An important resource at risk
Below is a copy of an email sent by Eelka Lampe of the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) in November 2000.
She protests the closing of the Language Section of the New York Goethe Institute and laments past closings of Goethe Institutes and Institute facilities in the US. Over the past several years, German government budget cuts have reduced both the number of Goethe Institutes and the services they can provide. I ask that you consider joining in a protest against these cutbacks. On the next page there is also a sample letter you can use as a model for your own protest.
But first read Dr. Lampe's message:
From: Eelka Lampe
Subject: [AATG-L] ALERT !!! more Goethe Institut cutbacks
To: AATG@LISTSERV
November 2000
Dear Colleagues,
This letter is an appeal to each of you to express your concern about potential Goethe-Institut cutbacks!
It appears that the New York Goethe-Institut will close its Sprachabteilung by the end of this academic year. Also being considered for closing is that Institute's library. The reason is drastic funding cutbacks. The German government has decreased spending on the Goethe-Institut worldwide by DM 27 million. DM 6 million have to be eliminated in the U.S. alone. The Goethe-Institut headquarters in Munich is in the process of deciding where those cuts will be made. As you may be aware, five Institutes have already been closed in the last three years (Seattle, Houston, Ann Arbor, Cincinnati and St. Louis).
We, the leadership of the AATG New York Metropolitan Chapter, believe it is time for us to act. An outcry from those of us who are directly and indirectly impacted by these closings will have some influence on the decision makers. In the long run, German programs as well as German-U.S. relations are in danger of being negatively affected.
We believe that those in Germany who are making management decisions need to know that there are many U.S. educators and cultural advocates who care about the future of the study of German. Perhaps we together can develop and support creative solutions such as fundraising or reasonable fees for using resources to continue the presence of a major contemporary cultural institute for the promotion of the German language and culture in the cultural capital of the world.
Please find time to personalize the attached letter (ideally in German [!], I left the sample in English, so it can reach a wider audience) and send it immediately to:
Dr. IschingerAlso, please send me a copy of your letter.
Leiter der Kulturabteilung
Auswaertiges Amt
Werderscher Markt 1
10717 Berlin, Germany
Thanks so much for your time and concern!
Sincerely,
Eelka Lampe, Ph.D.
Vice President, AATG Metropolitan Chapter NY
Sample Letter
Back to Goethe Institute article
Use this sample letter to write your own -- in German or English.
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