Indo-German Society – engl.

With its colourful image, India has a permanent place in the public awareness of Germans today. But that was not always the case. In spite of continuing poverty in many parts of the country, which is home to more than a billion people, today the country radiates unbounded optimism and determination to provide for the well-being of all within the country and to participate in shaping the world characterised by the multifarious globalisation processes.
The Indo-German Society – established in Stuttgart 1953 – wants to…

  • bring together people from both countries, and
  • convey to the German public knowledge about, and the appreciation of, the modern India and its many-sided religious, ethnic and cultural sources.

To the activities of the Indo-German Society belong, among others

  • the promotion of
    • teaching aids in German schools about India
    • school-partnerships and student-exchange
    • writing workshops about India and Germany
    • social projects in India
  • – the organisation of
    • conferences about India-related themes like the development of democratic governmental and social structures, the status of women in different religions, economic and social reforms and the international perspective of the country
    • exhibitions
    • cultural programmes (music, dance, etc.)
  • the advice on India
    • in the field of politics, economics, media and educational institutions
  • and the award
    • of the „Rabindranath Tagore Culture Prize“ institutedby the Indo-German Society in the year 1986 for creative contributions to communication of Indian cultures and ways of life in German speaking areas (endowment: 5,000 Euro)
    • of the Gisela Bonn Prize instituted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in the year 1996 for special contributions to the promotion of German-Indian relations. The prize-winner is given the opportunity to make an scholarship tour of India for two weeks.

The Society publishes a newsletter (www.dig-bundesverband.de) over the Internet at quarterly intervals and is corresponding member of the German Asia-Pacific Business Association in Hamburg.

At present the Indo-German Society is constituted of 33 mostly independent affiliates (see above) from all parts of Germany. The affiliated societies contribute – at the grassroots level, thus all over the country – with their more than 3,500 members and numerous local events to the inter-cultural understanding and to their sphere of work – in community life as well as in the academic and educational institutions but primarily on the cultural level. They are also a home to German-Indian families and the younger generations from these families.

The Indo-German Society is one of the largest mediatory bodies present in Germany, which have made it their goal, by way of consultations and in the course of civilian contacts, to promote the many-sided relations with the partner country and to accompany them critically.

The financial support with public funds has become the exception during the last decade. The activities are financed by contributions and donations. The Indo-German Society has set up in the year 2001 the India-Foundation for this purpose, with the object of building up a reasonable capital-stock, and use the income of the Foundation to finance the projects of the Society. The affiliated societies also finance their many-sided activities through donations.

The Chairman of the Indo-German Society and the other Board Members are elected at three-year intervals in the annual general body meeting, in which all affiliated societies take part with votes weighted according to their respective size of membership.

Chairman of the Society since 2008 is former Ambassador, Hans-Joachim Kiderlen, Berlin. Treasurer is Dr. Sabine Lutz (Robert Bosch GmbH , Stuttgart). The Chairman of the India-Foundation and former Honorary Consul of India in Stuttgart is Helmut Nanz. The Advisory Council is under Chairmanship of Sven Andreßen, Bremen.

For further information log on to www.dig-bundesverband.de

Nach oben scrollen