27.07.2021 Travel Diary | Day 2
a dialogue between Joshua Engel and Veronika Vasilić

We arrived to Serbia in the morning, on the border we passed many control checks, and then after some chills if we would get through, we passed and arrived, tired but amazed to see a new city…

The Serbian group had bit of a different morning, some just came from previous trips from abroad, some from different places outside of Belgrade. We were late a bit, but finally we all gathered at the hostel in the hills of Belgrade.

Hey, I’m Joshua. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too, Joshua. What are you doing here in Belgrade?

Same as you at the moment, haha, really glad to be part of this project, although the cause is not so pleasant.

True, but for me it’s important to remember, and this is a really good way to exchange the ways of our remembrance.

I completely agree with you, and it is important that participants from all countries involved participate in this project. 

Do you have a personal connection related to this part of history?

I’m not sure if this counts, but the brother of my grandfather was in the military and his (and my grandfather’s) parents were Nazi generals. I also had the big luck to perform on stage with Jovan Rajs in 2015. I still think of him a lot and hope to meet him again. I played in several performances about the period of nazism. What about you?

 I don’t, my family history is mixed, so one part was in Ustashe (my grandmother’s brother) who was killed during the war, and my grandparents from my father’s side were partisans (resistance movement in Yugoslavia). Are you still in contact with Mr Rajs?

Sadly only sometimes, but I hope to see him again. Does the Second World War and the Nazi regime still influence your life?

It doesn’t, but WWII still has its effects on society in Balkans and ethnic relations that are tense. It is what it is, unfortunately.

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Opportunity 

Travel

Crime

Sajmiste 

Narvik 

Forced labour

Present