The Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft (German Shakespeare Society) was founded on 23 April 1864 on the occasion of Shakespeare’s 300th birthday. It is one of the world’s oldest and most renowned literary associations. Its original goal – the promotion of Shakespeare’s works in the German-speaking areas – is today still pursued with vigour. In order to achieve this goal, the Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft edits the Shakespeare-Jahrbuch (yearbook), supports German editions of Shakespeare’s works, and holds annual conferences of international repute, the famous “Shakespeare-Tage”.

As a result of the division of Germany, the Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft divided itself into two branches in 1963. For thirty years, there were a Western and an Eastern “Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft”, each with its own yearbook and conferences. The societies’ offices were situated in Bochum and Weimar respectively.

The new Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft has about 2,000 members who are professionally or personally interested in Shakespeare’s works, because of professional objectives or just enthusiasm.

The Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft is a member of the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Literarischer Gesellschaften und Gedenkstätten e.V.” (ALG).