The “Göttinger Freunde der antiken Literatur” – An Introduction

On 22 October 2001, the association “Göttinger Freunde der antiken Literatur” was founded on the premises of the Seminar for Classical Philology at Georg-August University Göttingen. The aim of the association is to promote a broader public interest in the literature of Greco-Roman antiquity—especially in light of the seemingly paradoxical fact that public exhibitions on ancient topics consistently attract remarkable attention in our society, while at the same time a veritable “loss of cultural memory” can be observed with regard to ancient texts (above all Greek and Latin), without which a cultural or even chronological understanding of the often impressive material remains of antiquity would scarcely be possible.
It was primarily in response to this cultural loss of memory that our association was established. Thirteen individuals took part in the founding meeting; since then (as of June 2022), membership has grown to more than 170. On 18 March 2002, the association was officially registered with the Local Court of Göttingen, and on 12 June 2002 it was granted non-profit status by the Göttingen tax authorities (a status that has since been repeatedly renewed, most recently in 2021).
Thanks to membership fees and often generous donations, the association has been able, since the summer semester of 2002, to expand the lecture programme organized by the Seminar for Classical Philology. For example, on 28 May 2002, Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, Regius Professor Emeritus at the University of Oxford and honorary doctor of the University of Göttingen, delivered a substantial and thought-provoking lecture entitled „Die alte griechische Religion und die heutige Ethik“ in the auditorium of the Max Planck Gymnasium as a guest of the “Göttinger Freunde.” In all subsequent semesters, the association’s resources have made it possible to finance an additional lecture within the seminar’s programme, and this will continue to be the case in the future.
In the summer of 2003, the association supported two well-attended evenings of a “Musikalische Lesung aus Homers Ilias, Griechisch-Deutsch in der Übertragung von J. H. Voß” In the summer of 2006, it provided both conceptual and financial support for two highly successful performances of a modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ Clouds. Another theatre project—a stage production of the pastoral romance "Daphnis and Chloe" by Longus—was realized with the association’s support in January 2011. In addition to these forms of presentation, financial contributions from the association in 2008 and 2009 enabled Katharina Kimm, then a student of the seminar, to organize two highly engaging musical evenings featuring her own harp settings of lyrical poetry, as well as the professional recording of an audio publication.
In recent years, the association has also made special efforts to strengthen its connections with secondary schools in Göttingen. In this context, since 2007 it has awarded monetary prizes not only for the best Magister’s, state examination, B.A., and M.A. theses of each year, but also for outstanding student research projects (Facharbeiten in the 11th grade) in Latin and Greek, and since 2010 for exceptional final achievements in both languages.
In order to promote these and potentially further goals, the association relies on interested members. Membership is open to anyone who considers the continued presence of the great works of ancient authors in our culture to be important. The annual membership fee is €5 per person (which may, of course, be supplemented by additional donations). The association is recognized as a non-profit organization by the Göttingen tax authorities (see above) and issues receipts for all contributions.