IT WILL BE CONTINUED

The Goethe-Institut in Belgrade adapted its programmes to the conditions imposed by the pandemic, preparing for the time when it will again be possible to function without the threat of the virus

The commemorating of this year’s great jubilees – the 30 th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany and the 50 th anniversary of the establishing of the Belgrade centre of the Goethe Institute (GoetheInstitut) – has been adapted to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t reduce the quality of the celebrations. Apart from these major anniversaries, here we also discuss the experiences of the previous seasons for this German cultural centre with its director, Frank Baumann.

Unification is at the very foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany, so commemorating the anniversary of your country’s reunification will serve to remind us all of one good example and good practise. During this year, the GoetheInstitut commemorates half a century of its existence. How will you mark these jubilees? - Yes, 50 years of the Goethe-Institut in Belgrade is certainly something special; something to be proud of, to be thankful for and to prompt us to stop for a moment, looking both back and forward at the same time. The official reception should have taken place in June, with some high-ranking guests from Serbia and Germany. And a big fat party with some cool live music and all of our friends, clients and partners around, in a cheerful mood, down at Dorćol Platz – that was the idea. The Coronavirus pandemic destroyed everything, as you can imagine. What remains are memories of 50 years of the German culture and language in Belgrade, good years mainly, though some tough ones as well, and one of the strangest right now. But no complaints, many people paid a much higher price than cancelling a single event. For the culture scene, both the independent and the state-run, it’s a disaster. I wish someone could see some light at the end of the tunnel, but this nasty virus probably came to stay for a while longer.

Regarding the commemoration of 30 years of the reuni fication of the two Germanys: well, to me that’s first of all a political date, a historical landmark, and as such it’s up to our

Embassy to communicate. I’m sure they will, probably in some be extremely challenging to follow all health recommendations combination with the current German presidency of the EU, and restrictions of the Serbian government and the World which would make sense to me. When it comes to culture and Health Organisation. However, given that not everybody feels ordinary people, we could discuss the extent to which Germany comfortable to come around personally despite all measures is unified today. To a certain degree, it’s still a divided country, being taken, we keep on streaming everything for remote use. not only between east and west. The Coronavirus alone makes Apart from our own online events, we did our best to keep no difference. in touch with our audience on social networks, sharing relevant How did the Coronavirus pandemic lead to changes in the German museums, online concerts and DJ sets, even films for Goethe-Institut’s plans? Which programmes did you have free streaming etc. to cancel or postpone? Judging by an nouncements on the Institute’s Facebook page, you maintained a very rich online programme. - Well, first of all our ongoing language courses were paused. We had to stop them immediately, and those which were about to start were cancelled. Luckily, a vast majority of our students agreed to continue by switching to an online format. The language course of fice promptly coordinated this with our teachers, who did their very best to make it happen, though it came over them just out of the blue, but mutual goodwill on each side made it a success for most of our customers and colleagues. We even German content, such as virtual exhibitions from important extended our online portfolio during the lockdown phase and saw a significant 50 years of the Finally, our so-called e-Library, which has been very well known to our regular increase of interest in this format. Goethe-Institut in Belgrade readers in Serbia since 2014, has been

Regarding cultural events, we had is certainly something to be used more frequently than ever during to cancel or postpone performances of several German authors (Noor Kanj, proud of, to be thankful for, the past few months. With its huge offer of German e-books, films magazines etc., Marion Poschmann, Robert Menasse), and to prompt us stop for a as well as regular updates, it has become as well as several exhibitions, among which “Missing Stories” was an incredible moment, looking both back one of our most popular online content. loss. This is a highly rated international and forward at the same time It can be said that the Goethe-Institut art exhibition on forced labour under has a comprehensive programme of the Nazi occupation. Two years of work, a grand opening at German language courses – for both beginners and experts. the Salon of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, and then – back Are you satisfied with the response; how do you compete to storage. It will be continued, hopefully, in 2021. Still, we did with the popularity of the English language? our best to use the potential of the all-round virtual space. - Yes, we have a wide range of courses from the age of six For example, we presented a digital exhibition, “Abandoned” onwards, as well as many different course formats – super by Sanja Latinović, through our YouTube channel. The panel intensive, two extensive options, online and blended learning, discussion with the artist happened on Instagram. That’s also which is 50% in person and 50% online. Something for everyone! the place where we later celebrated World Book Day. It worked We don’t feel like we have to compete with the popularity of the pretty well, even if all these streaming actions cannot replace English language that much, since speaking English is a given personal contacts, as everybody now knows. Still, we’ll stick now and most children learn it at school from an early age. Ger to it in the future and keep having online talks on literature. In man is usually a second foreign language that people in Serbia June we presented a music documentary as a live premiere by learn and they know exactly why they’ve chosen German and Belgrade-based saxophonist and composer Hayden Chisholm the Goethe-Institut: better business opportunities in Serbia, on our YouTube channel. Also in June we started the experiment as well as job opportunities in Germany, further education in of a real exhibition in the gallery of our library. It turned out to a German-speaking country, to name a few.

