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50 YEARS OF THE GOETHE INSTITUTE IN SERBIA
|INTERVIEW | 50 YEARS OF THE GOETHE INSTITUTE IN SERBIA
FRANK BAUMANN
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Director of the Goethe Institute
With cultural exchange comes invaluable added value
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he Goethe Institute is a relia-
Tble and useful organization for learning the German language, getting education and for Serbia and Germany engaging in cultural affairs. We talked with the Director of the Goethe Institute, Frank Baumann, about the work that the Institute has been doing for the past fifty years since its establishment in Serbia and the cultural cooperation between our two countries.
The Belgrade-based Goethe Institute was formed in 1970. What are the results of half a century of cooperation so far?
Fifty years is a long time, but cultural relations between Serbia and Germany are, of course, much older. For instance, the correspondence between Vuk Karadžić and Johann Wolfgang Goethe, dates back from 1823. Since 1970, our Belgrade office had a chance to witness significant changes in both countries - from the multiethnic, socialist Yugoslavia to modern, independent Serbia, from West Germany’s half nation to a united country in the heart of Europe – there have been long and winding roads here and there. On the operational level, as a cultural institution, it’s all about the exchange, language and knowledge. It’s about people and societies, people wanting to see this world and their place in it,
how they want to live, how we organize our common spaces, in Serbia, Germany, Europe and everywhere. The Goethe Institute has gained good reputation as we are viewed as a reliable, open, useful, easily accessible and financially independent organization for language, education and cultural affairs between Serbia and Germany. You should also ask this our Serbian partners both from civil society and from the state sector, with whom we have been cooperating for a long time. Last but not least, there are our clients, like numerous students of language and library users. I hope that their replies will not fundamentally differ. You can always do better, of course, or to quote a German phrase, “standing still means taking a step back”. We are looking into the future with hope that cultural relations between our countries will continue to be good in the next 50 years too.
During the 2020 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Goethe Institute in Serbia decided to launch a fund for short-term international assistance to artistic institutions that contribute to the strengthening of a pluralistic society. Which projects have been implemented and which organizations have received assistance with the support of this fund?
I’m glad you took notice of this initiative. That’s the so-called Covid Relief Fund, a joint initiative to be implemented by the Goethe Institute worldwide. The aim is to help organizations in selected countries to invest, for instance, in streaming technology and similar projects directly related to pandemic-induced challenges. We have received quite a few applications following our public call for submission of application. A jury in Germany finally selected 9 proposals from Serbia that will receive this grant. That was a very good ratio for us if you consider that the average support amounts to just under 20,000 euro. The quality of the Serbian applications was convincing enough for the jury. The good news is that I have reason to believe the Relief Fund will be extended also in 2021, and a new call will be launched hopefully quite soon.
In which segments of art has the cooperation been the most intensive so far and what are your plans for 2021?
Feature films from Germany have had their audience in Serbia. Every year, we showcase their highlights at our festival called GoetheFEST. Stage productions are also popular. During 53 years of the BITEF festival, German artists performed every single year. Artists, musicians, writers and curators are usually very interested to come to Serbia in a professional capacity. Our guests bring something with them, but at the same time, they are eager to take something home – new contacts, insights, new perspectives, plans for future projects and engagements. In this way, invaluable added value is created through cultural exchange. Joseph Beuys is the legendary artist from Düsseldorf, whose 100th birthday is celebrated this year all over the world. Beuys influenced generations of “activist artists”. Following the invitation from the well-known art historian Biljana Tomić, former director of the legendary gallery in SKC, Joseph Beuys came to Belgrade for the first time in 1974. Beuys was very important to the Yugoslav progressive art scene. The year before, the “group of six”, assembled around Marina Abramović, met Joseph Beuys in the Richard de Marco gallery in Edinburgh, where Zoran Popović filmed a performance by Beuys to incorporate it into his new work. This piece got a lot of attention in Belgrade, and as a result of the subsequent visit, there was a long-term artistic exchange between Yugoslavia and Düsseldorf. At the heyday of the Düsseldorf Academy, which, beside Beuys, other famous names like Günther Uecker, Jörg Immendorff, Markus Lüpertz, Gerhard Richter, Bernd and Hilla Becher and even Klaus Rinke are associated with, there were many students from the former Yugoslavia. Klaus Rinke was in Belgrade with his master class as early as 1980 and performed at the entrance to the Museum of Contemporary Art ("I'll wait until they let me in"). Today, it gives me great joy to say that Klaus Rinke confirmed that he would come to Belgrade, to prove that Beuys, he and all the rest are still of important relevance, if all goes well and travelling is possible again for an artist in his 80s.
