In 2021, the Peace Road Initiative began at the tri-border area with a march from three directions. Participants set out from Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic, and over 100 peace walkers gathered for a peace celebration at the tri-border area. One of the underlying ideas was that people living along the 38th parallel in Korea would one day be able to meet just as amicably as we have here in Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain.
In the years that followed, the UPF chapter in each country took the lead. With the help of the mayor of Schwarzenberg, who supported the initiative from the very beginning, an officially marked Peace Road was established in 2024 with the approval of the Bavarian State Forestry Department.
This year, we started again with a typical Bavarian “Weißwurst”- breakfast at the Berggasthaus (mountain guesthouse) Dreisessel in Neureichenau. Mag. Maria Pammer, Secretary General, UPF Upper-Austria, welcomed the guests from Austria and Germany. Mag. Michael Leitner, mayor of Schwarzenberg, speaking as an eyewitness, recounted the time when the Iron Curtain still ran along the Peace Road route.
Peter Deininger, president of Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) Austria, then introduced the participants to the Peace Designer project. He, along with his wife Polina, and Peter Wurzer, along with his wife Hanna, had prepared cards featuring thoughts on peace from various prominent figures. Each participant was able to take a card with a quote that particularly resonated with them.
The 3-kilometer-long, well-marked Peace Road runs directly along the border between Germany and the Czech Republic to the tri-border area, where Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic meet. Along the way, participants were not only able to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings, greet many fellow hikers, and pick blueberries, but also engage in lively discussions about their thoughts and hopes for peace.
Once we arrived at the tri-state border, we arranged the cards—which, when placed back-to-back, form the Peace Road banner—like a puzzle, as a symbol that each of us can contribute a piece toward peace.
As the founder of this Peace Road Initiative, I was very pleased with the commitment shown by YSP Austria. May this official Peace Road continue to be a destination for many generations to come, where they can experience God’s beautiful nature and, in a family-like atmosphere, enjoy hiking together and sharing with one another.