Back in Damascus again

Claudia Bührig, director of the Damascus Branch of the DAI, went there with representatives of the Goethe Institute, the DAAD and the Philipp Schwarz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. There she held numerous discussions about reactivating the long tradition of cooperation.

“I hope that the DAI library and premises in Damascus can soon be used again for joint research and cultural activities for Syrians, German colleagues and the rest of the world. We hope to create again a safe place for scientific exchange”, she emphasised.

Joint cultural activity can be one of the building blocks for reconstruction in Syria and help strengthen the networks in Syrian civil society. For many years the DAI participated in projects in Palmyra, Bosra, Hama and the Orontes region, Raqqa, Resafa and Damascus, all of which belong to the rich cultural heritage of Syria. Employees of the Damascus Branch never lost hope even when working out of Berlin and Jordan. Under the project series: “Zero hour - A future for the post-crisis period” (‘Stunde Null’) to which the Syrian Heritage Archive Project/SHAP also belongs to, the DAI and partners have systematically prepared for the time that has finally arrived.