German Afghan friendship harkens back to before World War One. At that time the upper classes studied in Germany and today there are some 80,000 Afghan refugees resident in Germany. During World War One Afghanistan remained neutral and gave asylum to many Germans. The King of Afghanistan also travelled to Germany at this time with artists and academics. During the 1960s and 1970s 50% of Germany’s development budget was spent in Afghanistan. There were 4,000 Germans in Kabul alone. The Goethe-Institut stayed open until 1990. It reopened in September 2002 and was officially inaugurated on 22 September 2003. Today it not only promotes German culture but also facilitates cultural contacts between specialists. The Institut’s interests include film, music, theatre, painting, German language classes and library support. Most of its exchanges bring German artists to Kabul to do workshops with Afghan specialists. In September 2002 two filmmakers from Munich held a seminar for 47 Afghan filmmakers which resulted in co-productions of films. The Goethe-Institut’s work with numerous cultural institutions has included workshops and training (see library case studies) with artists from Afghanistan and German experts in the fields of film, fine arts, theatre and music, together with the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kabul University, Afghan Film and the Afghan Conservatory of Music. The Goethe-Institut provides scholarships and study trips to Germany for theatre directors, artists, editors and librarians. It has equipped the libraries of numerous Afghan cultural institutions including the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kabul University with equipment, books and videos. In Germany the Goethe-Institut supports the dissemination of Afghan culture through films, music and discussions. It supports training for Afghan German teachers and provides scholarships for Afghan German teachers in Germany. In addition, it offers German language classes for students and staff of numerous ministries, the Amani High School, embassies and others.