethe-Institut Toronto - in our view a short-sighted and unwise decision -- we have, as you know, written to you twice (on 29 June and 10 July 2007) and have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply.
You have received as well copies in both English and German of the
initial letter on this subject sent to key people in media and government
in both our countries, describing in detail the unhappy consequences of so
severely reducing the influence in Canada of this important institution.
We regret that, to date, you have chosen not to reply. From our combined
experience in the realm of international cultural production, exhibition, and
intellectual exchange, we cannot help but perceive your silence as an unfortunate and unprecedented discourtesy. This is quite disappointing, especially from a colleague whom we have, in the past, considered worthy of the highest honours.
It is not too late to respond and we hope you will do so as fully as possible, giving a clear account of the reasons for your negative decision regarding the Goethe-Institut's work in Canada, and prospects for a reversal of this decision. If your silence persists, however, you will understand that we will need to govern ourselves accordingly.
Sincere regards,
Scott Miller Berry, M.A.
Executive Director
Northern Visions International Festival of Independent Film/Video, New Media, Installation and Performance
THE IMAGES FESTIVAL
448-401 Richmond Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA
+1 (416) 971 8405 telephone
+1 (416) 971 7412 facsimile
http://www.imagesfestival.com
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
on behalf of the SAVE KINOWELT Committee
---------------------------
SENT 29 June + 10 July 2007:
Dear Professor Dr. Jutta Limbach,
I am writing at the suggestion of Mr. Alexander Farenholtz of the German Federal Cultural Foundation in Halle with whom my colleague Dr. Professor Vera Frenkel had the pleasure of meeting again in Kassel during Documenta 12.
We remember with appreciation and admiration your visit to Toronto in the fall of 2003 to receive your honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University and on behalf of the Save Kinowelt Committee in Toronto, are reaching out to you in a spirit of colleageality & comradeship from your second home in Toronto.
From the attached documents, you will of course perceive our sincere disappointment at the Goethe-Institut's decision to close its excellent and much-needed cultural facilities in downtown Toronto. There is every evidence that this decision will have a serious negative impact on collaborations and partnerships with Germans, with Canadians and international cultural entities in this most cosmopolitan -- according to UNESCO -- city in the world.
To provide you with a more detailed entree into the current situation, I have attached copies (in both German and English) of the letter that was sent not long ago tothe German Ministers of Finance & Culture and to selected representatives of the German media in order to to share Canada's dismay at this decision.
We would be most grateful if you could convey this information to your colleagues in Munich and elsewhere, and indeed to anyone who might be helpful in restoring to pride of place the facilities and programmes we have lost or their equivalent. In addition, if there are those you would recommend we contact, we would be pleased to pursue this further with interested parties, whether through correspondence, or in person.
Professor Frenkel has just returned from Kassel, and assures me she would be more than willing to host a visit of any colleague of yours that you would assign, as a member of the Royal Society of Canada (Academies of the Arts, Sciences and Humanities). She is also in a position to facilitate introductions that might be helpful to such a visitor, and would be pleased to do so.
With profound hopes for a positive outcome and heartfelt thanks for your assistance in this urgent matter.
Warm regards from Toronto,
Scott Miller Berry, M.A., Executive Director
THE IMAGES FESTIVAL
Northern Visions International Festival of Film, Video, New Media and Installation
448-401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA
+1 (416) 971 8405 telephone
+1 (416) 971 7412 facsimile
www.imagesfestival.com
on behalf of the SAVE KINOWELT Committee
Sehr geehrter Herr Minister Peer Steinbrück
Toronto, 25. Mai 2007
Sehr geehrter Herr Minister Peer Steinbrück,
Vor einiger Zeit hat uns die beunruhigende Nachricht erreicht, dass das Goethe-Institut plant, seine kulturellen Einrichtungen in Toronto --- ein Kino (die Kinowelt Hall), eine Galerie und eine Bibliothek --- zum 30. Juni zu schließen.
Der Verlust dieser produktiven, vielseitigen und lebendigen öffentlichen Räume in Toronto, der bedeutsamsten kanadischen Stadt für die seit Jahren sorgsam gepflegte internationale Zusammenarbeit mit Deutschland, stellt einen schweren Rückschlag dar, sowohl für das kulturelle Leben in Toronto, aber auch für die deutschen Partnerstädte und die weltweiten Verbindungen.
In mehr als zehn Jahren beständiger und wegweisender Programmgestaltung mit Ausstellungen und Vorführungen in den genannten Räumlichkeiten hat das Goethe-Institut in Toronto eine Brücke zu internationalen Künstlern, Veranstaltungsorten und Diskursen aufgebaut. Als Ort der Gemeinschaft und ihres Austausches ist sein Bestehen von höchster Wichtigkeit. Die Entscheidung zur Schließung hat uns daher sowohl erstaunt als auch tief getroffen.
Wenn das Goethe-Institut künftig gezwungen sein wird, ausschließlich als Gast örtlicher Partnerinstitutionen zu arbeiten, wird es seine nachhaltig wirksame Konzentration und Fokussierung, durch die es im vergangenen Jahrzehnt seine herausragende Positionierung gewinnen konnte, verlieren. Die Projekte werden zwangsläufig fragmentarischer werden und das Institut wird sich stärker anpassen, und weit mehr dem jeweiligen Mandat und den lokalen Prioritäten der Partner unterordnen müssen.