Škograd is one of many programmes online, also in physical spaces such as with which the Goethe-Institut is pre squares, open-air cinemas etc. The 13th sent in our area. How is progress being Beldocs presented i.a. seven carefully achieved for this open classroom in chosen German documentary produc which schools and local communities tions and co-productions. cooperate in sorting out their local Through this year’s cooperation environment? with Bitef, everyone involved in the - Thank you for this question. The project was facing the importance of long-term cooperation with the (still quickly finding alternative ways of young) Škograd crew is one of our doing things, caused by many uncer beacon projects. It’s based on a civil tainties in every respect. As an outsociety platform that we established come, the German guest performance a couple of years ago, called “Next “Uncanny Valley” of Rimini Protokol Generation”, and aims at fostering a and Kammerspiele Munich was one new understanding of the school/town of two solo lecture performances relationship in a specific environment presented at the Prologue Edition through mutual participation. The fo of the 54 th Bitef festival. The digital cus of the activities is on a suburban body of a performer (German author area of Belgrade, the agglomeration Thomas Melle) on the stage of Bitef of Ledine, established not too long Theatre raised many important issues, ago, with its inhabitants facing quite wonderfully mirroring the momentum. a few challenges and open issues. So, on the basis of numerous activities During this time when we’re talking organised by Škograd in cooperation for CorD, it is almost certain that the with local school kids, the activists traditional Belgrade Book Fair won’t be developed a kind of methodology that held this October, though that has not was previously presented at several yet been confirmed officially. If the Fair conferences outside Serbia. Sharing experiences with other expert groups People in Serbia know is cancelled, do you plan to present the latest editions of German publishers in from Germany and other countries exactly why they’ve some other way? strengthens the position of Škograd, chosen German and the - Well, of course we couldn’t replace enhances their networking and, finally, helps to continue the beneficial work Goethe-Institut – better or at least compensate for activities of German publishing houses. It’s just for (not only) underprivileged kids in business opportunities a very small window to some carefully local summer schools, but also open classroom formats (“Infrastructure in Serbia and job selected releases of the book market that we could contribute. But Goetheof hope”), among others. For the lat opportunities in Germany Institut used to present itself at the ter, Škograd was just awarded by the Belgrade Book Fair together with other 2020 Belgrade Salon of Architecture / BINA, and I really European cultural institutes at a common EUNIC stand, until hope that this cool initiative (one for our children that are 2016. In 2017 Goethe-Institut was widely present as a partner about to grow up) will remain an integral part of the city’s of the joint project “4 Countries, 1 Language”, presenting cultural landscape. the literature works of four German-speaking countries as “guests of honour”. The Goethe-Institut traditionally collaborates on many impor We later decided to support the Book Fair by organising tant festivals that are held in Belgrade, to mention only BITEF different events prior to it, or in the context of it, such as the and Beldocs. How has this year’s cooperation been realised, EUNIC conference for librarians “What kind of library do we given the changes to conditions as a result of the pandemic? need?”, which took place at the National Library of Serbia in - The novel COVID-19 outbreak also caused many changes 2018. As far as I know, something similar won’t happen this in realising our planned programme activities in the realm year, as it was too complicated to organise it in an online of arts and culture. Strictly following current epidemiologi format. But, given that the Belgrade Book Fair is the biggest cal rules, our traditional partners, Bitef and Beldocs, have and most important event of its kind in the entire Western managed to be among the rare festivals presenting their Balkan region, I’m sure this is just an exception due to the programmes in September, alongside the safest place – overall situation.