I enjoy visiting the Goethe Institute. They encourage cultural understanding through education.

Its not only about learning German. Its a great place to see films you never saw and will never see at the multiplex, and for only a $5 donation. And the art openings are something else. Other openings have wine and munchies, but at what other opening will you find accordionists leading singalong sea chanteys?

As part of German foreign policy, the German Goethe-Institut in San Francisco ensures that not only our German language, society, culture and politics are conveyed in the USA. Such mediation strengthens global networking and understanding for one another. At its core, this is deeply peacemaking and has strengthened the transatlantic togetherness. Im still grateful for the support I once received from the Goethe Institute in San Francisco for working with SF Camera Work.

By chance I saw the shop window of the Goethe Institute in San Francisco a few days ago and was horrified and shocked. There are packs of Haribo gold bears in the shop window and the rest is just embarrassing and unprofessional. You would expect something like that from pubescent teen girls. Those responsible should perhaps go deep inside themselves. This is not a figurehead for the German language and culture, but a shame.