One of your activities is to support the learning of the German language. How interested are people in Serbia to learn it?
They are very much interested. That’s why we are offering language classes and exams for all levels. Allow me to give you five reasons to learn the German language in Serbia today. First, it’s definitely about the attractive study and work opportunities in Germany and not only for those people who are highly skilled workers. Germany also awards a large number of scholarships for studying in Germany. There are special work holiday visas for young Serbs, and there are special provisions for a work permit for certain professions. There are also agreements on school and student exchange between Germany and Serbia. Second, consider German in the context of business - your communication in German with your German-speaking business partners leads to better business relationships and thus better opportunities for effective communication, and thus to success. Third, German is the second most important language in science. With its contribution to research and development, Germany ranks third in the world and awards research grants also to Serbian scientists. Fourth is the communication. Developments in the media, information and communication technology make multilingual communication necessary. In terms of annual production of new books, Germany ranks 6th among 87 countries. A fair knowledge of German therefore opens up wide access to information. Finally, there is cultural understanding, as well as enjoying literature, music, art and philosophy: German is still the language of Goethe, Kafka, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven and some other clever minds.
As the director of the Goethe Institute in Belgrade since 2017, what is your opinion about the current cultural scene in Serbia?
All I can say is that we have a huge network of wonderful partner institutions all over Serbia, with whom we have been cooperating for years, if not for decades - museums, libraries, cinemas, cultural centres, schools, festivals, civil society representatives, state institutions, the media, from the smallest galleries to international brands. Most important thing is that the cultural scene finds a way out of this terrible situation caused by the pandemic. What comes afterwards, when people gather again in big numbers to enjoy the culture of all kinds, from all around, that’s what moves the scene not only in Serbia. Without an audience, without personal exchange, without feeling other experiences, opinions and reactions, we will all remain in our digital bubbles, which is a dead-end road for prosperity, democracy and common sense.
What do you like about the Serbian culture and the spirit of the Serbian people, worth telling your friends in Germany about?
I would recommend everybody to come to Serbia, to discover the country and its friendly people by travelling around, by bus or car, hiking or cycling, exploring the country from Fruška Gora to Mokra Gora and from the banks of the Drina river in fertile Macva to the hills of Stara Planina and beyond. We should not forget the old Belgrade, the only metropolis on the Western Balkans, Novi Sad and ancient Niš. Stop on your way at a roadside café, check the meat dishes, ajvar and kajmak, try some palačinke sa eurokrem, forget about driving and have some rakija made from kajsija (apricot) or šljiva (plum)… Take your time ("samo polako"). When in Serbia, do as the Serbs do!
|ACTIVITIES | AHK SERBIA - THE BIGGEST BILATERAL CHAMBER IN SERBIA
German investors, represented by the then Delegation of the German Economy in Serbia and the German-Serbian Business Association, and today AHK Serbia, are celebrating 20 years of operations in Serbia this year
he German-Serbian Chamber
Tof Commerce (AHK Serbia) represents the interests of member companies, provides information support for their businesses and advocates for the development and improvement of German-Serbian trade and cooperation in all economic aspects. One of the tasks of AHK Serbia is giving advisory support to German companies when entering the Serbian market, as well as to Serbian businesses when entering the German market.
This year, AHK Serbia celebrates its jubilee - 5 years since its official establishment
NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AHK
SERBIA
In late September 2020, AHK Serbia members held their regular annual assembly meeting. The new Board of Directors, with a two-year term, consists of Udo Eichlinger, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Siemens Serbia, Vice-Chairwoman Dijana Peškir from Stihl and Vice-Chairman Milan Grujić from ZF Serbia, as well as five members - Ronald Seeliger (Hemofarm), Ivan Smiljković (ProCreditBank Serbia), Bojan Predojević (Profine), Christian Braunig (Confida Consulting) and Dragan Simović (M&M Militzer & Munch). The Deputy Treasurer is Dirk Bantel (Vossloh-Schwabe Serbia) with a still valid mandate.
