Shortly after my return to Belgrade I was invited to a short film evening in the old Belgrade cinema “Novi Bioskop Zvezda”. This cinema was built in 1911. It had been occupied in 2014 by the “Movement for the Occupation of Cinemas”. Some of our Russian friends who quite regularly attend our church services invited me. One of them is director of one of the movies shown during this evening. It was a very chilly adventure. The cinema was full. After the presentation there was a very vivid discussion about each of the seven movies. A unique experience!

When I arrived at our church in Zemun for the service on Sunday (21st of January), I saw that someone had painted “Free Gaza” on the memorial plaque for Theodor Herzl.

The church, built by the Jewish architect Hugo Ehrlich between 1926 and 1930, is popularly known in Zemun as the “synagogue” and in 2018 the street “Prilaz” was renamed “Theodor Herzl Street”. In the presence of the presidents of Israel and Serbia, the memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of Herzl, whose father and grandfather were citizens of Zemun.

‘On the occasion of the anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Agreement, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Embassy of the Republic of France, the Goethe Institute in Belgrade and the French Institute in Serbia organised a special meeting at the Yugoslav Cinematheque in Belgrade. The meeting was also attended by Mr Mihael Plac, President of the National Council.
On this occasion, IE Anke Konrad, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Serbia, and SE Pierre Cauchard, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Serbia, addressed the meeting. Those present also had the opportunity to watch the film ‘More Than Ever’ by director Emily Ateff, which was jointly produced by German and French filmmakers.’ Source: www.nationalrat.rs/de/268-kinoteka2024-de)

A wonderful evening with a very melancholic film worth seeing! In the picture: Our ambassador!

All of a sudden, the bus system in Belgrade had changed. Tickets surprisingly became cheaper, but the well known payment procedure of “Bus Plus” changed to a new SMS system of “Belgrade Plus”.

The next step was that new displays were installed in almost every bus stop. The next bus arrivals are displayed.

On the picture one can see the bus station close to my offfice. When coming back from winter vacations, I was very surprised to see how fast these displays had been implemented all over the city of Belgrade.

Stuttgart 21 - impressions from my hotel room …

On 24 January 2024, the network's New Year's meeting took place in Stuttgart at the invitation of the Baden-Württemberg State Ministry at Villa Reitzenstein. Rev Dr Rabus and I were invited on behalf of the Belgrade community. In the picture: Florian Hassler, State Secretary for Political Coordination and Europe at the Ministry for Baden-Württemberg, giving the welcoming address.

Spatial sculpture in the dome of Vienna's Karlskirche church

British artist Cerith Wyn Evans created the installation ‘Forms through folds (ascending)...’ on behalf of ‘Karlskirche Contemporary Arts’ - Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk to be experienced anew

Visit at “Haus der Heimat”, Vienna, where I met with Chairman Mag. Norbert Kapeller, who gave me valuable insights in the work of the eleven “Landsmannschaften” representing the German settlements in Eastern Europe. 

On the picture one can see the plan of “Gakowa”, one of the biggest “extinction camps” as a catholic bishop named it. The Partizans installed these camps for Germans (and in some regions for Hungarians) in former German villages. Many Germans died there in 1940ies.

The Palestinian conflict had further consequences for our church in Zemun: Unknown persons had daubed the words ‘Death to the Jews’ on the wall.

The cultural association ‘Branko Radičević’ thankfully painted over these words in white very quickly.

The Protestant church in Zemun was built between 1926 and 1930 according to the plans of the Jewish architect Hugo Ehrlich on behalf of the German Protestant community. 
Perhaps this is why this building is popularly referred to as a synagogue in Zemun and thus associated with Israel. 
The renaming of the street to the right of the church as ‘Theodor Herzl Street’ probably had opponents, who have now pasted over the official street sign with one of their own design: ‘Ulica Jakuba Kuburovića’ (Jakub Kuburović Street). Another sign of protest against Israel's policies and at the same time a statement in favour of the Palestinian cause.

A fire engine on standby at the sausage festival in Bački Petrovac.

Over a hundred teams were involved in the competion at the sausage festival in Bački Petrovac. Our friends and partners from Bulkes had invited me to this unique event. 

Here is the sausage team from our Slovakian-Lutheran brothers and sisters from Bački Petrovac - the only team with a Bible and hymn book, by the way!

