The Merck-Tagore Award

Updated on: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Goethe Institute celebrated 150 years of their association with Rabindranath Tagore, at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata, On March 13.

Tagore represented India as an ambassador in various countries all over the world and appealed for the better understanding of India and its culture.

Elizabeth Wolff Merck, a German lady, translated Tagore’s play ‘Chitra’, in 1914, which was published by her husband Kurt Wolff. This book brought Tagore closeto the lives and hearts of the German people. The intimate connection between Tagore and the Germans continues to prevail through this institute since then.

The Institute paid tribute to the bard through a number of programmes organised in March,but fot the first time the ‘Merck-Tagore Award’ has been introduced, which from now on, will be awarded every two years to a person who plays a significant role in the cultural exchange between Germany and India.

Dr Martin Walde, director of Goethe Institute and Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata and Dr Marek Dziki, managing director, Merck Limited, India, felicitated Dr Martin Kampchen, a prominent commentator on India and Indian culture, a specialist on Tagore’s literary works and a regular contributor to the ‘Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung’, a national German newspaper, on Indian matters, with this prestigious award for his immense contribution. Dr Kampchen also serves as a translator of the works of Tagore, as well as Ramakrishna, from Bengali to German.

“You cannot cross the sea meagerly by standing and watching the water. Therefore we shall do everything in our power to build this bridge between Germany and India and keep Tagore and his work alive,” said Dr Dziki.

Dr Kampchen also expressed his views about Tagore, “The work of Tagore has always inspired me and motivated me and I am glad to be a messenger of his to the German people.”

The ceremony concluded with Drumscape a mesmerising performance by the tabla maestro Bikram Ghosh, accompanied with Pandit S Shekhar on the mridangam and Somnath Roy on the ghatam. They enthralled the crowd with their performance of Adi Taal.

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