Message of Greeting: Josef Mederer
Josef Mederer
President of the District Assembly of Upper Bavaria (2008–2023)
Original message of greeting in German. This is an English summary.
Speaking in Greifenberg on 1 May 2023, Josef Mederer, President of the District Assembly of Upper Bavaria, opens with a memory of the children’s book author Janosch — whose Tigerente, little Bear and little Tiger have delighted generations of children — and notes that Janosch lived in Greifenberg for over two decades. The Janosch House, a hidden gem, now returns to the spotlight thanks to the BayernHistoryApp.
The District of Upper Bavaria, he says, is glad to support the project. The app allows people to experience and rediscover their Heimat. In a globalised world, where the connection to one’s home region can feel distant, new media and digitisation open up new possibilities — leading the way from the global, through the digital, back to the local, and placing the regional at the centre again. This, he calls, is the great added value of the app.
Heritage care, he continues, is not only about preserving traditions but about carrying them forward, so that future generations can see the valuable treasures held in their towns and villages. Apps make it easier to engage younger people with these themes. The BayernHistoryApp foregrounds the historical reality of Upper Bavaria and embraces the principles of inclusion and participation: how can all people, with and without disabilities, take part in history and culture?
Mederer invites everyone to look beyond the obvious icons – the Alps, the Zugspitze, Neuschwanstein – and discover the breadth of Upper Bavaria’s cultural and natural heritage. He concludes with congratulations and warm wishes for the project’s success.