Center to Promote Houston’s German Culture

Center to Promote Houston’s German Culture

BY PHILIP MONTGOMERY
Rice News Staff

After the German government announced plans to shut down the Goethe Institut, Rice University stepped in to fill the role as purveyor of German culture in the Houston area.

That role offers an important opportunity to Rice, said Peter Caldwell, who was appointed the first director of the new program in late January.

"The project is a huge challenge, but it offers a real possibility for giving the study of Central Europe at Rice a national profile," said Caldwell, associate professor of history and German studies. "There is a lot of work to be done. We even have to determine a name for the new program. But we are laying the foundations for the new center right now."

The Goethe Institut is a nonprofit organization that promotes German language and culture in 120 locations throughout the world. Seven of those centers remain in the United States. The Houston branch, which opened in 1981, was located on the Southwest Freeway near Buffalo Speedway. In the past, the Houston Goethe Institut offered a wide variety of lectures, art exhibits, films, music, dance and theater. The institute also had an extensive library of books, videos and recordings that have been donated to Fondren Library.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the importance of German culture and the strengths that Rice has in this field," said Judith Brown, dean of the School of Humanities. "With our nationally-recognized faculty, excellent students and strong links to the new [International University Bremen], Rice is emerging as a leader in this area of research and education. The city of Houston as well as Rice will benefit from the center’s ability to bring important German cultural figures—writers, artists and political leaders—to the campus. Members of the community who want to take courses in German language also will be able to take newly offered Rice courses through the School of Continuing Studies. I can think of no other university that could so quickly organize such a massive undertaking. This is a real tribute to Rice’s can-do spirit."

In December, the German government began shutting down Goethe institutes. throughout the United States as a cost-cutting measure. Last October, Rice officials heard word of the impending closures and began negotiating to acquire the local Goethe Institut.

Caldwell said the new center will be aimed at interdisciplinary research and education within Rice and also will reach out to the community. The center will enable Rice to expand knowledge and understanding of German culture by tapping into the university’s strong academic reputation and its international, national and regional connections.

Caldwell is in the process of creating an advisory committee composed of faculty from the humanities, social sciences and possibly a representative from another institution of higher learning. The aim of the advisory committee is to decide on the structure and mission of the new center and set forth medium- and long-term goals.

Some of the proposed goals include providing cultural events for the German-speaking community and supporting a strong scholarly and research orientation, Caldwell said.

Developing undergraduate resources is another crucial aspect of the new program, Caldwell said.

"There is a strong undergraduate component," he said. "We want to offer more courses on Central European culture and politics."

In addition to the benefits to undergraduates, there will be a strong graduate aspect to the program, he said.

"One of the programs we’re suggesting is a series of graduate seminars, where we will invite distinguished speakers to lead seminars, allowing graduate students to have close interaction with noted scholars from the United States and Europe."

Caldwell said he hopes the center will promote connections among scholars of German-speaking Central Europe throughout the Houston area and will serve as an information center that can connect researchers with fellowship sources from across the world.