Die Programme, mit denen das Institut die örtlichen Kulturinstitutionen bislang bereichert hat, waren stets in die Strukturen und Inhalte der Veranstaltungen des hauseigenen Kinos und der Galerie verankert, wurden durch sie vertieft und waren wohlüberlegt ausbalanciert. Dies lässt sich nicht einfach auf andere Veranstaltungsorte übertragen.
Im Namen aller Künstler, Autoren, Lehrenden, Kulturschaffenden und Politiker, die uns seit der Bekanntgabe der Schließungsentscheidung kontaktiert haben, sehen wir und gezwungen, hiermit zum Ausdruck bringen, dass die Beendigung der Kulturarbeit des Goethe-Instituts aus unserer Sicht als Fehlentscheidung wahrgenommen wird.
Wir können nicht nachvollziehen, warum das Goethe-Institut die öffentliche Präsenz eines seiner weltweit aktivsten und wichtigsten Zentren schließen möchte! Das Kino, die Bibliothek und die Galerie sind als bedeutsame Orte der Begegnung, sowie der Vermittlung, des Wachstums und des Erlebens von Kunst und anderen Eckpfeilern internationaler Kultur und Diskussion einer breiten Öffentlichkeit bekannt.
In Kanada haben die brückenschlagenden Initiativen und das Gesamtprogramm des Goethe-Instituts einen unschätzbaren Beitrag zu einer genaueren und einfühlsameren Wahrnehmung der Geschichte und Identität Deutschlands beigetragen, was das Leben für Deutsch-Kanadier und Gäste aus Deutschland sowohl kulturell bereichert als auch von Stereotypisierungen befreit hat.
Es liegt sicherlich im Interesse Deutschlands, die kulturellen Beziehungen, die in stabilen Ländern wie Kanada aufgebaut und gepflegt wurden, aufrecht zu erhalten.
Die Einrichtung der Goethe-Institute nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg mit ihrer grundlegenden Aufgabe, durch kulturellen Austausch die entstandenen Wunden zu heilen, ist bis heute begründet und wirksam und bleibt anerkanntes Vorbild für gegenwärtige und künftige Institutionen anderer Länder. Es ist für uns unvorstellbar, dass andere Nationen ihre grundlegenden kulturellen Einrichtungen am Leben erhalten, während die deutsche Präsenz abnimmt.
Die UNESCO hat Toronto zur weltweit multikulturellsten Stadt erklärt.
Toronto ist eine Stadt, in der 150 Sprachen gesprochen werden, und in der die ganze Welt zusammen kommt. Als kulturelle Einrichtung und inspirierende Kraft nimmt das Goethe-Institut in diesem internationalen Umfeld eine wichtige Position ein. Es wäre tragisch und unvernünftig, das zu gefährden.
Das Goethe-Institut Toronto hat einen wachsenden Austausch zwischen unseren Ländern gefördert und vielen kanadischen und deutschen Künstlern aller Disziplinen die wunderbare Möglichkeit gegeben, fruchtbare Beziehungen zu knüpfen -- das Goethe-Institut hier war nicht nur der Schlüssel zur deutschen Kultur, sondern zu Europa und noch darüber hinaus. Keinem anderen nichtakademischen Veranstaltungsort in der Stadt ist es so gut gelungen, die öffentliche Wahrnehmung auf europäische Perspektiven zu lenken, wie dem Goethe-Institut in Toronto.
Seit Mitte April haben Künstler, Akademiker, die Community und konsularische Partner in Toronto und außerhalb Kanadas ihren Bedenken Ausdruck verliehen. Eine Online-Petition wurde eingerichtet und ihre Inhalte werden an die beteiligten Parteien weitergeleitet, wie an den Generalsekretär Hans-Georg Knopp in München, der, wie auch der Leiter des Goethe-Instituts Toronto, der Leiter für Nordamerika in New York, sowie die Vorstandsmitglieder der Leitungsstelle in München dringend dazu aufgefordert wird, die Kinowelt Hall und die Galerie sowie die vollständige Bibliothek geöffnet und am Leben zu lassen. Darüber hinaus wurde zur Verbreitung und zum Austausch von Informationen eine Homepage erstellt, um Informationen auszutauschen und zu verbreiten.
Zusammengefasst möchten wir die deutsche Regierung und das Goethe-Institut dringend auffordern, darüber nachzudenken, was für einen schweren Verlust diese angekündigte Maßnahme bedeutet und dass sie dem, was wir bislang stets für die Aufgabe des Goethe-Instituts gehalten haben, grundlegend widerspricht. Das Goethe-Institut ist eine der besten Kultureinrichtungen weltweit und ihr Fundament ist die Einsicht, dass Kultur Leben verändern kann. Es sind nicht nur die Entwicklungsländer, die von dieser Aufgabe profitieren müssen, auch wir hier in Kanada brauchen und verdienen ohne Frage diesen Austausch, wie auch – wie wir meinen - Deutschland ihn braucht, und wir hoffen wirklich, dass das Auswärtige Amt und das Finanzministerium in Deutschland, wie auch die Leitung des Goethe-Instituts, diese problematische und kontraproduktive Entscheidung überdenken, und die Schließung der Einrichtungen, von denen die wichtigen Kulturprogramme abhängen, in vollem Umfang rückgängig machen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governnor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
Scott Miller Berry, M.A.
