German Institute for the Southwest

The German Institute for the Southwest (GIS) brings all things German to the Southwest of the United States. Our main mission is to promote and advance the German culture and language in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. We strive to bring programs to the community that develop an appreciation of German language and literature, to awaken an interest in German culture and the present-day German way of life, and to cultivate mutual understanding between the people of German-speaking countries and those of the United States.   Some of our goals are to shape and revise the traditional image of Germany, to present contemporary German culture, and to foster the German language and culture within the American educational system. Our students learn more than a language, they learn to love and appreciate a culture.