Rabindranath Tagore travelled the world and while he did, he delivered speeches, had conversations with the who’s who of the world; and most importantly, he made journal entries, wrote letters to close ones, and wrote songs. Almost a decade back, I laid my hands on “Japan Jatri”, which is his travel journal while he was in Japan.
While doing my Masters course, I started reading up more on Tagore’s travels in Europe, especially Germany. Since the pandemic did not allow me much opportunities to travel, this time I made sure I visit a few places, where Tagore is remembered in limited ways.
So grab your cup of Darjeeling Tea (Tagore would approve this), as I explore the little remains of Tagore in Berlin, Germany, and in Prague, Czech Republic.


Rabindranath Tagore Straße (street), Berlin, Germany.
I took this picture in the outskirts of Berlin on 13 October 2024. This street in Berlin is named after Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali, and to the Western Civilisation, during his time, he represented everything the East had to offer. For the ease of your reading, here’s a quick timeline for you!

He travelled the entire world, including Germany, to deliver speeches and to have conversations! He travelled to Germany during 1921, 1923, and in 1930; that after Germany was defeated in the 1st World War and the 2nd World War did not yet start. Tagore got his Nobel in 1913, and that had sparked some curiosity among the Germans. In 1914, Tagore was translated for the first time and people saw him in person during 1921. By 1923, a million books of Tagore’s translations were claimed to be sold in the region by the Macmillan publishing house. His popularity waned with the rise of the Nazi in Germany. In 1941, before the 2nd World War ended, Tagore had left for his Heavenly abode.
I was amused by the fact that Tagore came to Germany, and I wondered how the encounter might have been. There are media reports from German publications regarding this and they are no less amusing.
When Tagore got the Nobel, the Germans were perhaps not the happiest lot. They found his name difficult to pronounce, and some people thought he was a Jewish Rabbi. He visited various cities in Germany, the list of which includes Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Darmstadt and also Frankfurt. Tagore was mainly invited to visit people of influence and asked to deliver speeches. He also wanted to reach out to the Germans to soothe them after their loss in the world war, and ask them to not lose their values. That did not age well, sigh.
But during the time he was in the country, the people loved his ideas and the media went crazy over how he looked. He was called the Godfather, mystic, hermit, and whatnot! He was then, the only link between the Western world and their ideals and the East with their set of ideas; a Nobel Laureate when the colonisers were not only looting the world, but also humiliating their culture. He was a miracle, an enigma, who had won over hearts with his simplicity and wisdom.
While the media called his visits to Germany a success, Tagore himself played it down. In his letter to a friend, published in 1929, we see him humbly writing, “I can not take seriously the fame that has been given to me. It was given too readily and immediately. It did not have the perspective of time.”
Tagore died in 1941. Germany was pretty broken by the end of the World War in 1945, and split into 2 parts: the East and the West Germany. What prompted the Government of East Germany to name a street after a Bengali philosopher, in 1961? India had gained Her independence and was also split into 2: India and Pakistan, and Tagore’s Bengal split between the two new nations. 1961 was the 100th Birth anniversary of Tagore, and it was an acknowledgement of Tagore’s contribution to shaping perception of the East in the minds of the West.

I wanted to know more and I asked my friend Carl to dig into German media archives. We came across the name of “Walter Ruben”. He was born in Hamburg to a Jewish father. He went on to study in Bonn, and later taught in Frankfurt. After 1st world war, he opposed the concept of war, and in the 2nd, his family had to flee. He had an interest in Indian studies, and in 1936, he visited Tagore in Shantiniketan. In Shantiniketan, he not only met Tagore but also spent time with the Santals (tribe). Something happened there which is not very well documented. He went on to study more about India, translate some of Tagore’s work and was invited to be a part of Tagore’s birth centenary celebrations in Calcutta.
In Germany, he proposed to the Government to rename a street and honour Tagore. Well, not just any street. His house was on that street and his grave too is probably there.
Einsteinsommerhaus (Einstein’s Summer House) in Potsdam, Germany.
Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein here on 14 July 1930. They had a conversation which sparked the interest of the then world. You can find a part of the conversation here.

This was the country house of Einstein where lived with his wife Elsa from 1929 till 1932 (April – November). It is now a museum (link). I went to this place and was greeted by Mr Schubert. Out of excitement I asked him which room did Tagore meet Einstein. He responded with a stern face and cat on his lap, “Tagore was here for several hours, together with his nephews and other Indian fellows and they met in all rooms!”. For me it was a surreal experience to be there in front of the staircase, where I know Tagore stood. (Videos to be uploaded on my Facebook profile)

Thakurova in Prague, Czech Republic.
This place is “Thakurova” and is dedicated to Rabindranath “Thakur”. Before I mention why I put “Thakur” in quotes, I need to mention that this place is easily visible on Google Maps. The tram stop is by the same name, and it is less than 15 mins from the center of the city.
Now, why did I put “Thakur” in quotes? Tagore’s original name in Bengali is “Rabindranath Thakur”, and the British anglicised his family name to “Tagore”; the rest of India too know him as Tagore and not Thakur. That the Czech remembers him as “Thakur” is a sweet surprise. His bust is put in front of the university where he had delivered a speech. The idea of the move also intended to introduce Tagore to the younger generation in Czech Republic.
Tagore inspired some of Czech poets and thinkers, and his work was staged in Czech language multiple times from 1922 – 1928. During that time, there were exchanges where Czech thinkers, artists came to Bengal (Kolkata, Shantiniketan) and exchanged ideas, thought, and knowledge. A lot of Tagore’s work was taken off during the Nazi regime in Germany and the region, but since 1950’s some amount of work has been restored. Alas, Tagore was not alive to see the day.

See, when the topic is Rabindranath Tagore, there could possibly be no end to the literature online, but this blog post has to end. Honestly speaking I do not know how to end this blog post, and I will tell you why.
Tagore had enthralled the German audience for over a decade. There are arguments which suggest that middle-Europe (Germany included) embraced Tagore as much as Bengalis did, and more than the British. But almost a century after his death, he is just reduced to street names* and statues. Among newer generation Indians, including Bengalis, there is widespread misinformation about him. They are more detached from all the values Tagore stood for.
But I am sure, with some of us re-discovering Tagore in our own ways, we will keep him alive in our thoughts and actions, and through us He will live and continue to live in the next generation. Perhaps not the best notes to end the blog post.
But who decides when something ends? Like Tagore mentioned, the end of the dark clouds make way for the rain, the spark continues as fire, the snow melts to give birth to the river. Maybe the end of this blog post would continue as a start to your exploration and discovering of Tagore.
Signing off.
Very well-written blog post.
Shamefaced, but to be honest, I read about Tagore with full interest for the first time. It was fascinating to know about him beyond the boundaries of India and how he portrayed the East to the West.
Shantiniketan is just 80 km away from the place where I spent my childhood. Surely, this blog post will continue as a start to my exploration of Tagore and His life and more of Indian History. And maybe someday I will visit Einstein’s Summer House and the historic streets.