On 2nd September 2023, the DML Bonn CC and URI Germany were invited to an excursion to the bee farm of Miljen Bobic in Bonn.
Friends and interested people from Bonn and from the Stiftung Weltethos (Global Ethic Project) showed their interest and were present, among them especially people who are active in healthcare. For them, this “Bee workshop” was especially attractive because it was explicitly announced as an inside in apitherapy, a traditional healing method that works with the products of the bees. A method that was believed to be lost but rediscovered.
The beekeeper Miljen Bobic originates from Bosnia and came as a war refugee to Germany. Some time ago he left his profession behind and devoted himself exclusively to beekeeping. “In the Balkan, beekeeping usually is an integral part of self-sufficient farming.” Bobic showed his visitors his beehives and explained the annual sequence of work for a beekeeper. Seated in a wide circle of comfortable garden chairs, he explained engaged and vividly the astonishing biology of bees.
As a product of the bees and a present to mankind, Miljen Bobic first presented honey. “Honey is the last victual which remained from paradise.“ Bees recognize polluted and poisoned blooms of pollen and do not harvest them. Likewise honey is also a sterile abacterial and anti-inflammatory remedy. A fact known in many cultures but put aside in the civilized Western world.
Miljen Bobic has intensively studied apitherapy which attempts to ease afflictions and cure illnesses with bee products – often with perplexing results for academical medicine. A most amazing utilization is bee poison. It activates and alarms the immune system and can cause positive effects with the cautious and purposeful application: pains are alleviated and blockades are terminated. Our Bosnian beekeeper demonstrated this with some volunteers.
The visitors discussed with the beekeeper the underestimated potential of traditional medicine, which has to be saved. But it can only be saved if we deal fairly with our environment and mankind. Only by peaceful and respectful coexistence of ethnic groups, nations and religious communities is an interchange of useful and life-affirming knowledge and attitudes possible.
Originating from Bosnia Miljen Bobic is aware of this. He related of the legacies of his former homeland and his new home, Germany. He met Schech Bashir Ahmad Dultz some 30 years ago and a long friendship developed.
After more than two hours, the visitors said farewell to the bee farm, fully conscious that the integrity of creation and preserving traditional knowledge is vital for mankind.
Wilhelm Sabri Hoffmann
URI Germany