Jakob, one of our new parishioners, removed the words ‘Free Gaza’ with a special metal cleaner. Thank you for that!

My wife visited me in Belgrade - here's a selfie in front of the horse on Republic Square in the centre of Belgrade.

I like to meet for business and pleasure at the Hotel Moskva - here's a selfie with the pianist in the background.

A picturesque bakery in Belgrade.

... from Zvezdara (observatory).

On the other side of the Danube, not so long ago (during the Covid 19 pandemic) there was considerable environmental destruction. Rubble was used to fill in the Danube floodplains to create a new industrial area. 

The small environmental organisation ‘Bela Čaplja’ managed to prevent further damage. Ana, one of the activists from Bela Čaplja, explains here what a sensible alternative would be: the establishment of a nature reserve. 

Every year, wreaths are laid in memory of the victims of the world wars at the cemetery of the liberators of Belgrade - here Russian, Kazakh and Serbian wreaths.

The inscription in German, Serbian and Hebrew reads:
‘Here rest eight hundred Jews from Austria who were murdered on their way to the Holy Land by Nazi henchmen in Sabac on 25 October 1941. The Jewish Community of Vienna has erected this memorial to them.
Never forget!’

... Magnolia blossom in Belgrade

“In order to prevent the spread of disease in the Habsburg empire, there was a quarantine – Kontumac – built in 1730. for the travellers and merchants in what is now the city park. If you wanted to travel from Belgrade to Zemun, you would have to receive a check up and stay for 52 days in a camp. The quarantine survived until 1872, and was a city within a city, with two churches dedicated to St Rocco and Archangel Gabriel (both appropriately associated with fighting plagues) which survive to this day.”

Source: https://thenutshelltimes.com/2020/12/23/hidden-zemun/ 

The World Day of Prayer in Zemun - host country: Palestine. Organised by Mirijana Ajzenkol from the Catholic Church (on the far right of the picture).

... in the huge cemetery of Bežanijska Kosa. I had always wondered how today's Serbian Orthodox family graves with the huge black stone covers ‘work’.

The two cheerful Russian immigrants photograph passers-by and immediately print out the front page of a newspaper in return for a donation - with the current date.

After the first lecture and discussion evening in November 2023, the second event of the German Protestant Church Community Belgrade took place with the medical-ethical topic ‘Drug abuse and the medicalisation of life’. 

The speaker, Prof. Dr Janko Samardžić, teaches and researches in the field of clinical pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade and at the University Children's Hospital in Basel, Switzerland.

After the stimulating evening, there was a small drink near the Goethe-Institut.

... you need crutches ... these were mine at the joint clinic in Gundelfingen near Freiburg. 

Very soon after the arthroscopy, I flew back to Belgrade to conduct the services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
 

On 22 March, Rezzo Schlauch gave a very committed pulpit speech in the Roman Catholic church of St. Cyriak in Furtwangen.

Rezzo Schlauch ‘was a member of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament from 1984 to 1994 and then a member of the German Bundestag from 1994 to 2005. From 1998 to 2002, he was Co-Chairman of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group in the Bundestag and from 2002 to 2005 Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Economics and Labour. He retired from politics in 2005." (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rezzo_Schlauch)

In the picture on the right: Furtwangen's Catholic priest Harald Bethäuser, on the left Rezzo Schlauch.
 

Looking out of the window into our garden in the morning and it had snowed ...

Jacob, one of the many Russian emigrants, was baptised on Easter Sunday. 
Afterwards there was a delicious lunch on the banks of the Danube.

... of the ‘Association for the Promotion of Culture, International Understanding and Homeland Care between Kirchheim unter Teck and Bački Petrovac e. V.’

Quote from the homepage:
‘We are former residents of Bulkes, today's Maglić, their descendants, active and former local councillors from Kirchheim unter Teck and Bački Petrovac, as well as members of the town councils of both towns, Kirchheim citizens and citizens from Bački Petrovac.’ (foerderverein-kirchheim-petrovac.de/werwirsind.html)

My ancestors on my father's side also settled in Bulkes in 1786, and some of them moved to Kulpin in the middle of the 19th century.

In the picture: Bulkes memorial stone in the cemetery of Kirchheim unter Teck.

