The guardian of German language and culture in Madrid is the Goethe Institut, where German courses are given, conferences are held and exhibitions are organised to serve as a bridge between Germany and Spain.

The Goethe Institut was created in 1951 and arrived in Madrid in 1957. Over 50 years later, its impact on culture in Spain and all over Europe, as a centre for dissemination of German culture, was acknowledged with the Príncipe de Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 2005.

The Goethe Institut has a library, film library, conference room and exhibition room. Its programme covers a wide range of subjects on fields such as literature, philosophy, film, art, architecture, design, music, dance and theatre.