NEW DIRECTOR OF GERMANSERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (AHK SERBIA) APPOINTED The Board of Directors of the Ger-
New Board of Directors of AHK Serbia
New director of German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) appointed The WB Purchasing Initiative 'Biomass and Biogas' online conference
man-Serbian Chamber of Commerce appointed Frank Aletter to the position of Director and Executive Member of the Board of Directors of AHK Serbia starting on February 1, 2021. On the occasion, Mr Aletter said: "Our long tradition and sustainable operations make us a stable partner of Serbia, whose focus has always been and will be on improving bilateral economic relations between Serbia and Germany."
INITIATIVE FOR FINDING SUPPLIERS
IN THE WB COUNTRIES
The regional B2B project "German Initiative for Finding Suppliers in the Western Balkans" has been implemented for the sixth consecutive year. This year's regional B2B project was held online from September 8th to 22nd. Over 30 German companies participated in the project, including 154 companies from the WB region. 52 Serbian companies presented their business to potential German partners, and a total of 340 B2B meetings were held. The event was realized under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Programme for the Development of Foreign Markets for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Federal Republic of Germany.
CONFERENCE
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany and in partnership with the German company Energiewächter GmbH, in September 2020, AHK Serbia organized an online conference called "Biomass and Biogas in Serbia" to connect successful German companies with Serbian companies to share technology and experiences. "Biomass is the only energy source that ensures energy independence and provides the possibility of sustainable development of local communities. Therefore, decision-makers, entrepreneurs and local communities should show their interest,“ it was said at the conference.
DUAL EDUCATION
In January 2021, AHK Serbia held a webinar called „Dual Education: Perspectives for 2021 & Financial Support from the German Development Bank (KfW) project 'Regional Challenge Fund (RCF)“. The guest lecturers were representatives of the Centre for Education, Dual Education and Education Policy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, the German Development Bank (KfW), as well as representatives of member companies of AHK of Serbia.
Working groups A new AHK working group for CSR formed
AHK'S ONLINE PORTAL FOR STUDENT
INTERNSHIPS
The web portal dedicated to students interning in the Chamber's member companies (www.ahk-praksa.com ) was created following the initiative "From the German Business Model to Work Experience" launched by AHK Serbia and the University of Belgrade to help students improve their work skills and fostering a better connection between students and the labour market. This is an online platform on which members of AHK Serbia, but also other companies with German capital that are not necessarily AHK members, will regularly publish available internship positions in their companies.
SENIOR EXPERT SERVICES (SES)
This German non-profit organization, subsidized by the German Ministry for International Cooperation, is engaged in mediating and organizing the hiring of German professional consultants to advise SMEs. SES consultants are active German retirees, experts with abundant experience who perform their advisory roles with great enthusiasm and work ethic. They provide consulting services without financial compensation, to help and facilitate the good organization of business in SMEs, public institutions, associations and educational institutions, both in Serbia and worldwide. The German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has been representing the SES programme in Serbia since 2005, and as of 2018, about 250 German SES experts have been engaged in the programme. WORKING GROUPS
The German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce also has working groups that focus on three areas: human resources, communications & public relations and energy efficiency & renewable energy sources. At interesting interactive meetings, which usually have around 35 participants, working group members discuss common topics, experts from a particular field give lectures and business people from different companies exchange their experiences.
A NEW AHK WORKING GROUP FOR
CSR FORMED
Reputation is the most important in the business of a modern company, which is expected not only to ensure financial performance but also to make a positive contribution to social development. Today, everything is considered important for a good corporate reputation - from the staff and product quality to financial performance and corporate culture. AHK Serbia has recognized the importance of corporate social responsibility and corporate philanthropy and this year established a Working Group for CSR / Sustainable Development, which has so far organized three online meetings, with the support of the Serbian Philanthropic Forum.
SERBIAN VISIONS
From February 1st to 5th, AHK Serbia held the sixth consecutive multicongress 'Serbian Visions' but this year, for the first time, it was held online. 'Serbian Visions' assembled non-governmental and hu-
sixth consecutive multicongress 'Serbian Visions'
manitarian organizations, as well as business associations, in order to boost the role of civil society in Serbia and create a better economic environment. The only multi-congress in Serbia covered a wide range of topics: human rights, economy, EU integration, security, innovation, education, culture, environmental protection and other segments that make up the vision for a better future of Serbia, which were presented through 30 events of the co-organizers of this multicongress.