Executive Director, The Images Festival, Toronto
Im Namen des Save Kinowelt Committee
Toronto, CANADA
*Die "SAVE KINOWELT" Petition finden Sie unter:
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07
**Besuchen Sie auch unserer Homepage für weitere Informaionen: http://savekinowelt.blogspot.com
Sehr geehrter Herr Minister Peer Steinbrück,
Vor einiger Zeit hat uns die beunruhigende Nachricht erreicht, dass das Goethe-Institut plant, seine kulturellen Einrichtungen in Toronto --- ein Kino (die Kinowelt Hall), eine Galerie und eine Bibliothek --- zum 30. Juni zu schließen.
Der Verlust dieser produktiven, vielseitigen und lebendigen öffentlichen Räume in Toronto, der bedeutsamsten kanadischen Stadt für die seit Jahren sorgsam gepflegte internationale Zusammenarbeit mit Deutschland, stellt einen schweren Rückschlag dar, sowohl für das kulturelle Leben in Toronto, aber auch für die deutschen Partnerstädte und die weltweiten Verbindungen.
In mehr als zehn Jahren beständiger und wegweisender Programmgestaltung mit Ausstellungen und Vorführungen in den genannten Räumlichkeiten hat das Goethe-Institut in Toronto eine Brücke zu internationalen Künstlern, Veranstaltungsorten und Diskursen aufgebaut. Als Ort der Gemeinschaft und ihres Austausches ist sein Bestehen von höchster Wichtigkeit. Die Entscheidung zur Schließung hat uns daher sowohl erstaunt als auch tief getroffen.
Wenn das Goethe-Institut künftig gezwungen sein wird, ausschließlich als Gast örtlicher Partnerinstitutionen zu arbeiten, wird es seine nachhaltig wirksame Konzentration und Fokussierung, durch die es im vergangenen Jahrzehnt seine herausragende Positionierung gewinnen konnte, verlieren. Die Projekte werden zwangsläufig fragmentarischer werden und das Institut wird sich stärker anpassen, und weit mehr dem jeweiligen Mandat und den lokalen Prioritäten der Partner unterordnen müssen.
Die Programme, mit denen das Institut die örtlichen Kulturinstitutionen bislang bereichert hat, waren stets in die Strukturen und Inhalte der Veranstaltungen des hauseigenen Kinos und der Galerie verankert, wurden durch sie vertieft und waren wohlüberlegt ausbalanciert. Dies lässt sich nicht einfach auf andere Veranstaltungsorte übertragen.
Im Namen aller Künstler, Autoren, Lehrenden, Kulturschaffenden und Politiker, die uns seit der Bekanntgabe der Schließungsentscheidung kontaktiert haben, sehen wir und gezwungen, hiermit zum Ausdruck bringen, dass die Beendigung der Kulturarbeit des Goethe-Instituts aus unserer Sicht als Fehlentscheidung wahrgenommen wird.
Wir können nicht nachvollziehen, warum das Goethe-Institut die öffentliche Präsenz eines seiner weltweit aktivsten und wichtigsten Zentren schließen möchte! Das Kino, die Bibliothek und die Galerie sind als bedeutsame Orte der Begegnung, sowie der Vermittlung, des Wachstums und des Erlebens von Kunst und anderen Eckpfeilern internationaler Kultur und Diskussion einer breiten Öffentlichkeit bekannt.
In Kanada haben die brückenschlagenden Initiativen und das Gesamtprogramm des Goethe-Instituts einen unschätzbaren Beitrag zu einer genaueren und einfühlsameren Wahrnehmung der Geschichte und Identität Deutschlands beigetragen, was das Leben für Deutsch-Kanadier und Gäste aus Deutschland sowohl kulturell bereichert als auch von Stereotypisierungen befreit hat.
Es liegt sicherlich im Interesse Deutschlands, die kulturellen Beziehungen, die in stabilen Ländern wie Kanada aufgebaut und gepflegt wurden, aufrecht zu erhalten.
Die Einrichtung der Goethe-Institute nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg mit ihrer grundlegenden Aufgabe, durch kulturellen Austausch die entstandenen Wunden zu heilen, ist bis heute begründet und wirksam und bleibt anerkanntes Vorbild für gegenwärtige und künftige Institutionen anderer Länder. Es ist für uns unvorstellbar, dass andere Nationen ihre grundlegenden kulturellen Einrichtungen am Leben erhalten, während die deutsche Präsenz abnimmt.
Die UNESCO hat Toronto zur weltweit multikulturellsten Stadt erklärt.
Toronto ist eine Stadt, in der 150 Sprachen gesprochen werden, und in der die ganze Welt zusammen kommt. Als kulturelle Einrichtung und inspirierende Kraft nimmt das Goethe-Institut in diesem internationalen Umfeld eine wichtige Position ein. Es wäre tragisch und unvernünftig, das zu gefährden.
Das Goethe-Institut Toronto hat einen wachsenden Austausch zwischen unseren Ländern gefördert und vielen kanadischen und deutschen Künstlern aller Disziplinen die wunderbare Möglichkeit gegeben, fruchtbare Beziehungen zu knüpfen -- das Goethe-Institut hier war nicht nur der Schlüssel zur deutschen Kultur, sondern zu Europa und noch darüber hinaus. Keinem anderen nichtakademischen Veranstaltungsort in der Stadt ist es so gut gelungen, die öffentliche Wahrnehmung auf europäische Perspektiven zu lenken, wie dem Goethe-Institut in Toronto.
