The 'end of an era' as Goethe-Institut in Russia closes

In recent years, Moscow has declared numerous foreign foundations and organizations "undesirable" and banned them from operating in the country. However, despite the significantly deteriorated relations between Russia and the West as a result of , the , which opened in in 1992, had been able to continue operating.

But that's no longer the case. Employees of the Goethe-Institut must stop working on September 13 — and staff members sent from must leave the country by that date.

According to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the closure of the Goethe-Institut's three locations in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk comes as a response to the announced closure of the , the minister said. Germany intends to terminate its contract with the cultural and events venue as a punitive measure. The German government holds Russia responsible for the at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

"The announcement by the Russian foreign minister marks the end of an era in German-Russian cultural relations," wrote Gesche Joost, president of the Goethe-Institut, in a press release. She said it was bad news for people in Russia and that the Goethe-Institut had connected the two countries through culture and language.

As early as 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry had demanded the Goethe-Institut's staff be significantly cut. Cultural exchanges with German artists were limited extent and kept to digital formats. Nevertheless, interest in German-language courses remained high, with around 10,000 students taking part. "Our work in Russia was and remains important," Joost said, referring to learning the German language, the many encounters and mutual understanding between people.

A fresh start after World War II

For the past 75 years, the Goethe-Institut has represented Germany abroad, promoting the German language and sharing German culture with people around the world.

It was founded in 1951, at a time when Germany was seeking to rebuild international trust in the aftermath of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime. Originally established as the "Goethe Association for the Further Training of Foreign Teachers of German," the organization initially focused on inviting foreign teachers to Germany for language training.

Its mission soon expanded, however, to promoting the German language abroad.

The first Goethe-Institut opened its doors in Athens in 1952, and just a decade later, the organization had already established 54 branches around the world.

Today, the Goethe-Institut operates a global network of 154 institutions in 100 countries, employing nearly 4,500 people.

Around one million people take an official German exam at a Goethe-Institut or one of its partner organizations each year.

In a speech honoring the institute's 75th anniversary, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized the significance of promoting German culture abroad, stating, "For countries like ours, which are not great powers, our foreign policy will continue to have to rest on four pillars: yes, military strength, so that we are taken seriously, but also smart diplomacy to devise solutions and forge alliances; wherever possible, an international legal order to provide a framework and direction in addition; and, fourthly, culture and science as soft power, as something we offer to the wider world. "

From classical music to jazz

One element that proved crucial to the institute's success from its founding onward is its credibility as an independent association. Although two-thirds of its funding stems from the German Foreign Office, the organization itself determines its programs — and over the decades, these programs have regularly been adapted to be in step with the prevailing political and social climate.

The institute promptly made its ambitions clear to expand its scope beyond mere language instruction by striving to provide a more comprehensive picture of Germany through a range of cultural and informational programs. "And it was also very clear that this was not about exporting so-called German culture to the world," explained Gesche Joost, president of the Goethe-Institut since 2024. "On the contrary — the aim was to reflect on how we could have a fresh start and how we want to shape society and the future together. "

In its early years, the institute's cultural programs deliberately drew on Germany's rich heritage in the areas of classical music and literature. Figures such as Schiller, Bach and Beethoven had lost none of their international appeal despite the Nazi era.

Then, in the 1960s, German jazz was a hit among the institute's cultural exports — with musician and composer Klaus Doldinger and his band touring the globe.

Over the decades, Nobel Prize-winning authors Günter Grass, Heinrich Böll and Herta Müller also traveled internationally on behalf of the Goethe-Institut.

With the spirit of change ushered in by the generation of 1968, with flower power and student protests, the institute's profile changed once again, and it increasingly incorporated critical viewpoints on social issues into its programs, including efforts to critically examine Germany's Nazi past.

A space for dialogue 

In this period, West Germany was redefining itself under Social Democratic Chancellor Willy Brandt. In 1970, sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf, then parliamentary state secretary at the foreign office, announced a new set of guiding principles. Cultural policy was to become the "third pillar of foreign policy. "

But Dahrendorf didn't simply wish to give culture a higher profile — he advocated for a new way of thinking. "What we give is worth only as much as our willingness to receive," he said. "Openness toward others is thus a principle of our foreign cultural policy. " As a result, the Goethe-Institut moved away from the idea of simply exporting culture and toward dialogue, cooperation and reciprocal learning. That approach continues to guide the organization's work today.

While Germany was divided, East and West also competed to forge political alliances abroad through their foreign cultural policies, especially during the Cold War. In the 1970s, the East German press even spread rumors that Goethe-Instituts were being used to conduct espionage.

After the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, the Goethe-Institut opened numerous new locations in Eastern Europe and the former Eastern Bloc, including in Moscow in 1992. Despite turbulent times, its doors had remained open there until now.

For its part, the Kyiv branch, in Ukraine, has also remained open throughout the war. The institute offers a flexible hybrid scheme for its German courses there: When an air raid alert sounds, in-person classes are moved to a shelter. A range of digital and hybrid options are also available if necessary.

The 'turning point' has already come

"I have the impression that working under crisis conditions has become the norm in many regions," Gesche Joost explained. "Either because democracy is being pushed back, because colleagues are working under censorship or because they are being threatened by armed conflicts. " In many Goethe-Instituts, she said, the much-discussed Zeitenwende  — or "turning point" — has long been reality.

This term entered public discourse after a famous speech by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022 and refers to the dawn of an era marked by geopolitical turmoil in Europe.

"We've recognized that we're important partners for civil society in crisis regions. At the same time, we have to make sure that we act sensitively and diplomatically so that we don't get expelled," added Joost.

In times where freedom of cultural expression, freedom of speech as well as science and education are increasingly coming under pressure, the Goethe-Institut plans to continue providing spaces for dialogue where open debate, critical reflection and cultural exchange remain possible.

Meanwhile, Germany's position on the Middle East conflict is currently making the organization's work more challenging in many countries. Some partners in the Arab world have suspended their cooperation as a result, while Goethe-Institut events have seen boycotts elsewhere.

"Our task then is to explain the German position and the history behind it, but also to show the debates taking place on the issue within Germany," Joost said. "At the same time, we also convey the criticism coming from many countries back to Germany. "

The Goethe-Institut's work has also been made more difficult in recent years due to deep cuts in federal funding, forcing it to restructure and even shut down some locations.

At the same time, integrating Germany's growing number of foreign skilled workers presents new challenges; Joost feels her institute plays a crucial role here. "We see that many foreign skilled workers see a future for themselves in Germany. But settling into life in Germany is not always easy," she said. "To support them, we have our welcome coaches who are available to answer questions about living and working in Germany and provide guidance, especially in the early stages. That is an important contribution the Goethe-Institut can make in Germany. "

This article was originally published in German on June 22 and updated on September 10, 2026, ahead of the closure of the Goethe-Institut in Russia.