RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND GERMANY
Commemorative Volume is being published by the Federation of Indo German Societies in India (FIGS), New Delhi, in association with Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
He received unprecedented welcome in the country during his visits to that country. The book is in three parts, the first part of the book entitled “Rabindranath Tagore in Germany” edited and translated by Prof. Dietmar Rothermund, was first published in 1961 to celebrate the centenary by the Max Muller Bhawan, New Delhi. The contributions by the honorary scholars and writers who came in with him at that time are not only interesting of what they tell us about Tagore, but also about contemporary German Thought in it’s quest for values and ideals. It ends with Tagore’s poem in English, The Child, which he wrote in Germany that Prof. Rothermund describes as alimony of a sudden inspiration and inspiring vision.
The Second part carries an article titled “Tagore in Germany by Satinder Kumar Lambah, Former Ambassador of India in Germany, first published by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the ‘Indien in der Gegenwart’ in 1996. The author essay’s Tagore’s three visits to Germany, apotheosizing the vitality as set off by this “spiritual ambassador” through his works and lectures.
The third part carries three essays based on lectures delivered by Martin Kämpchen in India and Bangladesh. Through his translations of Tagore’s poetry, his biography of the poet in German and several studies of Tagore’s relationship with Germany, the author contributed substantially to introduce Tagore.
These essays inform and reflect on the role the poet has played in the German history of the 20th century and present a vision for the future.
Dietmar Rothermund, Ph. D. FRHistS
Professor emeritus of South Asian History, South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. Distinguished Scholar and Author, he is fellow of the Royal Historical Society, London, Since 1988 and Honorary Member of the Humboldt University, Berlin, Since 1994. Recent Publications include India: The Rise of an Asian Giant, (with Hermann Kulke) A History of India, 5th ed., and Gandhi und Nehru: Zwei Gesichter Indiens.
Satinder Kumar Lambah
Over a diplomatic career spanning more than four decades, he has also held the important posts of Ambassador of India in Hungary (1986-89); High Commissioner of India to Pakistan (1992-95); Ambassador of India to Germany (1995-98); Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation (1998-2001). He at present is Special Envoy in the Office of the Prime Minister of India. He is also the President of Federation of Indo-German Societies in India
Martin Kämpchen
He attended the University of Vienna (Austria) and the Sorbonne of Paris (France) studying German Literature, Philosophy, European Theatre and French. He completed his studies in 1973 with a Ph.D in German Literature from Vienna. He holds a Master’s in Indian Philosophy from the University of Madras (Chennai) and completed a Ph.D in Comparative Region from Visva – Bharati University, Shantiniketan. He lives in Shantiniketan since 1980.
Dr. Kämpchen has written and edited several books on Christian – Hindu dialogue, on Indo-German cultural contacts in the 20th Century and on Tagore. In addition, he has written four volumes of short stories mostly on Indian rural life. A novel has been published in 1999.