Seit Mitte April haben Künstler, Akademiker, die Community und konsularische Partner in Toronto und außerhalb Kanadas ihren Bedenken Ausdruck verliehen. Eine Online-Petition wurde eingerichtet und ihre Inhalte werden an die beteiligten Parteien weitergeleitet, wie an den Generalsekretär Hans-Georg Knopp in München, der, wie auch der Leiter des Goethe-Instituts Toronto, der Leiter für Nordamerika in New York, sowie die Vorstandsmitglieder der Leitungsstelle in München dringend dazu aufgefordert wird, die Kinowelt Hall und die Galerie sowie die vollständige Bibliothek geöffnet und am Leben zu lassen. Darüber hinaus wurde zur Verbreitung und zum Austausch von Informationen eine Homepage erstellt, um Informationen auszutauschen und zu verbreiten.
Zusammengefasst möchten wir die deutsche Regierung und das Goethe-Institut dringend auffordern, darüber nachzudenken, was für einen schweren Verlust diese angekündigte Maßnahme bedeutet und dass sie dem, was wir bislang stets für die Aufgabe des Goethe-Instituts gehalten haben, grundlegend widerspricht. Das Goethe-Institut ist eine der besten Kultureinrichtungen weltweit und ihr Fundament ist die Einsicht, dass Kultur Leben verändern kann. Es sind nicht nur die Entwicklungsländer, die von dieser Aufgabe profitieren müssen, auch wir hier in Kanada brauchen und verdienen ohne Frage diesen Austausch, wie auch – wie wir meinen - Deutschland ihn braucht, und wir hoffen wirklich, dass das Auswärtige Amt und das Finanzministerium in Deutschland, wie auch die Leitung des Goethe-Instituts, diese problematische und kontraproduktive Entscheidung überdenken, und die Schließung der Einrichtungen, von denen die wichtigen Kulturprogramme abhängen, in vollem Umfang rückgängig machen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governnor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
Scott Miller Berry, M.A.
Executive Director, The Images Festival, Toronto
Im Namen des Save Kinowelt Committee
Toronto, CANADA
*Die "SAVE KINOWELT" Petition finden Sie unter:
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07
**Besuchen Sie auch unserer Homepage für weitere Informaionen: http://savekinowelt.blogspot.com
Friday, May 25, 2007
Letter to German Ministers and Press
Toronto : 25 May 2007
Bundesminsister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Bundesfinanzminister Peer Steinbrück
Dienstsitz Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 97
10117 Berlin
Dear Ministers Steinmeier and Steinbrück,
We have received the very disturbing news that the Goethe-Institut plans to close their cultural facilities in Toronto -- the cinema, gallery and library -- effective 30th June 2007.
To lose an active public space in Canada's most important city for ongoing and carefully nurtured international collaborations and presentations between Germany and Canada is a dreadful setback to cultural programming for Toronto, sister cities in Germany and international locations elsewhere.
With more than ten years of consistently groundbreaking programming and presentation in the present Toronto premises the Goethe-Institut Toronto has provided a bridge to international artists, venues and dialogues, and is of the utmost importance as a haven for community building and exchange. We are both baffled and deeply saddened by this decision.
If the Goethe-Institut Toronto is forced to work solely as a guest within local partner venues, it will not be able to sustain the same long term impact and focus that has been its unique trademark over the past decade. The projects will by definition become more fragmented, and the Institut forced to fit in where it can and to bend far more to the mandate and priorities of its local partners. The programming that the Institut already contributes to local cultural institutions is anchored, intensified and wisely balanced by the structure and content of the events in the Goethe-Institut's own Toronto cinema and gallery, much of which could simply not be transplanted into outside venues.
Speaking for the artists, writers, educators, cultural workers and city councillors, who have approached us since the announcement, we must state how misguided, in our view, this cultural closing of the Goethe-Institut is seen to be.
We cannot understand why the Goethe-Institut would close the public face of one of its most active and relevant world centres! The cinema, library and gallery are widely known as essential spaces for meeting, learning, growing and experiencing art and other cornerstones of international culture and discussion. In Canada, the bridge-building initiatives and overall programming of the Goethe-Institut have contributed immeasurably to a more accurate and empathetic perception of Germany history and identity, making life in general for German-Canadians and guests from Germany both richer culturally and less troubled by stereotyping.
It is certainly in Germany's interest to sustain the cultural relationships that have been planted and nurtured in stable countries such as Canada. The post-WWII establishment of the Goethe-Instituts and its underlying mission to heal via cultural exchange the wounds that followed is both necessary and effective to this day and remains a respected example for the current and prospective institutions of other countries. It remains unthinkable that other nations will maintain substantial cultural facilities in Toronto, while the German presence shrinks.
Toronto has been designated by UNESCO as the most multicultural city in the world. Toronto is a city where over 150 languages are spoken and the whole world meets. As a cultural venue and inspiring force the Goethe-Institut fulfills an important position within this international framework. It would be both tragic and foolish to see this jeopardized.
The Goethe-Institut Toronto has fostered a growing exchange between both our countries and has given many Canadian and German artists in all disciplines the wonderful opportunity to forge fruitful relationships -- the Goethe-Institut here in Toronto has been the key to opening the doors not only to German culture but to Europe and beyond. No other non-academic venue in the city has been able to open up public perception to the European perspective like the Goethe-Institut in Toronto.
Since mid-April, artists, academics, community and consular partners in Toronto and across Canada have expressed their concerns. An online petition has been set up and details will be forwarded to the most interested parties such as: Secretary-General Hans-Georg Knopp in Munich, urging him and the Director of the Goethe-Institut Toronto, the Regional Director for North America in New York, and Dr. Knopp's co-directors at the head office of the Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany, to keep open and active the Kinowelt cinema and gallery, as well as the full library of this vital centre. We have also set up a website for information sharing and dissemination.
