PART OF THE MONOGRAPH “GOJKO JAKOVLEVSKI” BY SLAVE KATIN
Goyko Yakovleski couldn’t clearly remind of his trip from Belgrade to West Germany. While trave ling by train he had plenty of time to think, to plan, to rejoice, and at the same time to grieve. He kept asking himself questions: how would he deal with the “unknown world” – Germany, how much would specialization bring to him, what would he do after it … Many dilemmas and unanswered questions.
Germany, the European and world giant and the leading country in the European Un ion, is an enticing destination to come, see, walk through or work and leave, and the vis itor remains with remarkable impressions about the past times and times to come.
Germany, or as it is officially called the Federal Republic of Germany, Goyko Yak ovleski’s second homeland, is the federal parliamentary republic in Europe. Germany consists of 16 constituent states, while Ber lin is the capital and largest city. In Berlin, one is largely faced with the German histo ry – with buildings and monuments of Prus sia and the German Empire, with Weimar Republic architecture, with evidence of the Third Reich with places of persecution of Jews, with evidence of different times and events. This confrontation with the past may also challenge new-generation politi cians to take a completely different course in modern trends and challenges.
According to written information, Ger many covers an area of 357,021 km² and mainly has a moderate seasonal climate. With almost 90 million inhabitants, it is the most populated member state and the larg est economy in the European Union. It is one of the largest political forces on the Europe an continent and a technological leader in many fields.
The region named Germany, inhabited by Germans, was documented before 100 years AD. During the Great migration, German ic tribes expanded to the south and estab lished successive kingdoms throughout the larger part of Europe.
Beginning in the 10th century, the Ger man territories formed the central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, the northern German areas became the center of Protestant Reformation, while the southern and western areas remained predominantly Roman Catholic, with two opposing fractions in the Thirty Years’ War marking the Catholic-Protestant division that has since characterized German society.
According to the historical development of Germany, Germany was occupied during the Napoleonic Wars as many parts of Eu rope. Then came the rise of Pangermanism within the German Alliance, which led to the unification of most German states in the German Empire in 1871, which was led by Prussia. After the German Revolution of 1918-1919, and then the military defeat in World War I, the Kingdom was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918 and divided by the Treaty of Versailles. During the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The later period was marked by fas cism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by the Allies into four occupa tion zones, which led to the formation of two states, East and West Germany. In 1990, Ger many was reunited.
Germany was one of the founders of the European Community in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen area and since 1999 a member of the eurozone. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8, G20, OECD and the Council of Europe.
And not only that, Goyko Yakovleski’s new homeland is the fourth largest econ omy in the world by nominal GDP and the f ifth largest by purchasing power parity. At the same time, it is the second largest ex porter and third largest importer of goods. It has developed a very high standard of living and a comprehensive social protection sys tem. Germany is home to many influential scientists and inventors and is known for its cultural and political history.
Under the Berlin / Bonn law, adopted on May 10, 1994, Berlin again became the capital of a united Germany, while Bonn re ceived the unique status of the Bundesstadt (federal city), retaining some federal minis tries. The relocation of the government was completed in 1999.
Christianity is the largest religion in Germany, with about 51.5 million followers (62.8%) in 2008, of whom 30% are Catholics and 29.9% are Protestants, who belong to the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD); while the rest belong to smaller denominations. Protestantism is more widespread in the north and south, while the Roman Catholic Church has more members in the south and west; 1.6% of the total population in Germa ny declare themselves to be Orthodox Chris tians.
Since its beginnings, culture in Germany has been shaped by the main intellectual and popular streams in Europe, both reli gious and secular. Germany has been called the land of poets and philosophers, wherein the constituent states are in charge of cul tural institutions. There are 24 subsidized theaters in Germany, hundreds of symphony orchestras, thousands of museums and over 25,000 libraries across the country. These cultural temples are large used: there are over 91 million visitors to the German muse ums annually; 20 million people who attend theater and opera every year; 3.6 million people listen to symphony orchestras every year. UNESCO has listed 33 sites as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage.
Goyko Yakovleski’s first destination in Germany was the city of Munich, where he arrived on the morning of August 5, 1961. He arrived in a city adorned with numerous cultural and historical monuments, high schools and vocational schools, cultural and artistic societies and associations, muse ums, art galleries, theaters, archives, librar ies, radio and television centers. Munich is one of the largest publishing centers in Ger many,
. To be continue
By SLAVE KATIN
