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Discover why an orchestra begins a Chopin concerto with a conductor but finishes without one. Meet semicircular engineers and their laid-back problem-solving skills. Follow Hans-Jürgen to his distant homeland of Transylvania.
And don't miss the other Transylvanian
"ANECDOTES from Kleingroßdorf" (click here)
What, you haven't heard of Kleingroßdorf yet? Then scroll down, into the heart of Transylvania...
TRANSYLVANIAN
AUS KLEINGROSSDORF
For a lyrical introduction: Transylvania is a poem. Click here and you'll be right in the middle of it!
Why does the Orthodox priest drive a Volvo with God, while the Protestant pastor only drives a clunky Jetta? Do sheep need a mowing contract? And what exactly is Protestant bacon? You'll find the answers to all these typically Transylvanian questions here.
This is what Kleingroßdorf could look like - if a village of this name actually existed.
Come with us into the depths of the Carpathian Mountains and the human soul. Meet sheep, bears, and other unpredictable creatures. Experience one of the last unspoiled regions of Europe. Marvel at the land beyond the forests: Transylvania, called Siebenbürgen by its few remaining German inhabitants. Here, much seems like a fairy tale, but not everything has had a happy ending. This land and its people have experienced much, suffered much. Peoples came, peoples went. And now MoMoment gets to capture what happens here—or what might have happened. In Kleingroßdorf.
The fortified church of Michelsberg near Hermannstadt, over 800 years old, really exists, however fairytale-like it may seem. Below are a few photographic impressions as it has changed over the years and through the seasons. Incidentally, Transylvania has about 150 such fortified churches. The one in Michelsberg is among the oldest.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the fortified churches of Transylvania can find further information via the button below this text. Some are superbly restored and well worth a visit, while others, unfortunately, have often long been left to decay.
Should a stroke of good fortune lead you to Michelsberg...
Then why not visit the old German school? There you'll find a photo exhibition with views and insights into the castle that has watched over this village for centuries.
One last lyrical greeting from Transylvania:
BEAR HUNT!
(Click here)
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:
The serial novel
The King's Shit
A fairy tale
(But you'd better not read it to your children)
Motto:
"There on the mountain, there stands a cardboard box."
"The dwarves make candy out of shit."
(Old folk tune)
ENOUGH JOKING, NOW IT GETS SERIOUS:
The book
Reader praise:
"State failure is a full-body X-ray of the 'sick man' of Europe – from the perspective of the responsibility of the state and the government for this deteriorating condition. Not abstract theory, but details from real life, presented in a personal voice shaped by the author's long international career as a journalist at the heart of German and EU policymaking."
OLDIES BUT GOLDIES
Older Mo texts, already published elsewhere
The blog
Insights, views, prospects
Here Mo writes about things that caught his attention, occurred to him, or displeased him.
Who is Mo?
Mo wrote for money for almost 40 years, including for the Associated Press, Voice of America, Reuters, FOCUS, and FOCUS online. On this website, he pursues his non-commercial projects. Some of them are weird.
All texts originally published on the MoMoment website are not subject to any market considerations, but, like those already published elsewhere by Mo and reproduced here, are protected by copyright. The author's consent is required for their further distribution.