Marina Ludemann is head of the visitors' program at the Goethe Institute in Berlin. "We aim to present true images of German from diverse aspects regarding history, social situation, and others," Ludemann said.
Since the Schiller Year 2005 is a big event in Germany this year, foreign visitors are introduced to different places where similar promotional activities are held. The German government budget provides roughly euros 1.3 million (US$1.55 million) for activities, including drama festivals, recitals, academic conferences and more to promote Schiller this year.
Weimar is on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. Goethe's house there is now a museum displaying not only the lifestyle but also the ideas of the great German writer, poet and versatile statesman. He lived in the house from 1782 to 1789 and from 1792 until his death. Goethe's garden remains well-preserved and a good place for tourists' to relax after finishing their tour of the museum.
However, the preservation of historical buildings in Weimar remains a challenge. Most tourists visiting Weimar this year notice pamphlets and posters calling for donations to save the Duchess Anna Amalia Library, once home to some 850,000 volumes and a part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. On Sept. 2, last year, a fire destroyed the roof and 25,000 books along with it, leaving another 40,000 severely damaged by water and smoke.
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