In summary, we are urging the German government and the Goethe-Institut to seriously consider what a tremendous loss this proposed action is and that it goes against what we have always understood to be the Goethe's mission. The Goethe is one of the finest cultural institutes in the world and has understood well that culture can change lives. It is not only the developing world that needs to benefit from this mission; we here in Canada unquestionably still need and deserve the benefit of this exchange, as we believe does Germany, and we truly hope that the Auswaertiges Amt and the Ministry of Finance in Germany as well as the leadership of the Goethe-Institut will reconsider this very troubling and counterproductive decision and restore to full and proper function the facilities on which the Institut's important cultural programmes depend.
Sincerely yours,
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governnor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist,
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
Scott Miller Berry, M.A. Executive Director,
Northern Visions Independent Film & Video Association
o/a The Images Festival of Independent Film/Video, Installation, Performance and New Media
Toronto
On behalf of the Save Kinowelt Committee
Toronto, CANADA
*The "SAVE KINOWELT" petition is available here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07
With copies of this letter sent to:
Der Spiegel Director of the "´Kultur" department Dr. Romain Leick Brandstwiete 19 20457 Hamburg
Der Tagesspiegel
Leiter der Kulturabteilung
Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH
Postanschrift: 10876 Berlin
Die Zeit
Wenke Husmann
Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG
Pressehaus, Speersort 1
20095 Hamburg
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
Roland Zorn (Feuilleton)
FAZ
60267 Frankfurt am Main
Dr. Bernd Graff (Kultur – Internet Dept)
Thomas Steinfeld (Director – Feuilleton)
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Sendlinger Str. 8 80331 München
Bundesminsister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Bundesfinanzminister Peer Steinbrück
Dienstsitz Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 97
10117 Berlin
Dear Ministers Steinmeier and Steinbrück,
We have received the very disturbing news that the Goethe-Institut plans to close their cultural facilities in Toronto -- the cinema, gallery and library -- effective 30th June 2007.
To lose an active public space in Canada's most important city for ongoing and carefully nurtured international collaborations and presentations between Germany and Canada is a dreadful setback to cultural programming for Toronto, sister cities in Germany and international locations elsewhere.
With more than ten years of consistently groundbreaking programming and presentation in the present Toronto premises the Goethe-Institut Toronto has provided a bridge to international artists, venues and dialogues, and is of the utmost importance as a haven for community building and exchange. We are both baffled and deeply saddened by this decision.
If the Goethe-Institut Toronto is forced to work solely as a guest within local partner venues, it will not be able to sustain the same long term impact and focus that has been its unique trademark over the past decade. The projects will by definition become more fragmented, and the Institut forced to fit in where it can and to bend far more to the mandate and priorities of its local partners. The programming that the Institut already contributes to local cultural institutions is anchored, intensified and wisely balanced by the structure and content of the events in the Goethe-Institut's own Toronto cinema and gallery, much of which could simply not be transplanted into outside venues.
Speaking for the artists, writers, educators, cultural workers and city councillors, who have approached us since the announcement, we must state how misguided, in our view, this cultural closing of the Goethe-Institut is seen to be.
We cannot understand why the Goethe-Institut would close the public face of one of its most active and relevant world centres! The cinema, library and gallery are widely known as essential spaces for meeting, learning, growing and experiencing art and other cornerstones of international culture and discussion. In Canada, the bridge-building initiatives and overall programming of the Goethe-Institut have contributed immeasurably to a more accurate and empathetic perception of Germany history and identity, making life in general for German-Canadians and guests from Germany both richer culturally and less troubled by stereotyping.
It is certainly in Germany's interest to sustain the cultural relationships that have been planted and nurtured in stable countries such as Canada. The post-WWII establishment of the Goethe-Instituts and its underlying mission to heal via cultural exchange the wounds that followed is both necessary and effective to this day and remains a respected example for the current and prospective institutions of other countries. It remains unthinkable that other nations will maintain substantial cultural facilities in Toronto, while the German presence shrinks.
Toronto has been designated by UNESCO as the most multicultural city in the world. Toronto is a city where over 150 languages are spoken and the whole world meets. As a cultural venue and inspiring force the Goethe-Institut fulfills an important position within this international framework. It would be both tragic and foolish to see this jeopardized.
The Goethe-Institut Toronto has fostered a growing exchange between both our countries and has given many Canadian and German artists in all disciplines the wonderful opportunity to forge fruitful relationships -- the Goethe-Institut here in Toronto has been the key to opening the doors not only to German culture but to Europe and beyond. No other non-academic venue in the city has been able to open up public perception to the European perspective like the Goethe-Institut in Toronto.
Since mid-April, artists, academics, community and consular partners in Toronto and across Canada have expressed their concerns. An online petition has been set up and details will be forwarded to the most interested parties such as: Secretary-General Hans-Georg Knopp in Munich, urging him and the Director of the Goethe-Institut Toronto, the Regional Director for North America in New York, and Dr. Knopp's co-directors at the head office of the Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany, to keep open and active the Kinowelt cinema and gallery, as well as the full library of this vital centre. We have also set up a website for information sharing and dissemination.
In summary, we are urging the German government and the Goethe-Institut to seriously consider what a tremendous loss this proposed action is and that it goes against what we have always understood to be the Goethe's mission. The Goethe is one of the finest cultural institutes in the world and has understood well that culture can change lives. It is not only the developing world that needs to benefit from this mission; we here in Canada unquestionably still need and deserve the benefit of this exchange, as we believe does Germany, and we truly hope that the Auswaertiges Amt and the Ministry of Finance in Germany as well as the leadership of the Goethe-Institut will reconsider this very troubling and counterproductive decision and restore to full and proper function the facilities on which the Institut's important cultural programmes depend.
