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Cultural Research in Northeastern Africa. German Stories and Histories

The foundation of German-Ethiopian relations dates back to cultural research of the 17th century. For over three hundred years, Ethiopia and German-speaking countries enjoyed an unusual relationship built on scholarly and cultural curiosity and mutual affection. In November 2014 the Goethe-Institut in Addis Abeba hosted a symposium on “Cultural Research from Germanophone Countries in Northeastern Africa: Stories and Histories”. German and Ethiopian scholars and intellectuals presented stories and personalities of researchers, theories and experiences of success and failure, illustrated by findings largely unknown to the general public. In April 2015 an exhibition curated by Dr. Wolbert Smidt and in cooperation with Mekelle University and the Frobenius Institute took place at the Goethe Institute Addis Ababa. The rich history of German-Ethiopian Studies was exemplified through the stories of ten exceptional researchers.

Below you can find the handouts of the exhibition:

Abba Gorgoryos

Aleqa Tayee

Enno Littmann

Eike Haberland

Herma Plazikowksy-Brauner

Leo Frobenius

Mohammed Nur

Ruufoo

Werner Munzinger

Wilhelm Schimper

Closing Observations