Danube Swabians in Serbia - German People's Union

03/10/2026

03/07/2026

In the Sign of Light – Festive Illumination Marking the 30th Anniversary

To mark its 30th anniversary, the German People's Union illuminated its headquarters in Subotica with festive lights on June 21—symbolically, on the day of the summer solstice.

The lights will remain on until December 21, the day of the winter solstice and the season of the Yule festival. With the return of light after the longest night of the year, they will give way to traditional Christmas lights.

The accompanying photo shows the festively illuminated headquarters of the German People's Union in Subotica.

28/06/2026

LITERARY EVENING AT THE GERMAN PEOPLE'S UNION

On Friday, June 26, a literary evening featuring Subotica author Dražen Prćić was held at the headquarters of the German People's Union in Subotica. Two of his novels were presented: Wild Card, published in Croatian and Hungarian, and Come&Back, published in German. To date, Dražen Prćić has published 22 books in six languages.

As Rudolf Weiss, President of the German People's Union, who welcomed the audience and introduced the author, emphasized, the Association was delighted to learn that the novel Come&Back had also been published in German in Subotica. With this publication, the author expressed his appreciation for Subotica's centuries-old multilingual tradition. During the discussion with the audience, he spoke about his literary work and shared a number of fascinating stories from the city's history.

Continuing the long-standing tradition of the German People's Union, all attendees were invited to choose a German-language book from the Association's library collection as a gift. To date, the German People's Association has donated a total of 1,072 German-language books to visitors attending its events. The Association intends to continue this tradition in the years to come.

04/06/2026

The ceremonial song of the Danube Swabians in a modern version.

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/2Vb1JEicRtMOZ4lbTK...

25/04/2026

The second Hungarian-language radio program of the Public Broadcasting Service of Vojvodina/Serbia recently aired a talk by historian and President of the German People’s Union, Rudolf Weiss. The focus was on Hungarian–German relations from the 10th century to the present, as well as the relationship between the German national minority and the Hungarian community in Serbia.

The program, “Raadas,” aired on April 23 at 4:35 p.m., with a rebroadcast on Saturday, April 25, at 11:15 a.m.

In his talk, Weiss reflected on more than a thousand years of shared history between Germans and Hungarians across what are now Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Slovakia.

Alongside a historical, ethnological, and geopolitical overview of relations between Germany, Austria, and Hungary over the past millennium, he also discussed the position of the German minority in Serbia in relation to Hungary and the Hungarian people more broadly. He highlighted many positive examples of cooperation in areas such as science, culture, and education.

Weiss emphasized that the German People’s Union’s strong collaboration with Hungarian minority institutions in Serbia, as well as with partners in Hungary, does not come at the expense of relationships with other communities in the region—communities we have lived alongside for centuries. On the contrary, since its founding 30 years ago, the Union has consistently taken an open and cooperative approach toward everyone.

The German People’s Union would like to thank the Hungarian-language editorial team of the Public Broadcasting Service of Vojvodina for their professional handling of this topic.

We especially appreciate that the program aired on a weekday in a widely listened-to afternoon time slot, with a weekend morning rebroadcast. It is very encouraging to see a topic that also addresses the history of the German minority given such prominent placement in public broadcasting.

Press Office of the German People’s Union
Subotica, April 25, 2026

22/04/2026

Symbolic Return Home: Oskar Sommerfeld Painting Presented to the German People’s Union in Subotica

Vienna/Subotica – At the initiative of Edith Urbanner, widow of Dipl.-Ing. Rudolf Reimann—a Danube Swabian by birth and longtime president of the Association of German Old-Austrian Homeland Societies in Austria (VLÖ)—an important painting by Danube Swabian artist Oskar Sommerfeld has been returned to where it belongs. The donation underscores the strong connection between the history of the Danube Swabians and their cultural work today.

Bettina Kapeller-Schramm, organizational officer of the VLÖ, recently presented the painting in a formal ceremony to Rudolf Weiss, president of the German People’s Union in Subotica, historically known as Maria Theresienopolis. The presentation represents not only support for the arts, but also a powerful commitment to preserving cultural memory.

A Homecoming for a Voice of Danube Swabian Identity

“This special work by an artist born in Inđija is now returning to his beloved homeland,” said Bettina Kapeller-Schramm at the ceremony. The painting is being placed in a region that profoundly shaped Sommerfeld’s artistic life.

Oskar Sommerfeld (1885–1973), an academically trained painter from the Syrmia region, is widely regarded as one of the most important chroniclers of Danube Swabian life. Born in Inđija, he first gained international recognition for his atmospheric landscape paintings. In later years, his work increasingly focused on the traumatic experiences of displacement and expulsion—most notably captured in his powerful series “Danube Swabian Passion.”

A Place of Honor in Subotica

For the German People’s Union in Subotica, the donation represents a meaningful addition to its cultural holdings. Rudolf Weiss expressed his sincere appreciation for Edith Urbanner’s initiative and for the presentation carried out by the VLÖ.
“This painting, which so powerfully reflects the fate of our ancestors, will hold a place of honor in our association’s event hall. It serves as a daily reminder of our roots and the shared history that connects us,” said Rudolf Weiss.

By placing the painting in the association’s event hall, it will be accessible to the public and will serve as an important cultural touchpoint for the community going forward.
Press Service of the Association of German Old-Austrian Homeland Societies in Austria (VLÖ)
April 21, 2026

16/04/2026

On April 16, 1945, 7,227 people died when the ship “Goya” sank. They were children, women, and men who were fleeing as German refugees during World War II from Pomerania and East Prussia. The evacuation ships, in which they placed their hope of saving their lives, were sunk by submarines of the Soviet fleet.

10/04/2026

The program about the German national community in Serbia will be broadcast today, Friday, April 10, at 4:40 PM on RTS 2 (the second channel of the national television). The guests are members of the German People’s Union from Subotica and Belgrade.

The series focuses on the lives of national communities in Serbia. The topic of today’s episode is the Germans (Danube Swabians) in Serbia. The program was recorded at the headquarters of the German People’s Union in Subotica. Among other things, our library and the traditional costumes that decorate our headquarters will also be shown.

05/04/2026

Happy Easter!

15/02/2026

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