Taken from the aeroplane: the Danube running through the city of Novi Sad.
On 9 April, I had an appointment with the immigration police at midday to get my residence permit extended. In the evening: return flight to Zurich - on the 10th my lecture at Furtwangen University continued ...

... in the study ...

On the search for the right transfer point on the way to a discussion with Mag. Schiestl (Regional Chairman of the Danube Swabians in Austria) and at the CPCE (Community of Protestant Churches in Europe). 

... in the 13th district of Vienna ... 

Here the main stage - around the large equestrian monument - on the Republic Square.

‘Zajedno’ - 
which means ‘together’. 

The highly symbolic flag design - the Russian flag merges into the Serbian flag - is a large-scale advertisement for the Russian state-owned company Gazprom that is present everywhere in Belgrade. 

Visit to the Greek-Catholic church in Novi Sad, which is very close to the Slovakian-Lutheran church.

Anita from the Greek Catholic Church and Tobias from the Roman Catholic Church and I visited the park in front of Dundjerski Castle. The two stand next to the busts of Lenka Dundjerski and her admirer Laza Kostić.

... and me

Visit to the second largest city in Republika Srpska; There were very interesting conversations with a pastor of a free Protestant congregation and a group of committed people who, together with the mayor, are committed to renovating the completely destroyed German Protestant church. A cultural center is to be built there.

Short visit for my mother's birthday - before the flight back to Belgrade.

... in Backi Petrovac. Enjoyed visiting two friends from the Bulkes support association from Kirchheim unter Teck.

... in front of the Evangelical Church of Bulkes - before the return trip to Belgrade - it was a wonderful Sunday trip!

Visit to senior Igor Feldy and his wife Svetlana - a very important exchange of ideas with both of them - an interview for the local Sunday TV was also recorded. Senior Feldy translated my answers.

...probably the oldest Protestant church in the Balkans.

... of the Slovak Lutheran Church of Stara Pazova.

… in the “Novalava” café near the German Embassy. Theme of the evening: Africa. Carlos from Angola (on the left in the picture) invited me the morning after the English-language service in the Catholic church.

... forgotten at dinner with Patriarch Porfirije and picked up again two days later.

... in front of the ruins of the NATO bombing of Belgrade. Taken from the tram - on the way to Gloria and Martin's farewell party.

... is now a very popular Serbian restaurant.

These big advertising messages can be understood as a populist reaction by the Serbian ruling party to the UN's Srebrenica Resolution: "We are not a genocide people" - but no one said that... a German expression comes to mind: "Hit dogs bark "…

The picture shows the national emblems of the Republic of Serbia and the Republika Srpska (part of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

... discovered in Zagreb. I really liked this work of art - it reminded me of Umfolozi river in South Africa ...

The fans of the Croatian soccer champions marched to the large square in the centre, the team bus with the players on the roof was celebrated by a large crowd - pyrotechnics and Chinese fireworks - everything was there - my wife and I were right in the middle of it all.

Here you can see Lake Garda in the background. In Desenzano, we made our first stop on the way to the regional conference in Sète, in the foreground: ‘Monumento alla resistenza antifascista per la libertà’ (‘Monument to the anti-fascist resistance for freedom’).  

This surprisingly tasty fish soup shocked me at first - after all, it was my first with so much seafood.

Here we are at the harbour of St. Raphaël near Fréjus, in the background the neo-baroque basilica
(Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire de Saint-Raphaël) in the background. We stayed overnight twice in Fréjus (which, incidentally, is the twin town of Triberg in the Black Forest).

... from the inside.

A special representation of the Holy Spirit (greetings from Art Nouveau). The Romanesque altar cross is particularly beautiful - and of course the colorful stained glass windows!

- opposite a World War memorial.

The pastors and family members on the way to the morning devotions - the morning and evening devotions were real highlights of this year's regional conference.

In the morning, Prof. Dr. Dr. Jean Ehret (founding director of the Luxembourg School of Religion & Society) gave a very informative and stimulating lecture on the relationship between church and state in Luxembourg. 

After lunch I took him by car to the train station in Sète. In the afternoon our Furtwangen local journalist asked me via WhatsApp whether I was in the south of France. His daughter and her family spotted me on the way to the train station and took this "evidence photo" - conclusion: "You never walk alone!"

