Home corner in Geretsried's living room: Bojana Kimissoglou holds an incense burner in her hands. Icons hang on the wall. © Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
Together with her mother and brother, Bojana Kimissiglou came to Germany in 1996. Today, the 33-year-old Serbian runs a beauty salon in Gartenberg.
Geretsried – Bojana Kimissoglou spent only the first six years of her life in Serbia. But this time has left its mark on the now 33-year-old. She regularly travels with her husband and two daughters to Novi Sad, the city of her birth. She doesn't feel homesick for Germany in Serbia, says the Orthodox Christian: "I love hearing the language there."
Serbian came to Germany with her mother and brother - life in her home country became more and more difficult
Together with her mother and older brother, Kimissoglou came to Munich in 1996, shortly after the end of the Bosnian War. The war was not the reason why they left Serbia, says the Geretsrieder. "It took place mainly in Bosnia." But it has made life very difficult in her home country.
Sometimes the electricity was cut off in parts of Novi Sad. "People were fighting for bread," she recalls. So the family decided to turn their backs on the country's second largest city. Germany was considered safe and was known for "being able to build a future there". Good reasons to emigrate to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Because Kimissoglou's mother had an acquaintance in Munich, the choice fell on the state capital. There, the family began a new life. Kimissoglou attended school and trained as a wholesale and foreign trade clerk. In her spare time, the young woman danced in a Serbian folklore ensemble.
Serbin ventured into self-employment in Geretsried
After a two-and-a-half-year interlude in Düsseldorf, Kimissoglou returned to Bavaria in 2013. She moved in with her boyfriend in Geretsried. "Then everything happened very quickly," the well-groomed, slender woman looks back. Her partner proposed to her in the same year. The wedding took place in the homeland of the family-in-law, Greece.
"600 guests were invited, 'only' 300 came," says the Serbian and laughs. Of course, Serbian folklore was not to be missed at the traditional celebration. "I'm proud of that," says Kimissoglou. A year after the wedding, their first daughter was born. Three and a half years later, a second girl followed.
In parallel with her first pregnancy, Kimissoglou trained as a beautician. After some time as an employee, she ventured into self-employment. For almost a year she has been running her own studio "Omorfia Beauty Bar" on Fasanenweg. Actually, she didn't want to be the boss herself, admits the 33-year-old. "But that's how it turned out." Kimissoglou opens her salon by appointment. "I still have small children." She is satisfied with the way the first year went, she adds.
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Although she has lived in Germany for 27 years, Kimissoglou feels very connected to her home country. She likes to go to Serbia, even if it's only for a week. "Time passes differently, the heart beats differently, the air is different," she says, describing her feelings. In Germany, everything is timed and the Germans are known for their punctuality. "That's why they're so successful," says the Geretsried native appreciatively. "But that doesn't fulfill me."
Time passes differently, the heart beats differently, the air is different.
Bojana Kimissoglou describes her feelings during her travels to her home country.
She could well imagine living in Serbia or Greece, the 33-year-old reveals. But with children, this is not yet an option. "I think I'll do it like many retirees," says Kimissoglou. "Spend a few months in Germany, a few months in Serbia." At that time, the family did not give up the apartment in Novi Sad. A good prerequisite for putting this plan into practice. nej
About this series
The UN counts 195 countries in the world. There are 106 nationalities registered in Geretsried (as of 8 June). Our newspaper introduces people from all parts of the world who have found a new home here.
You can read the latest news from the Wolfratshausen/Geretsried region here.