50 years of Max Mueller Bhavan

The Goethe–Institut — better known as Max Mueller Bhavan — on Tuesday commenced its 50th anniversary celebrations in India.

The Goethe–Institut — better known as Max Mueller Bhavan — on Tuesday commenced its 50th anniversary celebrations in India.

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To bolster cultural ties between India and Germany, Professor Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, president of Goethe-Institut, announced the launch of production grant to the tune of Rs 60 lakh from Max Mueller Bhavan.

The grants will be used to support the development of several new cultural projects across six Indian cities — Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai — as part of the golden jubilee celebrations.

Writer Sadanand Menon, Samik Bandyopadhyay, vice-chairman of National School of Drama, art curator Gita Kapur, actor Mohan Agashe and poet Ranjit Hoskote are among the artists who will be part of the jury that will judge the cultural shows organised across India.

Bandyopadhyay, a regular at Max Mueller Bhavan in Kolkata, recollected his experiences and associations with it. He said MMB was much more than an institute that teaches German language.

Lehmann said the year 2011 will be celebrated as The Year of Germany In India.

A first-ever German film festival and the launch of South Asia´s first electronic music festival are lined up in December. If that’s not all, a 10-member jazz band from Berlin will tour Indian metros.