Recently, the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh hosted a cultural evening celebrating the enduring connection between Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Germany through music, poetry and historical reflections.
Titled “From the Memory Lane – Rabindranath Tagore’s Poetic Journey to Germany”, the programme was held on Saturday evening at the institute’s premises in Dhanmondi, drawing music lovers, literary enthusiasts and members of the cultural community.
The event featured a musical presentation by noted Rabindra Sangeet artiste Shanchita Paul, who guided audiences through different phases of Tagore’s artistic and intellectual engagement with Germany. Architect Dhruba Jyoti provided English narration throughout the programme, making the presentation accessible to a wider audience.
A special attraction of the evening was the participation of Frank Werner, Director of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, who recited German translations of two poems from Gitanjali. His recitation highlighted the long-standing literary and cultural connections between Bengal and Germany.
Supported by an ensemble of musicians on tabla, guitar, esraj, keyboard and octopad, the programme presented songs associated with Tagore’s visits to Germany. Particular emphasis was given to works composed in 1926, marking the centenary of their creation in 2026.
Organisers also reflected on Tagore’s remarkable popularity in Germany during the 1920s, when his literary and philosophical works attracted widespread attention among readers and intellectuals. Through his visits to Germany in 1921, 1926 and 1930, Tagore developed meaningful cultural exchanges and interacted with prominent German thinkers and artists, including Albert Einstein, Hermann Hesse and Rainer Maria Rilke.
The evening combined music, poetry and historical narratives to commemorate more than a century of cultural dialogue between Bengal and Germany while underscoring the continuing relevance of intercultural exchange in literature, philosophy and the arts.
Shanchita Paul, a contemporary Rabindra Sangeet artiste and educator, has been actively promoting Tagore’s musical legacy in Bangladesh through teaching and performances since 2012. A graduate of the University of Rajshahi and Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, she brought both academic and professional expertise to the programme.
The accompanying musicians included Goutam Kumar Sarker on tabla, Mohammed Nashir Uddin on guitar, Md Ashikul Islam on esraj, Rabins Choudhury on keyboard and Bidyut Roy on octopad.
The event concluded with a renewed emphasis on Goethe-Institut Bangladesh’s commitment to fostering intercultural dialogue and strengthening cultural ties between Bangladesh and Germany through artistic and literary engagement.
