What we’re about
Herzlich Willkommen! For those interested in German culture and language, this is the group for you! The Goethe-Institut Chicago is dedicated to promoting German language and culture, and would like to invite all German enthusiasts to join us at our events. There will be a variety of meet up opportunities including a monthly Stammtisch, German Film screenings, soccer match screenings, as well as performance and visual arts events. The goal is to practice German language skills as well as foster an appreciation for German culture, all in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Best of all, you get to meet others who share your passion for all things German!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Film Screening: Toni ErdmannAMC Newcity 14, Chicago, IL$15.00
A special screening presented with the Chicago International Film Festival
Dir. Maren Ade
Germany, Austria, 2016
162 min.A practical jokester father tries to reconnect with his hard-working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO's life coach.
The third feature film by German director Maren Ade (The Forest for the TreesandEveryone Else) is an almost unbearably intense comedy about Winfried (Peter Simonischek), a retired piano teacher and divorcee who delights in persistent pranks and impersonations that alienate (and occasionally alarm) everyone in his German suburb. He hasn’t been much for staying in touch with his daughter, Ines (Sandra Hüller), a high-ranking management consultant in Bucharest who is as controlled and rigid as her father is impish. Ines also possesses finely tuned radar for the nuances of social interaction, a trait that serves her well in the corporate world but only intensifies her discomfort when Winfried pays a surprise visit.
The comedy-drama received wide acclaim from critics for Ade's direction, performances, and writing. The film, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, was named the best film of 2016 by Sight & Sound.
Tickets available here!
Language: German with English subtitles
Price: $15 - Solidarity and CompromiseGoethe-Institut Chicago, Chicago, IL
Thomas Mann House fellows Pola Lehmann and Johannes Gerschewski will explore the value of compromise in democratic societies. Is there empirical evidence that political debates are becoming increasingly heated and polarized? What can we do to counteract this, and what are the limits of compromise?
Many democracies today are under pressure, both in countries with long established democracies, like the United States, as well as in new democracies, like Hungary and Poland. A very apparent symptom of these pressures is reflected in the way political debates are fought today. They become more and more heated and unforgiving, denying the other side to be a legitimate opponent in the debate. Discussions are being fueled by depicting the different sides as representing the right or the wrong answer, instead of presenting different but legitimate views to the issue at stake. What can keep societies together in these times and strengthen social cohesion? Solidarity can be one answer to this question.
Showing solidarity with another one’s cause can build ties between different groups in society. But solidarity is also very demanding, it requires not only to view the cause as legitimate but also as worthy. A less demanding solution is provided through political compromise. Compromise also requires to regard the other side as a legitimate representative, but one does not need to make a common cause out of it. The different sides can still disagree about the best solution to the given issue, but they respect each other views and act in the strong believe that striking a compromise between the different views, even though this means loss on both sides, is better than no compromise. But how can societies in such heated environments as we find them today create an atmosphere of mutual respect and legitimacy of the other side’s cause?
Pola Lehmann is a senior researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and co-director of the Manifesto Project. She studied administrative sciences at the Universities of Potsdam and Copenhagen. She studies democracy and democratic processes with a special focus on political parties, elections and political representation. In her dissertation, which won the Leibniz Dissertation Award in 2021, she investigated political representation and compromise in the German Bundestag.
Johannes Gerschewski is a research fellow at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and coordinates the work of the Theory Network at the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS).” He has published in academic journals including American Political Science Review, Perspectives on Politics, and Comparative Political Studies. His book on The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule was published in April 2023 by Cambridge University Press.
This event is part of Double Exposure, a project organized by the Goethe-Instituts North America in collaboration with the American Council on Germany and funded by the Executive Board of the Goethe-Institut. Learn more at goethe.de/doubleexposure