Sincerely yours,
Vera Frenkel, F.R.S.C.
Governnor General's Award Laureate
documenta IX artist,
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto
Scott Miller Berry, M.A. Executive Director,
Northern Visions Independent Film & Video Association
o/a The Images Festival of Independent Film/Video, Installation, Performance and New Media
Toronto
On behalf of the Save Kinowelt Committee
Toronto, CANADA
*The "SAVE KINOWELT" petition is available here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07
With copies of this letter sent to:
Der Spiegel Director of the "´Kultur" department Dr. Romain Leick Brandstwiete 19 20457 Hamburg
Der Tagesspiegel
Leiter der Kulturabteilung
Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH
Postanschrift: 10876 Berlin
Die Zeit
Wenke Husmann
Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG
Pressehaus, Speersort 1
20095 Hamburg
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
Roland Zorn (Feuilleton)
FAZ
60267 Frankfurt am Main
Dr. Bernd Graff (Kultur – Internet Dept)
Thomas Steinfeld (Director – Feuilleton)
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Sendlinger Str. 8 80331 München
Response from Secretary General Dr. Knopp
From: "Marquardt Eva Dr."
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 09:37:20 +0200
Dear Mrs. Flanders,
Thank you very much for your e-mail from April 19, 2007, which Dr. Knopp asked me to answer. Due to a loss of data in April I wish to apology for this late answer. Thank you for letting us know your overall concern for our activities, in which you express apprehension about the restructuring of the Goethe-Institut Toronto. I comprehend very well your regret, and, at the same time, I am pleased to note your empathetic concern for the development of the Goethe-Institut.
Restructuring always denotes adaptation and change. But on all operational levels the work of the Goethe-Institutes in Canada will continue in full force. So there is now intention at all to close the Goethe-Institut cultural facililities. Let me explain in greater detail what we plan and why we need to change.
The decision to transfer our own programs and integrate them entirely with Canadian supporter and partner organizations certainly has positive aspects and follows on good experiences. Even in the past we have frequently and successfully carried out events together with Canadian partners in their own venues. It is therefore not a novelty to embed our programs in Canadian establishments. In future we will reinforce this modus operandi - and also extend the radius of our work. Furthermore, we will gain new flexibility in using our budget, which we would like to apply to emphasizing focal issues, enabling us to define them anew with every project, because this strikes us as particularly pressing and important. In contrast, we have experienced that with permanent buildings there is also always a danger of a professing to issues, defining their content by means of their structure, although the natural starting point of our work is to focus on the political aspects of culture. Moreover, this restructuring will allow a de-centralization in all operational spheres of the Goethe-Institutes, be they language courses, information distribution, programming projects or events, thus also benefiting less centrally located Canadian cities. Another pleasant aspect is that the limits of the budget for culture and education will be less constricted when they are no longer tied to the fixed costs of steadily increasing infrastructure prices. An expiring rental contract such as the one for the Goethe-Institut Toronto can be viewed from many perspectives to present a good opportunity to assume new cultural and political positions, to readjust one's plans, to better conform to and integrate with local conditions.
So these are the reasons why we will in the future just show German films and exhibitions of German artists in cooperation with local Canadian partners in their venues. From now on we want to spend more money on shared Canadian-German cultural projects and simply less on rent.
As you can see, we have arrived at these decisions - which were not easy ones for us - not purely through financial considerations, but rather by strong conceptual arguments.
An additional aspect concerns the new alignment of our Institute's network in terms of global strategy. Shifts on this level are a completely normal and, indeed, necessary process for "global players", determined by overarching political perspectives rather than the respective local viewpoint. A worldwide network such as the Goethe-Institut has to conform and restructure from time to time. In cooperation and agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the German Federal Republic and members of the German parliament, the Goethe-Institut has therefore decided to initiate the kinds of changes you have observed in Canada. For that reason, I hope you will understand when we persist in our decision.
We would like to thank you particularly for your kind words of appreciation about the cultural contributions of the Goethe-Institut Toronto. At the same time, we encourage your future cooperation and ongoing connection with the Goethe-Institut.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Eva Marquardt
Strategy and Planning
Head North America Desk
Goethe-Institut Zentrale
Dachauerstraße 122
D-80637 München
Tel. +49 89 15921-220
Fax +49 89 15921-668
marquardt@goethe.de
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 09:37:20 +0200
Dear Mrs. Flanders,
Thank you very much for your e-mail from April 19, 2007, which Dr. Knopp asked me to answer. Due to a loss of data in April I wish to apology for this late answer. Thank you for letting us know your overall concern for our activities, in which you express apprehension about the restructuring of the Goethe-Institut Toronto. I comprehend very well your regret, and, at the same time, I am pleased to note your empathetic concern for the development of the Goethe-Institut.
Restructuring always denotes adaptation and change. But on all operational levels the work of the Goethe-Institutes in Canada will continue in full force. So there is now intention at all to close the Goethe-Institut cultural facililities. Let me explain in greater detail what we plan and why we need to change.
