Between March and June 2008 the first-ever German Cultural Weeks were held here. The features ranged from literature, illustration of books, sports and architecture to archaeology and music. The German missions in Riyadh and Jeddah are encouraged by the numerous attendance of Saudi and expat visitors and by the response the weeks have generated and are looking forward to upcoming events in this field and to Saudi cultural events in Germany, Tobias Krause, First Secretary of the German Embassy said.

In the framework of the Cultural Weeks, for the first time, a number of performances, exhibitions and lectures were held outside the diplomatic areas, accessible to the general Saudi audience, the main target group of German cultural policy abroad.

German Booth at Riyadh Book Fair

The Cultural Weeks, held under the motto “Germany -- Land of Ideas”, kicked-off with a German booth at the Riyadh Book Fair from March 4-13, where books on calligraphy, history, literature and other topics could be obtained in Arabic, English and German.

The second event was closely linked to the book fair: From March 8-12, the German national soccer team of writers, standing under the auspices of German Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Steinmeier and the president of the German Soccer Association (DFB), Dr. Zwanziger, was in Riyadh. The team paid a visit to the book fair, were it caught the attention of many visitors and journalists.

Two Soccer Teams of Writers Meet

In the evening of March 11 the German team of writers played a friendly match against a group of Saudi journalists at the Riyadh Al-Shabab stadium in front of a few hundred spectators. The Saudi team was younger and more dynamic than the German one and thus had the upper hand by five goals to one. The visit of the German equipe was organized by the German Embassy in cooperation with the General Presidency for Youth Welfare, the Saudi Soccer Federation and the Al-Shabab club. Now both sides are hoping to see a return match in Germany soon.

Concerts at the KFCC

In March and May, two classical concerts took place at the King Fahd Cultural Center as part of the Cultural Weeks. First, German pianist Pavlos Hatzopoulos performed and explained works by Greek and German composers.

Two month later, on May 2, a mixed audience of roundabout 350 guests witnessed the appearance of the Artis Piano Quartet, a Germany-based professional ensemble comprising musicians from four different countries. The quartet got standing ovations for its interpretations of works by Mozart, Juon, and Brahms. The same was true for a similar concert held the evening before in Jeddah.

Lectures and Exhibitions

Architecture being a discipline combining design and building, it seemed a fitting field for the Cultural Weeks. This was even more the case given the longstanding relations between the two countries in this area. The venue of the event held in Riyadh between May 3-5 is in itself a good example of this fact: The Tuwaig Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter. The master plan of the Quarter was designed by architect professor Albert Speer, the landscaping was done by Richard Boedeker, whereas the palace itself bears the signature of professor Frei Otto, one of the most influential architects of the Twentieth Century.

All three German architects mentioned have been working in the Kingdom for more than three decades, but professor Otto has the longest experience. He first came to Saudi Arabia as early as 1964. The award-winning Tuwaig Palace was built based on his plans in 1985. Now, after more than 20 years, he returned to it and spent a couple of nights there for the first time. He was also one of the architects who presented their experience in the Kingdom in the framework of a symposium entitled “Architectural Cultural Dialogue.”

In addition, he met with a group of more than one hundred students and staff at the King Saud University faculty of architecture for an in-depth discussion of his more than six decades as an accomplished architect on May 5. Also at the Tuwaig Palace, an exhibition entitled “Contemporary German Architecture in the Gulf” showcased 50 projects of German architects in the region. The exhibition on the Tuwaig Palace was inaugurated by the Vice President of the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sultan, and Ambassador Juergen Krieghoff on May 3. Both the symposium and the exhibition were carried-out jointly with the ADA. The exhibition then moved to the King Saud University later in May.

On April 18-19, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) presented the results of its latest excavation campaign at Tayma in Northwest Arabia in lectures at the residence of the German Consul General in Jeddah and at the Riyadh King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in cooperation with the Supreme Commission for Tourism led by Prince Sultan bin Salman.

Children’s Books Illustration

Another topic covered by the Cultural Weeks was of interest to the youngest ones: In the framework of the children’s fair “The World and I” set-up by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information, an exhibition on children’s books illustration in Germany prepared by the Goethe Institut Munich was shown at the King Fahd Cultural Center between May 3-8. Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Iyad Madani paid a visit to the exhibition.

In Jeddah, an exhibition on underwater photography and a German Food Festival were held. Lastly, German movie director Soenke Wortmann, who in March could not take part in the Saudi match of the German national soccer team of writers of which he is a member, finally came to the Kingdom in early June, when his movie “Germany, a summer fairy tale” was shown as a part of the EU film festival in the capital. The film was appreciated by the audience as a unique behind-the-scenes documentary of the 2006 soccer World Cup in Germany.

The cultural relations between Germany and Saudi Arabia are expected to receive a substantial boost by the German weeks. A complete list of activities, additional information, reports and photographs can be found at www.thaqafat-almania.diplo.de.