The Goethe-Institut Namibia has officially opened its new home in Windhoek, marking a new chapter for the German cultural institution as it seeks to expand its programmes in language, education, literature, arts and community engagement.

The institute, which had operated from Fidel Castro Street for more than two decades, has relocated to 6 Simeon Shixungileni Street, at the corner of Dr W. Külz Street.

At the official opening recently, Goethe-Institut Namibia director Dennis Schroeder said the new premises should not be viewed simply as a finished building but as a space that will evolve through the people and activities it hosts. “A cultural institution should never feel finished. It should keep changing with the people who enter it, the students who learn here, the questions they bring, and the work we create together,” Schroeder said.

Talent and culture

The new venue is expected to host a diverse programme, including German language examinations, literary events, theatre, music, film screenings and community initiatives.

Among the upcoming activities are a literary experience based on Rémy Ngamije’s The Eternal Audience of One, Ndayola Ulenga’s one-woman performance KoKo: Patulula, a Silent Book Club, a Language Café and another 12-hour edition of BookSprint Namibia, where Namibian writers, illustrators and designers collaborate to produce children’s books.

The institute also plans to host performances by Namibian musicians and producers alongside a Berlin-based DJ, followed by the DOEK! Literary Festival.

In October, the venue will host several weeks of European cinema and the launch of a debut album by a Namibian band. Schroeder said the range of activities reflect the institute’s vision under the theme 'One Space. Many Stories'.

“German exams, Namibian literature, theatre, music, film, and simply sitting quietly together to read. All at the same address. That gives you an idea of what we mean by ‘One Space. Many Stories,’” he said.

Rebuilding trust

Schroeder also used the occasion to reflect on the Goethe-Institut’s 75-year history and its role in rebuilding Germany’s international relationships after the Second World War.

The institute was established in 1951, at a time when Germany faced the challenge of rebuilding international trust. “Trust had to be rebuilt slowly: through exchange, through listening, speaking, dialogue, and through remaining present over time,” Schroeder said.

He said the same principle remained relevant to cultural relations today, arguing that relationships between people and countries were built over long periods through sustained engagement rather than short-term campaigns. “Cultural relations, people-to-people relations, are not a campaign. They grow encounter by encounter, often over decades,” he said.

He acknowledged that Namibia and Germany share a much longer and more difficult history, including German colonial rule, violence and genocide. “The crimes committed under German colonial rule cannot be undone or softened, and that is where any honest account has to begin,” Schroeder said.

However, he said the relationship between the two countries also included contemporary connections formed through education, friendships, families and cultural exchanges. “It also lives in families and friendships, in classrooms, in Namibians who studied in Germany and returned with new ideas, and in Germans whose encounters with Namibia changed how they understood the world and influenced the course of their lives,” he said.

Schroeder said cultural and artistic exchanges could create opportunities to confront difficult histories and encourage dialogue. “A relationship must be able to do both: remember honestly and shape the future together,” he said.