ehem. Institut für Indogermanistik und Orientalistik

From a scholar’s quiet study to a hub of colonial ambition, the ehem. Institut für Indogermanistik und Orientalistik at Bitterstraße 8-12 in Dahlem has witnessed a fascinating evolution. This building, originally known as Haus Dr. Huth, began its life in 1917. Little did it know it would become a cradle for linguistic exploration and, later, a training ground for a burgeoning empire. The story of the ehem. Institut für Indogermanistik und Orientalistik is intertwined with the rise and fall of German colonialism. Initially, the university fostered groundbreaking research in Indology and comparative Indo-European philology, with luminaries like Franz Bopp, appointed in 1821, leading the way. However, in 1887, the German Reich’s colonial aspirations led to the creation of the Institute for Oriental Languages. While independent of the university, its presence near the established Indology department speaks volumes about the era’s intellectual climate. The ehem. Institut für Indogermanistik und Orientalistik, in its expanded role, became a place where languages like Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, and Hindustani were not just studied but seen as tools for economic expansion. Imagine classrooms filled with aspiring diplomats and traders, poring over texts and practicing unfamiliar sounds. This focus on practical language skills, coupled with courses on religion, customs, and geography, reflects the institute’s pragmatic, colonial-era purpose. Even after Germany lost its colonies in 1919, the institute continued to thrive, broadening its linguistic scope to include languages like Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, and Telugu. The echoes of these diverse languages, once spoken within these walls, still resonate with the stories of a bygone era. By 1936, the institute, renamed Deutsche Auslandshochschule, served as an elite training ground for the Foreign Office. It played a crucial role in preparing specialists with the linguistic and cultural knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of international relations during a turbulent period in history. The post-World War II era saw the institute’s transformation into the Institute of Indian Studies under Walter Ruben, then later merged into the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies. This shift marked a move towards a more comprehensive understanding of the region, encompassing not just language, but also history, socioeconomics, and culture. The ehem. Institut für Indogermanistik und Orientalistik stands as a testament to the enduring power of language. From the quiet studies of early scholars to the bustling classrooms of colonial administrators, its walls have absorbed the aspirations, anxieties, and intellectual fervor of generations past.