German Envoy Walter J Lindner unveils unique graffiti in Delhi symbolising India-Germany friendship

German Envoy to India, Walter J. Lindner recently unveiled a symbolic painting on a large wall at the iconic Sheila Theatre in Paharganj, near the ND railway station, celebrating Indo-German friendship. The painting marks the 31st anniversary of German reunification. German Unity Day is observed every year on October 3 to commemorate the nation's reunification in 1990. “Today is an important day for Germany, it's our national day of reunification. Today, 31 years ago, East and West Germany were reunited. Usually we would host a big reception but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we couldn't do it,” said Ambassador Lindner.

The artwork is created by Yogesh Saini, the founder of Delhi Street Art, and his team of ten painters. It took five days for the team to complete it. Now, graffiti is a common sight in Berlin and that’s what prompted the German Envoy to come up with the idea for the artwork. “Last year we came up with the Scorpions’ iconic song ‘Wind of Change’ which we re-recorded with Indian musicians. This year, we thought, we would do something different but also with an artistic twist. That's how we got in touch with Yogesh Saini and his team from Delhi Street Art. Our idea was to do something which is typical for Berlin,” revealed Lindner.

The wall next to the iconic Shiela Cinema with the artwork and the graffiti is a reminder of the Berlin wall and of the graffiti that can still be seen on parts of it which still exist in Berlin. For a visual artist like Yogesh Saini memories invariably take a visual form. When he was presented the opportunity to create something meaningful to mark the German unification he recollected that the most vivid visuals from the German unification were those of the graffiti and art on the Berlin Wall. “I wanted to represent the friendship between India and Germany. What better way than representing an Indian woman wearing a traditional Bavarian dress and a German woman donning an Indian sari? With that in mind I saw the opportunity to represent a tiny section of graffiti on the lower section of this art wall we have created,” recollected Saini who is grateful to Ambassador Lindner and his team for giving Delhi Street Art the opportunity to create an iconic mural on the occasion of marked the 31st anniversary of German reunification.

Ambassador Lindner was convinced that the artwork had to be made in a place where everyone can see it. “We found an old wall next to an important cinema hall and we had Yogesh and his team paint it for us. What could represent the friendship between the two nations and what is an eye catcher? We searched for a wall, not in the diplomatic enclave, but in the center of the city where everyone can watch it,” explained the ambassador.

German born Indian actress Suzanne Bernert sees the artwork as a sign of strong friendship between India and Germany. “Last year on the occasion of the German Unity Day, Ambassador Walter brought up a version of a very famous song by the Scorpions called ‘Wind of Change’ which was instrumental to the breaking of the Berlin Wall. And this year they have come with this beautiful street art. Now, I have I studied acting in Berlin and so I can tell you that Berlin is the hotspot of street art. And now on the occasion of the 31^st anniversary of German reunification we have this amazing piece of street art painted on the wall next to the iconic Shiela Cinema. And I particularly love the idea of an Indian woman donning a traditional Bavarian dress and a German woman draped in an Indian sari,” said Bernert.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Germany. “Germany and India look back at a long history of multi-faceted bonds. In 2021, both nations celebrate 70 years of Indo-German Diplomatic Relations. To mark this milestone, the Indian and German governments released special-edition commemorative postage stamps, which we were happy to give our partners, friends, and associates as a token of the friendship between the two countries,” revealed German Consul General, Dr. Juergen Morhard who also extended his gratitude to India during a digital event, commemorating the German Unity Day, recently hosted by the German Consulate in Mumbai. The special-edition commemorative postage stamps can be procured from city post offices of the respective countries.