SEMINARS & WEBINARS
In cooperation with its members, AHK Serbia, organizes numerous seminars and workshops on current topics. Additional education and information help employees in member companies to improve their know-how and get acquainted with innovations in the field of their business activities and thus improve the business of their companies. Last year, we organized a large number of webinars in cooperation with our members, experts, partners, relevant institutions and other chambers in the country and abroad.
INTERNATIONAL
COFFEE BREAK
Together with other foreign chambers, during the Kopaonik Business Forum in March 2020, AHK hosted a networking cocktail. The goal of International Coffee Break events is to provide our members with a better platform for networking and sharing experiences, as well as to improve the business environment.
|CULTURE | REVIVED CULTURAL POWER
Economy has spurred the awaken creativity
ver time, Germany lost
Oits "shy" approach to self-promotion and became a true cultural superpower. The strongest football clubs are just the tip of the iceberg, as are the strongest industry and the largest number of immigrants. Nowadays pop-bestsellers are made in Germany, but also the best-rated series in the history of television.
INTERESTING FACT:
Did you know that after World War I, Germany, during the Weimar Republic, was an experimental training ground for the latest and boldest achievements in film, poetry and theatre but also in the then-popular music, vaudeville and cabaret? The whole world watched Berlin, Fritz Lang and the iconic German expressionist films, read the same kind of poetry and dreamed of coming to avant-garde cabaret. Now, that time has returned.
BABYLON BERLIN
Today, the best series, perhaps even in the history of television, dominates TV screens worldwide, it is German and it is called ‘Babylon Berlin’. This is one of those rare TV series that got 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It takes place in Berlin during the 1920s and the
Weimar Republic, and it depicts the same period also shown in another magnificent series "Peaky Blinders", but also in the Serbian TV series "Shadows over the Balkans" (“Senke nad Balkanom”). This was a time when skilful, unscrupulous, smart people fought together for wealth and power, and when democracy was struggling to survive against attacks from the extreme left, and even worse, from the extreme right that will eventually win and lead to the Second World Madness. The people at the bottom of society, the police, the refugees and the traumas of the First World War are all the elements of the era described perfectly to draw in the viewers. Strangely enough, the producers even wondered if the series would be able to have some success in the rest of the world because it is German. The truth is that the spirit of the era could never be emulated and felt if actors from any other country, other than Germany, were hired. In the series, quite a few of the German actors use the Berlin dialect or a local accent with a charming “Ick” instead of “ich” and “jut” instead of “gut”. As a result, many countries have bought the series, even those with English as their mother tongue. Critics say the following: "Babylon Berlin's humour and humanity pair nicely with its hypnotic visuals, resulting in a show that dazzles
within its oversaturated genre." Babylon Berlin is also the most-watched non-English series ever in history of Sky TV. As Carolin Ströbele from Die Zeit says: "After Das Boot, we now have an even better series in German and we have proved yet again that we are angst champions."
ALICE MERTON AND THE POP
CAPITAL OF EUROPE
Once upon a time, existing or future world stars came to Berlin to get inspiration for their career U-turn including David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave and Lou Reed. They all saw Berlin as a place where their career would cross their style. The Beatles had Hamburg, as did The Sisters of Mercy. But today, bands come to Berlin or Germany to have their big break. They no longer go there just for inspiration. Berlin is the pop-rock capital of Europe and the
world. The current big pop stars like Alice Merton also come from Germany, but bands that have merged in other parts of the world, such as the Serbian band Sixth June or the Swiss-German Lebanon Hannover, are located in Berlin and have their base there. Just as London or New York used to be a hub of world music, today that is Berlin. If you are releasing a song, Berlin is the place to be. Just like Lebanon Hannover had a hit song called "Du Scrollst", you can have a world hit again even if it is in the German language like it was 1927 again.
