New Paths Out of the Past

Last week, I visited my father's hometown in Legnica, Poland. During my travels through this Eastern European country, I met friendly people including a taxi driver in Łódź who tracked me down to return the shopping I had left behind in his cab. I spoke with many people throughout the country who put a smile on my face during my trip. :D

A Vase from Jelenia Góra

Me on the train from Jelenia Góra to Wrocław Główny on September 29, 2025. :)

From Legnica, I traveled on to Wrocław, stayed overnight in a stylish Airbnb near the Oder River, and the following day headed to Jelenia Góra in the Giant Mountains the home of Rübezahl. :) A friendly man pointed me toward the market square, and on my way back to the train station, I bought a Bunzlau vase at a homeware store which now sits atop my oak wardrobe.

I was also delighted when, on October 1st, I had the opportunity to get to know the "Manchester of the East" the city of Łódź. That morning, I had listened to the song by Vicky Leandros titled "Theo, wir fahr'n nach Lodz" on my YouTube Music account. It dates back to the 1970s. Upon my arrival there, I walked along the main shopping street and discovered shops that reminded me of those from the former GDR. Stacks of gray shoeboxes were piled high, displaying new shoes offered for sale right atop the stacks themselves. The planned-economy charm of the Poland of yesteryear seemed to greet me. As I continued along the street, I saw buildings that evoked memories of the city's heyday in the late 19th century magnificent structures built in the dynamic, pioneering style of that era.

Lodz

Łódź in October 2025. :D

Lodz bears parallels to the British city of Manchester because, in the late 19th century, a great many textile factories also opened their doors there. A shopping mall that has since been established within one of these former factories allowed me to purchase a perfume for Judith and a green spring jacket for myself. After a friendly taxi driver at the Łódź Widzew station had rescued my shopping bags, I took the train back to Wrocław a four-hour journey. From there, on October 2nd, I began my journey home to Aschaffenburg.

My Letter to Federal Chancellor Dr. Friedrich Merz

In the run-up to my trip, I had conveyed to Federal Chancellor Dr. Friedrich Merz by letter my assessment regarding the approach toward Russia and a potential German policy toward the world's largest country by area. A rapprochement with Russia, which I suggested therein, currently appears to be receding into the distant future.

Here is the text of the letter from August 2025:

Dear Dr. Merz,

My name is Jost Sagasser, M.A. I am a citizen of our country, and in December 2024, I established myself as a self-employed artist in Aschaffenburg, Lower Franconia.

My website on this: www.l-art.online

I view the current developments and decisions within German federal politics with deep concern. The guiding European principle which has steered our country for the past 70 years and served as the cornerstone of German federal policy is in danger of being lost. The policies pursued by your predecessors, grounded in this principle, consistently fostered great prosperity for the Federal Republic of Germany and, in 1990, led to the reunification of our country.

In my view, your aggressive approach toward Russia aimed, among other things, at "shooting all the way to Moscow" is leading toward a war with the very country that, in 1945, in response to Adolf Hitler’s war of aggression, helped defeat National Socialism in Germany. Mikhail Gorbachev, as President of the Russian Federation, played his part in ensuring that the Wall between the two German states fell in 1989 and that our country could be reunified.

My Bunzlau vase from Jelenia Góra in the Giant Mountains. I bought it there on September 29, 1925. <3

Furthermore, in my view, it is indispensable and indeed, in my opinion, must be the central objective of your foreign policy to cultivate good relations with Russia. As the Latins say: Ex Oriente Lux – from the East comes the light. If you allow the country to be subjected to bombardment—a nation that has earned immense credit for our progress and, by extension, for our democratic coexistence you undermine the very foundations of our country and risk precipitating armed conflicts that could lead to a disaster for social cohesion within our nation.

Therefore, I hereby appeal to you in your capacity as the democratically legitimate Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany to take action: Ensure that we maintain good relations with a country that, by virtue of its sheer size alone, offers a virtually boundless potential of opportunities for our economy and, consequently, for the prosperity of our nation. I urge you, please, to enter into negotiations with Vladimir Putin regarding this matter.

Please bear in mind that the day begins in the East and the sun sets in the West. Strive to cultivate a strong relationship with the Asian cultural sphere for it is from there that the morning light emerges, and it is from there a conviction I firmly hold that the destiny and prosperity of the world in the 21st century will be determined.

In my view, such a policy can succeed only under European leadership. To this end, Europe should speak with one voice and must present a united front. Intra-European border-drawing and trench warfare such as I currently observe in the press serve to weaken the continent that, in 1789, through the French Revolution, enshrined the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity as the goals for living together. The spirit of the Enlightenment thus articulated remains more relevant today than ever before a spirit that, at the time, swept across the entire European continent.

I wish you a sure touch and keen intuition in your endeavors over the coming weeks and months.

Kind regards,

Jost Sagasser, M.A.