The Danube-Networkers in Ulm invite you to participate in a new baking initiative with the motto “Bread Sharing is Caring”. Bake and share yeast-dough Danube Sparrows as a symbol of friendship and interest in others. It is an invitation to a joint action to advocate for peaceful and solidarity-based European community. Share the Sparrows with people and groups you had no or little contact with up to now. It can be a neighbor, a young family living on the other side of the street, but also school children, people in clubs, people in old people’s homes or people in homes for handicapped persons, prisoners, homeless persons, etc. By sharing the Sparrows, set a sign of friendship with people of all ages, other ethnic origins and social backgrounds.
Let us explain how the idea came into being.
Throughout Europe bread is not just staple food, in all religions and cultures it is also a symbol of community, sharing and responsibility for others. Birds cross long distances and are also messengers. Especially the dove is seen as a symbol of peace and love. In Ulm, the Sparrow is a symbol of the city. According to an old legend, the citizens of Ulm needed a particularly large beam for the construction of Ulm Cathedral, but could not get it through the city gate. As they were about to tear the gate down, they noticed a sparrow carrying a straw for its nest; turned from crosswise to lengthwise in its beak to pass through an opening. The so-called Ulm Sparrow inspired them to think creatively and to solve a problem that seemed unsolvable before. On this basis, the Danube-Networkers in Ulm started a new action by creating Ulm Danube Sparrow made from yeast dough. The little bird carries in its beak the European flag as a symbol of friendship and peace to all the Danube countries and all over Europe.
We started the new action in Ulm in January 2019.
Every winter, the Paulus church in Ulm opens its doors to poor and needy people and becomes a so called “Vesperkirche” (vespers church) for one month. Everyone wanting a warm meal and company is invited. Several hundred meals are being served every day. The needy receive the meal for a low price. Other citizens are also invited to eat there but they pay the regular prize. Thus people of different social origins come together here and get to know each other.
The Danube-Networkers in Ulm supported the “Vesperkirche” this year with a special treat: On the 4th of February, we baked 300 Ulm Danube Sparrows with the European flag in their beak. On the 5th of February, we donated them to 300 people in the “Vesperkirche” as a symbol of friendship and peace – in Ulm, in the Danube countries and in Europe. This way, the Danube Sparrow is not only a symbol for sharing and caring, but also a symbol of learning from each other and mutual respect.
Read more about the action in the Paulus church.