Ambassador Janković presented the Gold Medal to Professor Robert Hodel

30. Aug 2021.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Germany, Snežana Janković, in her capacity as the personal envoy of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, presented the Gold Medal to the Director of the Institute of Slavic Studies at the University of Hamburg, Professor Robert Hodel, awarded to him by the President for his exceptional contribution to the culture and promotion of friendly relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Germany.

During his rich career, Professor Robert Hodel focused most of his work on Serbian and South Slavic literature, primarily on realism and modernism. He studied Slavic studies, philosophy and ethnology in Bern, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Novi Sad and is the author of a large number of publications, translations, anthologies and commentaries on the Serbian and South Slavic literature, with a special focus on writers Ivo Andrić, Momčilo Nastasijević and Dragoslav Mihajlović.

On that occasion, Ambassador Janković pointed out that we highly appreciate that in his daily work, he transmits enthusiasm and love for the Serbian language, culture and literature to future generations of Slavists in Germany and expressed gratitude for Professor Hodel's commitment to strengthening cultural and scientific ties between Serbia and Germany, and the promotion of Serbian language and literature in the entire German-speaking area, which at the same time strengthens German-Serbian ties.

Professor Robert Hodel said that it was a great honor for him to receive this high decoration of the Republic of Serbia and emphasized that by translating Serbian poetry, he experienced a special kind of love and connection with the Serbian language and Serbia.

He spoke about the extraordinary richness and value of our literature, which is still insufficiently known in the world, and emphasized the value of the diversity of languages ​​and cultures, citing Article 22 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which advocates respect for cultural, religious and linguistic differences.

Along with Professor Hodel's family, the reception was attended by the most prominent representatives of our and German academic community and the media from the diaspora.

In the program after the award ceremony, those gathered enjoyed the performance of Serbian poetry of Professor Hodel's personal choice, in Serbian and in German, translated by him, and the performance of original Serbian songs by members of the cultural and artistic association Zlatni opanak from Berlin was especially noticed.