AND A STEP FURTHER…
The same goes for other arts: if you are a painter or sculptor, you have to come to Berlin to have a big break, just like you used to in Paris. If you are a publisher or writer, the peak of your career will be a performance or promotion at the largest and most important fair - Frankfurter Buchmesse. In popular culture, Boss will never go out of fashion, nor will Lagerfeld. Germany is back in fashion. It is re-discovering itself!
|FOCUS | DISCREET (AND QUIET) HEROES
rom adversity, heroes are “F born”, says a Serbian proverb, which is valid for the whole world. The year 2020 was not easy, with the whole world, including Serbia, going through a crisis. In addition to uncertainty and the pandemic caused by an unknown virus, Serbia also had to contend with a lack of medication, medical equipment, services, and oxygen, which was and still is necessary to save lives. Moreover, lives, we realized that, are the basic, that must be preserved because everything else depends primarily on it. But companies came to the rescue by donating equipment, goods and services worth more than 1.7 million euro. They included large and small, well-known and lesser-known companies. All these companies are our quiet heroes who share one common thing - they all are members of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia). They have been discreetly helping Serbia, without much publicity, and came to rescue in many instances - they produced and donated visors, provided free transport for donations, worked in three shifts and without annual leave, so to keep oxygen supply going, donated hygiene products throughout Serbia and so on – each time more than the previous time.
Messer Tehnogas
In order to support institutions and health workers in Serbia in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the discreet heroes, as we called them, members of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce donated aid in the shape of specialized medical equipment and money for its procurement, various goods, food and hygiene packages, but also provided services to companies like transportation and distribution services for humanitarian purpose.
We will mention some of them here - B. Braun, Generali Osiguranje Serbia, Hemofarm, Robert Bosch, the Perić Trans Company, Konstruktor Consulting, Klett, Telenor, Henkel, Nelt, Siemens, GP Građevinar, Messer, Merck, Bayer, Ametek, Transfera d.o.o,. Inmold, Stim -Import and many others. In order to give them overdue praise, we wrote stories about these discreet heroes and their heroism.
MESSER TEHNOGAS
Oxygen for life
Messer Tehnogas AD was at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus as a producer and distributor of liquid and gaseous medical oxygen required for the treatment of the most difficult patients. To meet the growing needs for oxygen, the
Messer Tehnogas
company has invested significant funds - additional tanks for medical oxygen have been installed in the Clinical Centre of Serbia, VMC Karaburma and the Military Hospital in Niš, while in the Zemun Clinical Centre, three supply substations have been upgraded and the central medical oxygen supply installation adapted. In the makeshift hospital in Stark Arena, oxygen installations were distributed to reach 230 beds, once the patients were already submitted, another tank was added in the Dragisa Mišović Hospital. A central oxygen distribution installation was put up at the OB Vršac, followed by two oxygen tanks in the COVID hospitals in Batajnica and Kruševac. Thousands of seamless bottles for compressed gases were procured or repurposed, and the company’s production switched from one- to threeshift operation, in all locations. The company’s logistics department made deliveries 24/7. In July, August, November, December and until mid-January, Messergas did not stop for weekends and national holidays. Even today, through having continuous communication and in mutual agreement with the Government of Serbia’s Crisis Task Force, the company carries out regular and reliable distribution of medical gases to all the relevant institutions in our country.
TRANSFERS
In action with and without partners
In 2020, Transfera provided assistance both on its own and in partnership with other companies. In March, the company regularly donated protective masks to the Maternal and Child Health Institute, as well as disinfectants, medical materials and equipment. The company also financially helped the State Health Insurance Fund. In cooperation with the Chinese company Mei Ta, Transfera delivered protective masks from China, as part of the donation, to the Centre for the Protection of Infants, Children and Youth in Zvečanska Street in Belgrade and the Gerontology Centre Belgrade. Dr. Oetker and Transfera together donated to the SOS Children's Village and the Village’s branches in Kraljevo, Niš and Belgrade, as well as to the Dr. Milorad Pavlović Children's Village in Sremska Kamenica. Furthermore, Transfera has supplied the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, the Lung Diseases Health Institute in Sremska Kamenica (Vojvodina), Red Cross in Belgrade and the Clinical Centre in Niš with Dr. Oetker's products.
NELT GROUP
Donations to fight the coronavirus
The companies that operate under Nelt Group have donated over EUR 350,000 to help the countries in which they operate in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. Nelt in Serbia donated EUR 240,000 to the State Health Insurance Fund towards the purchase of 10 ventilators for the gravely ill patients suffering from the COVID-19 virus, while Neoplanta donated products worth EUR 50,000 as part of an aid package for 173,000 people of Belgrade, over 65 years of age, who have the lowest pensions. 30,000 mini packs of Sebamed baby soap were donated to customers at Dr. Max and Benu pharmacies, as part of the nationwide campaign conducted by Nelt’s Sector for the Distribution of Drugs, Medical Devices, Food Supplements and Cosmetics. Neregelia and Montenomaks C&L, Nelt’s companies in Montenegro, donated EUR 20,000 to the National Coordination Body for Infectious Diseases. Also, the company donated EUR 20,000 to healthcare facilities in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina each.
