It was not merely the sun and the sea which drew tourists in their thousands, but also the country’s beauty, the charm of its towns and the cultural diversity on offer. Today, Yugoslavia has been relegated to history, but the cultural treasures to be found in Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially the hospitality of its people make these new republics well worth a visit. In a foray through the new states, long-standing ARD-correspondent Detlef Kleinert portrays a scintillating panorama of history and politics, art and culture.
Detlef Kleinert, born 1941 in Breslau (Wroclaw), worked in Yugoslavia as ARD-correspondent for almost 20 years. He recorded the gradual disintegration of the state, witnessed four wars at first-hand, and monitored the development of the seven new republics. He is as fascinated as ever by this part of the world, which he sees as the interface of art and culture caught between two divergent intellectual currents. The author lives in Vienna.