Al-Diwan – Arab Cultural House, Berlin – Germany _On September 3, 2023, the Diwan – Arab Cultural House in Berlin, held a ceremony honoring Dar Sader on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of its founding, as part of the activities of the first Diwan Arab Book Exhibition.
The ceremony was attended by a crowd of intellectuals, officials and book lovers. A speech “from the heart” was delivered by the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Publishers, Mr. Bashar Shbaro, where he said: “First, I thank the Arab Cultural House in Berlin for this generous event, and I consider it not only a tribute to Dar Sader, but also a tribute to the publishing industry in Lebanon and the Arab world. Dar Sader, after 160 years and five generations, represents the ambition of every Arab publisher. Five generations and 160 years require patience and steadfastness. »
As for the speech of Mr. Nasser Jarrous, owner of Jarrous Press from Tripoli, Lebanon, he said that the story began with one of the pioneers: Ibrahim Sader, the founder, twenty-five years old, coming from his hometown of Darb al-Sim, where he established in 1863 the “public library.” And he continues: “About this founder, it came in the book History of Arabic Literature by its author, the scholar Father Louis Sheikho, the Jesuit: On May 9, 1915, the first person to be concerned with the profession of publishing died in Beirut, Ibrahim Sader, who practiced this trade and served it for more than fifty years, and brought it closer to the family in general and to the youth in particular, studying Arabic publications and reading rare compositions.”
And he continues, after speaking at length about all the stages that the publishing house went through, saying: “And the story continues. Over a period of more than a century and a half.
This story is what prompted the Diwan to honor this publishing house as a gesture of affection, a sign of love, and a gesture of appreciation towards deserving people.
Engineer Nabil Sader, Director of Dar Sader, thanked the Ambassador of the State of Qatar and Chairman of the Diwan’s Board of Trustees, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, and all of the Diwan’s employees for their interest in spreading Arab culture and for this generous gesture, saying: “This honor imposes on us an additional responsibility and increases our determination and drive to continue. Our mission is to spread Arab culture all over the world. He spoke about the cultural relations between Germany and the Arab world, which Dar Sader contributed to strengthening by publishing translations of dozens of books from German into Arabic and in the opposite direction as well.
Ms. Sarah Sader, who represents the fifth generation of the publishing house, also gave a speech in which she focused on the role of women in the publishing world and its importance, and stressed the continuation of the tradition that distinguishes Dar Sader Publishers, which is based on initiative, persistence, commitment, and honesty.
This celebration included the playing of several oriental musical instruments, which gave it a beautiful artistic atmosphere.