PERIĆ TRANS COMPANY
Aware of the importance of social responsibility
As part of the community in which they
operate, the Perić Trans Company is cognizant of the importance of the need to promote true values and social responsibility. In March 2020, the company joined the fight against the coronavirus by donating 3 million dinars to the State Health Insurance Institute in support of medical facilities and workers. In this way, Perić Trans Company appealed to other companies to respond and provide assistance to the best of their ability. With the desire to help renovate the church property destroyed in the earthquake in the area of Glina and Petrinja in Croatia, Perić Trans Company donated EUR 3,000 EUR to the Serbian Orthodox Church Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate and EUR 7,500 EUR to the Gornji Karlovac Diocese.
HENKEL SERBIA
Committed to social responsibility
During the pandemic, thanks to the solidarity programme, Henkel was able to help the frontline medical staff in solving a global problem. In cooperation with the Novak Djoković Foundation, Henkel donated five ventilators and five clinical monitors to the General Hospital in Kruševac. The company also donated hygiene products and protective equipment. In addition to this hospital, the products were donated to the Gerontology Centre in Belgrade, the Pulmonology Clinic in Belgrade and the Health Centre in Indjija. Henkel also helped senior citizens with the lowest incomes by donating goods to Red Cross in Belgrade and Kruševac. The total value of these donations exceeded EUR 480,000.
GENERALI SERBIA
Helping is one of our core values
Generali Osiguranje donated a disinfection tunnel to KBC Bežanijska Kosa and an ECG device each to KBC Zemun and the General Hospital in Šabac, thus once again demonstrating its readiness to support medical facilities in Serbia. In 2020, Generali donated EUR 100,000 to the Government of the Republic of Serbia towards boosting the capacity of the country’s healthcare system in overcoming the COVID-19 epidemic and the Vatreno Oko COVID laboratory for the purchase of laboratory supplies and equipment, hygiene and disinfection products, office supplies and furniture, the financial compensation for the employees and development of research and educational potential. The donation came from the Extraordinary International Fund of the Generali Group, which was established to overcome emergencies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which is available in all the countries in which Generali operates.
B. BRAUN ADRIA
Helping in the fight against the pandemic
At the onset of the pandemic, B. Braun was focused on providing the necessary quantities of drugs and medical supplies. The company delivered quantities of drugs re-
Generali Serbia
GERMANY REMAINS A RELIABLE PARTNER OF SERBIA EVEN IN MOST DIFFICULT TIMES. THEY DONATED EQUIPMENT, GOODS AND SERVICES WORTH MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION EURO
quired for the proper functioning of health care facilities at the very beginning of the pandemic and delivered available quantities to the most vulnerable hospitals. Production and delivery are still under great pressure because the pandemic is ongoing, but with a great effort, B. Braun manages to secure a regular supply of medicines and materials used by COVID patients. All of B. Braun’s employees understand the importance of the company's role and are fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted deliveries of medicines and equipment for the regular functioning of health care institutions. In addition to helping many associations to donate equipment, the company has also donated infusion pumps which are used in gravely ill patients, and by doing so, improved care of intensive care patients. B. Braun’s employees are fully committed to carry-
B.Braun Adria
ing out their tasks and contributing to the fight against COVID-19 in Serbia.
HEMOFARM
To Serbia with Love
In addition to securing the supply of medicines in Serbia, the regional pharmaceutical leader, Hemofarm, and its parent company, STADA, also delivered substantial humanitarian aid to Serbia, in the value of almost 400,000 euros. Namely, the donation included 110 monitors for patient monitoring, without which the doctors who are continuing the battle against the coronavirus would not be able to work. The message reading: “To Serbia with Love”, inscribed on the lorry with the shipment of this important medical equipment, sums up the sentiment of all six thousand employees of our parent company, STADA, and of all the employees of Hemofarm, who continued working seven days a week even in these hard times, in order to secure the supply of medicines. In addition to the 110 monitors donated to Serbia, Hemofarm and STADA also secured donations to the other countries where their manufacturing sites are situated – 10 monitors to Montenegro and 30 monitors to BIH. With its maximum contribution in the battle against coronavirus and in defending people’s health, Hemofarm has been breaking its production records from the very start of the pandemic.
|TOURISM | NEAREST GERMANY
Low cost, high class
ong ago, people from Serbia L could board on a low-cost flight from Belgrade to Memmingen, the perfect hub for layovers and the perfect location for targeted vacations. The part of Germany called Allgäu and the nearby Lake Constance are gems of Germany's tourist offer. And no, we are not going to mention the already famous Neuschwanstein Castle.