The decision to transfer our own programs and integrate them entirely with Canadian supporter and partner organizations certainly has positive aspects and follows on good experiences. Even in the past we have frequently and successfully carried out events together with Canadian partners in their own venues. It is therefore not a novelty to embed our programs in Canadian establishments. In future we will reinforce this modus operandi - and also extend the radius of our work. Furthermore, we will gain new flexibility in using our budget, which we would like to apply to emphasizing focal issues, enabling us to define them anew with every project, because this strikes us as particularly pressing and important. In contrast, we have experienced that with permanent buildings there is also always a danger of a professing to issues, defining their content by means of their structure, although the natural starting point of our work is to focus on the political aspects of culture. Moreover, this restructuring will allow a de-centralization in all operational spheres of the Goethe-Institutes, be they language courses, information distribution, programming projects or events, thus also benefiting less centrally located Canadian cities. Another pleasant aspect is that the limits of the budget for culture and education will be less constricted when they are no longer tied to the fixed costs of steadily increasing infrastructure prices. An expiring rental contract such as the one for the Goethe-Institut Toronto can be viewed from many perspectives to present a good opportunity to assume new cultural and political positions, to readjust one's plans, to better conform to and integrate with local conditions.
So these are the reasons why we will in the future just show German films and exhibitions of German artists in cooperation with local Canadian partners in their venues. From now on we want to spend more money on shared Canadian-German cultural projects and simply less on rent.
As you can see, we have arrived at these decisions - which were not easy ones for us - not purely through financial considerations, but rather by strong conceptual arguments.
An additional aspect concerns the new alignment of our Institute's network in terms of global strategy. Shifts on this level are a completely normal and, indeed, necessary process for "global players", determined by overarching political perspectives rather than the respective local viewpoint. A worldwide network such as the Goethe-Institut has to conform and restructure from time to time. In cooperation and agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the German Federal Republic and members of the German parliament, the Goethe-Institut has therefore decided to initiate the kinds of changes you have observed in Canada. For that reason, I hope you will understand when we persist in our decision.
We would like to thank you particularly for your kind words of appreciation about the cultural contributions of the Goethe-Institut Toronto. At the same time, we encourage your future cooperation and ongoing connection with the Goethe-Institut.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Eva Marquardt
Strategy and Planning
Head North America Desk
Goethe-Institut Zentrale
Dachauerstraße 122
D-80637 München
Tel. +49 89 15921-220
Fax +49 89 15921-668
marquardt@goethe.de
Saturday, April 21, 2007
SIGN OUR PETITION
Please click on hotlink at right or paste this URL into your browser, thank you!
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07/petition.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07/petition.html
Letter from Elle Flanders
Dear Secretary General Dr. Hans-Georg Knopp,
It is with great sadness that I have learned of the closing of the Goethe cultural facilities in Toronto. I am a Toronto based artist and have had the very great privilege of having my work shown at the Goethe Institute in Toronto, Ramallah, Palestine and New York. I have also screened my work at the Berlinale on many occasions, with much of the credit owing to the introductions made here at the Toronto Goethe cultural facility. Recently, when I was showing work in Palestine, I heard of the potential closing of the Toronto cultural facilities and library. It was related to me that the Goethe had a ‘new direction and focus’ on developing countries where you thought the dissemination of German culture would be more significant. I cannot tell you enough how wrong this move is!
While I am happy that there will be other countries receiving the good work of the Goethe Institute, I cannot emphasize enough what the Goethe in Toronto has done for the cultural landscape. I suppose being so far away in Berlin does not always allow for a full view of the enormous impact that the Goethe has had here in Toronto.
I have also come to understand that each institution is only as good as the people who work there. I was shocked to find for instance, that the New York Goethe was so badly attended and frankly, programmed. We have been blessed in Toronto with a very dedicated and brilliant team, one that has taught us to appreciate the diversity of German cultural production and has broadened our horizons about German culture in general which in turn has taught us as artists and citizens a great deal. The Goethe in Toronto has created an incredible basis for exchange between our countries and cities and has given many Canadian artists the opportunity to forge relationships with with, work with and bring our own production to Germany. It may not have occurred to you, but despite Toronto’s claim to internationalism, it has been in fact quite a provincial city in relation to arts and culture until recently. While we now play a more significant role in the production and dissemination on the global scene, it has been the Goethe Institute here in Toronto which has been a prime-mover to opening the doors to not only German culture but to Europe and beyond, and it has been the work of the people here in Toronto who have changed forever our cultural landscape.
I have recently returned to Toronto to learn that this decision has indeed been made to close the library, gallery and theatre facilities, and as a community we have not even had the opportunity to express our opinion about such a grave loss. We did not have time to contact the director or anyone else at the institute as it seems it was a unilateral decision with no community consultation. There was a press release that did not circulate (it was only made a available at the Goethe within the last week with no attention drawn to it), and I can assure you had we been aware of this sooner, you would have heard from hundreds, perhaps thousands of us who are affected by this decision.
I fear that your decision to close the cultural facilities that are available here now is a grave and short-sighted error. While working in the developing countries is important, it is also important to continue the relationships culturally and otherwise that have been started in stable countries such as Canada. I believe this is the underpinning of the Goethe Institute and what you can use as an example for future institutions.
While there have been promises made that the Goethe will continue it’s cultural work in partnership with other Canadian cultural organizations, I can assure you that this is a watered-down and much less effective way to disseminate German culture here in Canada. There will be less initiative, less programming and ultimately less collaboration without a ‘home’, and what we have come to know here as the place in which some of the most cutting-edge, fascinating, erudite and impeccable culture has come to pass. If only you could know the impact it has had.
