21 September 2024, the International Day of Peace, saw the official opening of the peace hiking trail from the Dreisesselberg, a mountain at the tripoint between Austria, Czech Republic and Germany, to the border triangle.
The first Peace Road event of this nature was held 2012. Participants set off hiking from Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic and met at the border triangle, one of the places where the symbol of the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, fell over thirty years ago. We considered it an appropriate spot to reconcile our shared past. Similar events were held in the following two years attracting around a hundred participants, not only from the three bordering nations, but also from far-away Korea. In 2021, we had expressed the wish that after a long separation, the Korean people could soon meet in the same way at the 38th parallel.
Representatives of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) from Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany met at the Berggasthof Dreisessel to join in the opening of the peace hiking trail.
Michael Leitner, the mayor of the municipality of Schwarzenberg, Austria, has been an active supporter of these Peace Road meetings at the border triangle for the past three years. He implemented the establishment of this official peace trail, which should also serve to remind future generations of past divisions, from the Dreisesselberg along the German-Czech border to the tripoint.
He opened the festive programme and emphasised: ‘Peace cannot be taken for granted, it has to be worked hard for every day’, adding that the trail should be ‘a symbol of peace’.
‘I have always been a child of the border,’ said Walter Bermann, former mayor of the municipality of Neureichenau, Germany, who has spent his life in this area.
Maria Pammer concluded her speech with the remarks: ‘We will not be able to achieve lasting peace with human efforts alone.’
And for Juraj Lajda from the UPF Czech Republic, the path should ‘remind us that all paths should lead to peace and harmony’.
The former Czech Minister of Culture, Daniel Hermann, said: ‘The history of the 20th century is sometimes very painful, but we cannot change it. However, we have our future in our own hands!’
‘We need peace with God,’ said Dieter Schmidt from UPF Germany. On the first Peace Road 2021, he experienced finding inner peace and hope in nature.
For Peter Haider from UPF Austria, one thing is certain: ‘We can do something: People make war, but we can also make peace!’
‘Everyone is invited to walk the path of peace,’ proclaimed Martin Felhofer, Abbot Emeritus of Schlägl Abbey. As an enthusiastic former footballer, Felhofer added: ‘It is important that we don't take God out of the game! In this case, the path is not the goal, because the goal must be peace among people. But it is important that we are on the way there.’
Together with Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, Martin Felhofer said a prayer for peace and blessed the peace path.
This opening programme was accompanied by music from the Traun Klang horn quartet and a young couple Michael and Polina expressed the wish of all those present with the song ‘Let There Be Peace On Earth’.
After the festive programme, Martin Felhofer cut the ribbon for the official opening and all visitors and guests were invited to walk the approximately seven-kilometre-long peace trail.
Two newspapers in Austria and Germany respectively, published detailed articles with many pictures of the opening ceremony.
Headline and introductory paragraphs:
MeinBezirk (Austria):
Peace Trail in the Bohemian Forest ceremoniously opened
The Peace Trail on the Dreisesselberg was ceremoniously opened last Saturday on the International Day of Peace. Former abbot Martin Felhofer cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.
Passauer Neue Presse – (Germany):
Network sets an example for togetherness - Trail for peace opened on the Dreisessel
A peace trail on the Dreisessel was opened on Saturday with an official ceremony followed by a hike. The trail leads from the mountain inn to the border triangle and is intended to set an example for reconciliation and international understanding.