The exhibit on the fall of the Berlin Wall at the Goethe-Institut is typical: old border crossing signs, fragments of the wall and posters.

The reason is not.

Unlike events at the German embassy or the German Historical Institute, this small show in a building near Washington's Chinatown is not just a commemoration.

It's also a bit of cultural diplomacy.

Germany isn't tearing down walls any more — it's trying to build bridges. And a nonprofit organization in the U.S. capital thinks a movie series, discussions about novels and lectures on the country’s electronic music scene may be just the way to do it.

The country is not alone in its efforts. The British Council promotes cultural ties to the United Kingdom in the Washington area; the Confucius Institute, China; and the Alliance Française, France.

They are prime examples of soft diplomacy, argues American University's director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, James Thurber.

"The overall influence [of these organizations] is that they improve understanding of politics … and build a closer relationship," he said.

The structure is relatively similar: Most are almost separate from their federal governments in their day-to-day planning, though they may receive partial funding and or have federally approved board members.

Most get the majority of their funding from language classes. Outside of classroom instruction, the organizations host art exhibits, speakers and films – all centered on connecting Americans to their culture, and vice versa.

America even gets in the act itself through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Urlich Braess, director of the Goethe-Institut in Washington, explained it was founded in 1951 with the goal of repairing the German image in America. From the start, it has been a quasi-governmental effort, financed in part by the German Foreign Ministry and with two representatives of the German government on its 40-member board of directors.

He argued that it seems to have helped.

Braess argues that Germany could serve as an example for future U.S. foreign engagements, serving as "the great success story of American foreign policy of the last 70 years."

The British Council, which receives a third of its funding from the government, has a similar mission as the Goethe. Carrie Annand, the media and communications manager, said the organization was founded in the 1930s to counter fascist propaganda, and its founders believed "the best way to combat extremism was through greater international cultural engagement and understanding."

Annand noted that the council's approach to international cultural diplomacy has sparked interest within the U.S. government, and Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) mentioned the organization in a piece in Foreign Policy magazine about reinventing American cultural diplomacy.

Both leaders of the Goethe and the Alliance Française said their organizations are virtually "recession proof" and that they have seen an increase in enrollment for language classes.

Urlich noted that during hard economic times, people like to "invest in their head as a bank account." Though Laurent Mellier, executive director of the Alliance Française de Washington also attributes their success to the decline in these language classes in schools.

Mellier added that Washington is a prime spot to place these cultural organizations.

He said that even during the "French bashing" of 2003 and 2004, the Alliance saw an increase in membership and registration. He said that Washington is more Francophile than much of the US — mainly because of the closer connection between Democrats and the French, versus Republicans, and the likewise large number of Democrats in the D.C. area.

"Though during 'French bashing,'" he said, "our Republican friends kept coming here."

This longevity for their types of organizations is essential, Urlich said. "To rebuild trust, especially in cultural scenes, you need sustainability," he said.

Stacey Skotzko writes for Congressional Quarterly.