“I’ve always felt like a visitor in my own country”
MAJA SIROLA was born in Rijeka, Croatia. She has been at Spotlight Verlag since 1991 — first as a member of the editorial team for Spotlight and later as managing editor for Business Spotlight. Contact: m.sirola@spotlight-verlag.de I suppose I could describe myself as a “citizen of the world”. I’ve lived abroad since my childhood, first in Italy, then as a teenager in England for seven years and later in Germany. I grew up trilingual, first Croatian, then Italian and English. So, it was logical that I would study languages. My studies took me to Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I also learned Slovenian. It hasn’t always been easy; but it was a great experience and a valuable lesson on the importance of adapting to new circumstances, understanding different cultures and learning new languages. In a way, I always felt like a visitor in my own country. I was born in Rijeka, a beautiful Croatian town on the sea with a rich history dating back to pre-roman times. Because of its strategic position, the town often changed hands: Habsburgs, Venice, Hungary, France and Italy — they all left their mark on the city. It was a multicultural city, where for centuries, Croatians, Italians, Austrians and Hungarians lived side by side. Rijeka, whose name means “river”, was a thriving industrial city during the Austro-hungarian Empire in the 19th century, with a deep-sea port and two large shipyards. During the first half of the 20th century, Rijeka experienced one of its most difficult periods, when the city was divided in two, with an Italian and a Croatian part. The Italian community is still very strong, and the city is often referred to by its Italian name, Fiume. Visually, Rijeka is very striking, with neoclassical palaces, townhouses, docks and skyscrapers. Its history and cultural heritage will be celebrated in 2020, as the town becomes one of the two European Capitals of Culture. I’ve lived in Munich since 1991, and during those early years, I was saddened by the news of the terrible war that was destroying my country. In 2002, I took German citizenship. Germany has become my country of choice; this is where I’ve lived the longest. But I always like to go back to Croatia for my holidays, to visit friends and relatives, and above all, to spend as much time as possible by the sea. Corruption in Croatia is still widespread, and many young professionals are leaving the country to work elsewhere. Even though I left Croatia many years ago, it’s still part of me. I love its natural beauty and am proud of its sporting achievements, such as its performance in the 2018 football World Cup. I hope that its people will prosper.