Press releases

MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) – Germany will present books about its culture and landscape diversity at the 23rd edition of the Minsk International Book Fair, BelTA learned from the German Embassy in Minsk.

This year’s expo will feature stands by the German Embassy and the Goethe Institute in Minsk. Books about the culture and landscape diversity of Germany, including photo books, popular science books, novels and recipe books, will be in the spotlight. Other items on display will include books for children and teenagers, including two-language editions in Russian and German, the most recent German fiction books, books about the environment and renewable sources of energy, and also books about Belarus in the German language.

The stand of the Goethe Institute will showcase two-language books, the most recent German fiction books, and German language learning materials. On 11 February, the German Adult Education Association Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V. (DVV) will present two Education for Adults editions. A meeting with journalist and writer Alexander Tomkovich will be held on the same day. He will tell the audience about his project Chernobyl. Thirty Years Later about the assistance provided by Germany to the Belarusian people affected by the nuclear disaster.

The program for 11 February also features an evening of literature where representatives of the German cultural and educational institutions and organizations in Belarus will present the most recent books in German. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Belarus Peter Dettmar will present the book Der Widerspruch. Autobiographischer Bericht by Gerhard Zwerenz.

A symbolic ceremony of donation of some of the books on display will take place on 12 February. It has become a tradition to hold the event to support the Belarusian schools promoting the German language and culture. This year, books for children and teenagers in German, and also two-language books will be handed over to School No.16 of Polotsk, School No.15 of Grodno, School No.7 of Brest, and School No.2 of Zhlobin.

The winners of the national competition for school children Lesefuchs organized by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) will be honored on 13 February. The Children’s Day will gather school students on 14 February. Representatives of German cultural and educational institutions will present their activities and answer audience’s questions about the stand of the German Embassy in Belarus.