Iranian translator receives Goethe Medal

TEHRAN,Aug.31(MNA) -- The Iranian translator Seyyed Mahmud Hosseinizad received a Goethe Medal for his contributions to German literature in Iran during a ceremony in Berlin on August 28. Hosseinizad, who is one of three non-Germans at the Goethe Institute selected to be honored with Goethe Medals this year, received the medal from the president of the Goethe-Institute Klaus-Dieter Lehmann during the event. The Indian publisher Naveen Kishore and the Greek writer Petros Markaris are the two other winners of medal this year. The Medal is an offical decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany to people who have performed outstanding service for the German language and international cultural relations. During the ceremony, Klaus-Dieter Lehmann praised the awardees as passionate ambassadors of books and German literature. “Their dedication transforms a ducked defensive stance into a convincing offensive for printed books. And with their courage and perseverance, they gain growing attention for new subject matter,”Lehmann said. Hosseinizad received the Goethe Medal for his services and commitment as a cultural mediator par excellence in literature, theatre and film, as stated on the Goethe-Institute website. According to the conferment commission, “He levels the way of words with discretion and sensitivity, and enables cultural and personal encounters that awaken and intensify mutual understanding between people in Iran and in Germany”. The award ceremony was attended by Minister of State Cornelia Pieper, Thuringian Minister of Education, Science and Culture Christoph Matschie and the Mayor of the City of Weimar Stefan Wolf. Since 2000, Hosseinizad translated several books by German authors into Persian including works by Judith Hermann, lngo Schulze, Uwe Timm, Peter Stamm and Julia Franck. The Goethe-Institute is a non-profit German cultural association operating worldwide to promote the study of the German language abroad, and encourage international cultural exchange and relations.