Sixty years of German-Sri Lanka relations

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Germany has organised two major events in Berlin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of commencement of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Germany, On the initiative of the Ambassador for Sri Lanka Sarath Kongahage, a historic photographic exhibition named Landscapes of Sri Lanka has been organised by the Embassy in collaboration with the Museum of Asian Art, Dahlem, Berlin.

The exhibition will be held from September 26, 2013 and will continue for four months. Subsequently, it will be shown in the National Museum in Colombo. The exhibition will showcase the long standing relations between Germany and Sri Lanka beyond the 60 years of diplomatic relations. A bilingual catalogue in English and German containing essays by distinguished scholars and all the photographs to be exhibited will be published.

The Museum of Asian Art will showcase a representative collection of valuable vintage prints of early Ceylon photographers. Renowned photographers including Joseph Lawton, William Louis Henry Skeen and Thomas Charles Scowen, who had established their studios in Colombo and Kandy in the 1860s, took these photographs.

During the exhibition, sketches of Prince Waldemar of Prussia on Sri Lanka will be showcased. Prince Waldemar was one of the earliest German aristocrats visiting Sri Lanka in 1840. Prince Waldemar was enthralled by the beauty of Sri Lanka and sketched the exotic beauty of the island. His images on Sri Lanka are being preserved by the Dahlem Museum.

Minister of National Heritage, Jagath Balasoriya will inaugurate the exhibition on September 26, 2013. The Secretary of the Ministry of National Heritage will also participate.

During the his stay, the Minister will discuss with the State Museum in Berlin opportunities for future collaboration between the National Museum of Sri Lanka and State Museum in Berlin.

The Embassy has also organised a harpsichord performance, which will be performed by the renowned Sri Lankan Bach specialist Prof. Preethi de Silva in collaboration with the University of Arts, Berlin. Prof. Preethi de Silva is of Sri Lankan origin and presently Professor of Music in Claremont, California, USA.

She specialises in European baroque and classical music. Recognised internationally, Prof. Preethi de Silva was invited several times to perform at the Bach festivals in Germany. She has published a composition with Bote & Bock (Berlin) and an award-winning book on early German pianos.

The concert will take place on October 16, 2013 at the Faculty of Music of the University of Arts, Berlin.