I hope this note reaches you and allows for some reconsideration of this closure and your general plans for the future. I understand that I am only one artist in a vast landscape of bureaucracy, financing and many other concerns, but I hope to at least add a voice, and I know I speak for the hundreds of artists who have performed in this space over the years, and as one of thousands who have sat in the audiences. I urge you to consider what an enormous loss this is and that goes against what I have always understood the Goethe’s mission to be. You have one of the finest institutes in the world in which you have understood well that culture can change lives, but it is not only the developing world that needs to benefit from your mission, we here in Canada still need the benefit of this exchange and I truly hope you will consider some of my words and the countless other artists who are affected by this.
Sincerely yours,
Elle Flanders
-------
Elle Flanders
Graphic Pictures
o˚of Separation
www.graphicpictures.org
It is with great sadness that I have learned of the closing of the Goethe cultural facilities in Toronto. I am a Toronto based artist and have had the very great privilege of having my work shown at the Goethe Institute in Toronto, Ramallah, Palestine and New York. I have also screened my work at the Berlinale on many occasions, with much of the credit owing to the introductions made here at the Toronto Goethe cultural facility. Recently, when I was showing work in Palestine, I heard of the potential closing of the Toronto cultural facilities and library. It was related to me that the Goethe had a ‘new direction and focus’ on developing countries where you thought the dissemination of German culture would be more significant. I cannot tell you enough how wrong this move is!
While I am happy that there will be other countries receiving the good work of the Goethe Institute, I cannot emphasize enough what the Goethe in Toronto has done for the cultural landscape. I suppose being so far away in Berlin does not always allow for a full view of the enormous impact that the Goethe has had here in Toronto.
I have also come to understand that each institution is only as good as the people who work there. I was shocked to find for instance, that the New York Goethe was so badly attended and frankly, programmed. We have been blessed in Toronto with a very dedicated and brilliant team, one that has taught us to appreciate the diversity of German cultural production and has broadened our horizons about German culture in general which in turn has taught us as artists and citizens a great deal. The Goethe in Toronto has created an incredible basis for exchange between our countries and cities and has given many Canadian artists the opportunity to forge relationships with with, work with and bring our own production to Germany. It may not have occurred to you, but despite Toronto’s claim to internationalism, it has been in fact quite a provincial city in relation to arts and culture until recently. While we now play a more significant role in the production and dissemination on the global scene, it has been the Goethe Institute here in Toronto which has been a prime-mover to opening the doors to not only German culture but to Europe and beyond, and it has been the work of the people here in Toronto who have changed forever our cultural landscape.
I have recently returned to Toronto to learn that this decision has indeed been made to close the library, gallery and theatre facilities, and as a community we have not even had the opportunity to express our opinion about such a grave loss. We did not have time to contact the director or anyone else at the institute as it seems it was a unilateral decision with no community consultation. There was a press release that did not circulate (it was only made a available at the Goethe within the last week with no attention drawn to it), and I can assure you had we been aware of this sooner, you would have heard from hundreds, perhaps thousands of us who are affected by this decision.
I fear that your decision to close the cultural facilities that are available here now is a grave and short-sighted error. While working in the developing countries is important, it is also important to continue the relationships culturally and otherwise that have been started in stable countries such as Canada. I believe this is the underpinning of the Goethe Institute and what you can use as an example for future institutions.
While there have been promises made that the Goethe will continue it’s cultural work in partnership with other Canadian cultural organizations, I can assure you that this is a watered-down and much less effective way to disseminate German culture here in Canada. There will be less initiative, less programming and ultimately less collaboration without a ‘home’, and what we have come to know here as the place in which some of the most cutting-edge, fascinating, erudite and impeccable culture has come to pass. If only you could know the impact it has had.
I hope this note reaches you and allows for some reconsideration of this closure and your general plans for the future. I understand that I am only one artist in a vast landscape of bureaucracy, financing and many other concerns, but I hope to at least add a voice, and I know I speak for the hundreds of artists who have performed in this space over the years, and as one of thousands who have sat in the audiences. I urge you to consider what an enormous loss this is and that goes against what I have always understood the Goethe’s mission to be. You have one of the finest institutes in the world in which you have understood well that culture can change lives, but it is not only the developing world that needs to benefit from your mission, we here in Canada still need the benefit of this exchange and I truly hope you will consider some of my words and the countless other artists who are affected by this.
Sincerely yours,
Elle Flanders
-------
Elle Flanders
Graphic Pictures
o˚of Separation
www.graphicpictures.org
Save Kinowelt Hall @ Goethe-Institut Toronto
This site is a source for information and response to the recent announcement that the Goethe- Institut is closing the cinema, gallery and library at the Toronto Goethe-Institut effective 30 June 2007.
This is a community response.
We will not sit idly by while another vital cultural venue in Toronto is closed.
The Kinowelt Hall, Gallery and Library have been the source of important cultural presentations and collaborations for many years. The potential loss of this venue will not be accepted.
Toronto needs a multitude of spaces such as this, but in recent years we have lost many.
This site and community response is an urging to the Director of the Goethe-Institut Toronto the Regional Director for North America in New York and the Directors and the head office of the Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany to keep this venue open.
This is a community response.
We will not sit idly by while another vital cultural venue in Toronto is closed.
The Kinowelt Hall, Gallery and Library have been the source of important cultural presentations and collaborations for many years. The potential loss of this venue will not be accepted.
Toronto needs a multitude of spaces such as this, but in recent years we have lost many.
This site and community response is an urging to the Director of the Goethe-Institut Toronto the Regional Director for North America in New York and the Directors and the head office of the Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany to keep this venue open.
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