The sociologist Frank Thomas, who lives in Strasbourg, gave a very expert lecture on the phenomenon of “laïcité” in France in his historical lecture. Here is the slide with the basic questions.

… with our shadows in front of the Mediterranean Sea.

Two more very interesting lectures on June 1st expanded our horizons. After experiences from GEKE (CPCE) respectively Graz in the morning session, Pastor Katharina Schächl from the Reformed Church gave us insights into her work as a pastor in the province (Ardèche).

On Sunday the entire regional conference went to Toulouse, where we celebrated service in Lars' church. 

After a snack there was a city tour for the adults and a city rally for the youth. A few older people enjoyed ice cream and coffee in one of Toulouse's many cafés. Then a trip to the German community and its new rooms, where we were treated to delicious food.

Worship room in the World Council of Churches

Before a very informative conversation with Dr. Andrej Jeftić, Serbian-Orthodox theologian and director of "Faith and Order", showed us (my wife and me) the Visser't Hooft hall. 
The entire building - with the exception of the prayer room and this hall - will be demolished. The offices are currently moving and will return to a new building in a few years.

This picture of Gabriele and me was taken by Dr. Jeftić - Thank you!

After the conversation with Dr. Jeftić we drove to Bossey, where we stayed overnight - here the evening atmosphere.

On Tuesday (June 4th) I brought Gabriele to the train station in Geneva. she went home to the Black Forest. I drove to the very beautiful small town of Palmanova in around seven hours. Where I stayed in the small hotel next to the Catholic church.

Here I visited the Lutheran Bishop of Slovenia Leon Novak. In the picture is the beautiful neo-Gothic church, built around 1900.

This is a wonderful Slovenian dessert that Bishop Novak recommended to me after our lunch: it's a brilliant combination of apple, curd and poppy seed strudel!

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bishop Branko Berić, the designated priest of Zagreb, Moran Raijković, Gordan Plesnik, deputy synod president and presbyter, and Božidar Lukša, synod minister and president of the Zagreb Presbytery spoke about the difficulties of coping with the major building damage caused by the last major earthquake .
The desire for me to hold church services in German in Zagreb was also discussed. The first service is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.

... of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Zagreb.

In the streets of Belgrade are poor people, trying to make some money by cleaning windscreens of cars waiting at red traffic lights. Here we see young men, getting water from a public well in Palilula.

On the way to a conversation with Martin, an old friend from the Black Forest who also lived in Belgrade for a few years and was part of our congregation, the tram suddenly stopped and I got talking to these two theology students (!) who explained to me what it was all about: 

“The Serbian capital has been celebrating Spasovdan as its glory since despot Stefan Lazarevic gave the city the status of the Serbian capital in 1403, in honor of renewal and progress.” 

"The Serbian Orthodox Church invites all those who want to take part in the Spasovdan litia to gather at Ulica Kralja Milana, near the City of Belgrade Assembly, from 6 p.m., and to listen to the instructions of the organizers on the spot. The program foresees that the liturgy will start from the Church of the Ascension at 19:00 along Kralja Milana Street to Slavija Square, where Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will read the Gospel and consecrate the capital's streets."

Source: https://mondo.rs/Info/Beograd/a1939474/spasovdanska-litija-u-beogradu-13-jun-2024.html 

In the background: St. Mark's Church.

… with friends from our congregations enjoying a drink in Hyde Park Café, not far from the German School Belgrade.

… in the yard of the German School Belgrade.

… in the pub “Cvijić” with new found friends Bulgarian Serbs who live in the United States …

... in Novi Sad - it seems to be worth it ...

... in the wonderful restaurant "Barrique" in Novi Sad with two Serbs from Hamburg and a Turk from Hamburg - football creates nice chance acquaintances!

... in Novi Sad: On the pulpit: Pastor Anna Petrović.

Here's a selfie with Ned, my "bench neighbour", who translated the important content into English for me.

That was in Subotica where I drove after the Novi Sad synod. It was a very informativ meeting with the Bishop of the Hungarian Reformed Church.

… in front of the Parliament of Serbia.

… in the restaurant "Terazije" in the center of Belgrade.

I won a wonderful rucksack bag - the two girls presented it to me with great publicity.

... in Belgrade too - it seems to be worth it ...