MEMMINGEN
A small town of Memmingen used to have a military airport used by the U.S. Army up until the 1990s. When the Americans wanted to relocate their troops further to the east, the agile citizens of Memmingen jumped on the bandwaggon called low-cost airlines and set up centres for WizzAir and RyanAir at the airport of this small town which is the size of Sombor. Some people decided to stay in the area and see the beauties
that are Lake Constance or nearby Munich, Liechtenstein or the Alps, as well as the Allgäu region. Memmingen is a classic German that that reminds you of scenes from Hermann Hesse's “Narcissus and Chrysostom“ - the Middle Ages combined with the contemporary look, small workshops, harmonious ar-
chitecture, attention to detail, photo albums, Easter decorations, bunnies and sausages and pastries, typical of Bavaria. Perfectly preserved or reconstructed facades of old, historic buildings. You don't need to go on any further to have a great weekend in Germany. But let's move on anyway.
LAKE CONSTANCE
Very few people from the Balkans are aware of what a tourist gem Lake Constance is. Only in some domestic comedies could we get a peek into what that location meant before the Second World War - and it was a kind of a German sea but in the Alps. And what kind it is! The Riviera is dotted with beautiful medieval towns which are beneficial to health because of negative ions coming from the lake and the Alps. It wasn't so popular for sunbathing and swimming. Nightlife here, for ladies in heavy dresses and gentlemen in tailcoats, was important, so the climate on Lake Constance in the summer was ideal, well, for summer vacations. Lindau or the "city of lin-
den" is perhaps the most beautiful gem of Lake Constance, as Germany shares it with Switzerland and Austria. It is located on an island, to which you can get by train. You will disembark at an old but renovated station in the Old Town. The Germans have perhaps the best trains in the world, and if you buy a Bayern-Ticket, 5 people can travel in the same train all day all over Bavaria, or, in the case of the Wochenende-Ticket, 5 people can travel all over Germany all weekend (ICE trains are not included). Therefore, it is not surprising that Germans are in love with weekend trips around their country. It is cheaper for them and foreigners to travel all over Germany, than for us to travel all over Serbia.
In any case, the town looks idyllic. Each building looks like a cake, and everything is neatly organized. Houses look like rows of cakes in a pastry shop. The cafes are outdoors and mostly packed. The Italian language is heard everywhere. This is proof that the Italians are the most frequent guests of the Al-
pine regions, and that in this part of Europe, there is a custom that we would call "get to know thy neighbour". Houses from the 12th or 14th century take us back to the time of minesweepers and old craftsmen, knights and ladies. Each house has a sign and a description. The most spectacular of them is the Old Town House, which has many paintings on the facade - typical for this part of the world. They are perfectly preserved and can be found everywhere. Another thing that makes you smile and draws you into Balašević's nostalgia for a time you haven't even experienced is signs that hang from the walls of houses, the so-called "roommates" (Zimmer). These are, in fact, old companies. In the past, people were
not literate, so the inscription "baker" or "blacksmith" did not mean anything to them. Craftsmen used to hang metal "roommates" in the shape of a pretzel or a hammer to explain what was the particular craftsman doing. There were companies without words.
At dusk, in the harbour, flowers are everywhere. Germany is the most beautiful in April, perhaps. The wind from the Alps gently sweeps by people who are sitting and drinking beer and wine in picturesque cafes with views of Mangturm, an old fairytale tower, and a lighthouse with a Bavarian lion. Boats are swaying on the water. In the distance, on the other side of Lake Constance, you can see the snow-covered Alps. You feel as if you have returned to your childhood.
Perhaps for the Balkan people, work and emigration are the first words they associate with Germany. Although that is quite true, it is also wrong. Germany is a beautiful country that has wonderful areas, like this one. They are high class and very close to us.
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