Germany is often referred to as the land of “Dichter und Denker” -of poets and thinkers. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, and Hermann Hesse are just a few authors whose names and works are well-known internationally. The world of classical music is inseparable from the names of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, and Wagner to name only a few renowned German-speaking composers. From the magnificent architecture of medieval buildings to the avantgarde Bauhaus movement, Germans have made substantial contributions to world art and architecture.

The philosophies of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and numerous others have had lasting influences on modern society. The psychologists Freud and Jung forever changed the way we think about human behavior.

Knowing German enables access of the works of these thinkers in their original language.

Long-standing cultural ties between India and Germany

The cultural interpenetrations between Germany and India go back to the 18^th Century. One could recall the Oriental Renaissance of the likes of the Schlegel brothers and Herder and their commitment to self-discovery via India. Sanskrit was in fact highly looked upon by the German Indologists. Max Müller, the co-founder of the Department of Indology at Oxford, translated many ancient Indian texts into German. Paul Deussen and Schopenhauer were among the many others who brought India closer to Europe. At the turn of the century, one witnesses an increasing interest among Indian modern Thinkers in engaging with Germany.

Sri Aurobindo for instance, during his stay in England learnt Latin, Greek, German, Italian, French, Arithmetic and Geography. Iqbal came to Heidelberg specifically to learn the German language. His tutor was Emma Wegenast. He wanted to speak German well enough to successfully pass the oral examination of his doctoral dissertation at Munich University. Rabindranath Tagore took keen interest in German culture in his teens when he started to learn German and tried to read Goethe’s Faust in the original. The bilingual edition of Goethe’s Faust bearing Rabindranath’s pencilmarks on the German text is still preserved in the Rabindra Sadan at Santiniketan. Early 20th century is also marked by the beginnings of Teaching of German around 1914 in Mumbai and in Pune by the philologist Pandurang. D. Gune. In 1957, the first “Max Mueller Bhavan” was inaugurated in Kolkata. It was then opened in 1959 in Delhi, in 1960 in Madras as well as in Bangalore, in 1962 in Pune and in 1969 in Bombay.

With the aim of making German language, literature and culture accessible to Indian students, the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi opened its “Centre of German Studies” in 1971. Hence, any Indian who aspires to learn German today unconsciously contributes to the already existing cultural dialogue between India and Germany. Learning German could hence also become a channel to self-discovery for many Indians who are interested in knowing their cultural roots.