International Esperanto Institute

The International Esperanto Institute (Esperanto: Internacia Esperanto-Instituto, IEI; Dutch: Stichting Internationaal Esperanto-Instituut) is a Dutch foundation dedicated to the promotion of Esperanto as an international language of communication. It was founded in The Hague in 1930 by the Esperantists Julia Isbrücker and András Cseh, and since 1933 it has been based at Riouwstraat 172 in The Hague, in a building known as the Cseh House. The institute is a non-profit organisation whose stated aims are to encourage the use of Esperanto, to spread knowledge of the language, and to promote its teaching. The IEI is best known for its association with the Cseh method, a direct conversational method of language teaching developed by András Cseh. In the 1930s the institute trained more than 400 certified Cseh teachers, around forty of whom travelled, especially across Europe, to give courses. Many Cseh courses and conferences were held at the Arnhem Esperanto House, which the Arnhem municipal authorities made available to the IEI. Today the institute works with roughly forty certified Cseh teachers from various countries and organises seminars to train new ones. Over the decades the institute's activities have shifted. As Esperanto is now often learned through self-study or online courses, the IEI has concentrated more on organising oral meetings and events. It hosts gatherings on topics of Esperanto culture at its building, runs a department selling new and used Esperanto books, and is active in publishing, not only in the field of language teaching but also on the history of Esperanto. It also supports the development of computer programs for research on and use of Esperanto, including speech recognition and spell-checking tools. In 2004 the Stichting Esperanto bij het Onderwijs merged with the IEI, and the combined organisation took the name Stichting Internationaal Esperanto-Instituut. The institute continues to offer introductory and beginners' courses, participates in public events such as the Just Peace Open Day in The Hague, and organises activities like a Day in The Hague. Its website and publications are largely in Esperanto and Dutch, reflecting its dual role as a Dutch foundation and an international Esperanto institution.

The International Esperanto Institute was founded in The Hague in 1930 by the Esperantists Julia Isbrücker and András Cseh. It was established as an institute to promote the teaching and use of Esperanto, and in 1933 it acquired its own office at Riouwstraat 172 in The Hague, where it remains based today. The building is known as Cseh House, after the co-founder András Cseh, who developed the Cseh method of language teaching. In the 1930s the institute trained more than 400 certified teachers of the Cseh method. Around forty of these teachers travelled, especially through Europe, to give lessons. Many Cseh courses and conferences on this teaching method were organised at that time in a country house in Arnhem, the Arnhem Esperanto House, which the Arnhem municipal authorities made available to the IEI. Over the following decades the institute continued to train Cseh teachers and to organise courses and meetings. Today it has at its disposal approximately forty certified Cseh teachers from a wide range of countries, who give Cseh courses, and it also runs seminars to train new Cseh teachers. In 2004 the Stichting Esperanto bij het Onderwijs (Foundation Esperanto in Education) merged with the IEI. The merged organisation took the new name Stichting Internationaal Esperanto-Instituut, which is the formal Dutch name of the institute today. As Esperanto came to be learned more often through self-study or internet courses, the activities of the IEI shifted towards mainly organising oral meetings. The institute hosts gatherings in its building on topics of Esperanto culture. It is also active in publishing books, not only in the field of education but also on the history of Esperanto, and it has a department for the sale of new and used Esperanto books. In addition, the IEI supports the development of computer programs for research on and use of Esperanto, including speech recognition and spell-checking. The institute's stated purpose is the promotion of the use of Esperanto as an international means of communication, the advancement of knowledge of Esperanto, and the promotion of the teaching of the language. In recent years it has continued to offer introductory and beginners' courses, to participate in public events such as the Just Peace Open Day in The Hague, and to organise activities such as a Day in The Hague, often beginning at Cseh House.

• 2004

  Stichting Esperanto bij het Onderwijs merged with IEI; the new name became Stichting Internationaal Esperanto-Instituut.

• 1933

  Acquired its own office at Riouwstraat 172 in The Hague, where it remains based.

• 1930

  Founded in The Hague by Julia Isbrücker and András Cseh.

• 1930

  In the 1930s trained more than 400 certified Cseh-method teachers.

A non-profit, mission-driven language institute and foundation promoting Esperanto as a bridge language for international understanding.

• Cseh-method Esperanto courses

  Direct conversational courses taught by certified Cseh teachers.

• Cseh teacher training seminars

  Seminars to train new Cseh teachers.

• Esperanto book publishing

  Publishing in education and the history of Esperanto.

• New and used Esperanto book sales

  A department selling new and used Esperanto books.

• Computer program development support

  Support for programs for research and use of Esperanto, including speech recognition and spell-checking.

1. 1Internacia Esperanto-Instituto official websiteiei.nl
2. 2Wikidata: International Esperanto Institutewikidata.org
3. 3Stichting Internationaal Esperanto-Instituut (Dutch Wikipedia)nl.wikipedia.org