What Can You Do in a Year Marking 500 Years of the Reformation?
Young Adventurers Trace the Silk Road to Tajikistan's Harsh Realities
A group of young adults from the German-speaking congregations of Wolkendorf and Heltau in Romania spent two months traveling the Silk Road by minibus to visit Protestant communities during the Reformation anniversary year. In the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (DAZ), Pastor Uwe Seidner recounts their journey—from Romania through Iran and Central Asia to China—in a multi-part series.
We left Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, bound for Tajikistan—the poorest republic of the former Soviet Union. Ninety percent of the country is rugged mountain terrain, with only seven percent of the land arable. Tajikistan has no oil or gas reserves, and most of its population lives in extreme poverty, surviving on roughly one euro a day. From 1992 to 1997, a brutal civil war ravaged the nation, the scars of which remain visible today.
Our route took us along one of the world's most dangerous mountain passes and through what is allegedly the most perilous road tunnel on Earth, leading us to the capital, Dushanbe. The city's name, derived from Tajik—a dialect of Persian—means "Monday," a reference to the bustling Monday markets that once thrived here.
Where Do All the Luxury Cars Come From?
Until 2014, Dushanbe boasted the world's tallest flagpole at 165 meters—until Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, erected one six meters taller. Surprisingly, the streets of Dushanbe are lined with luxury vehicles, many of which are considered stolen in Europe. Interpol investigations reveal that a highly organized car-smuggling syndicate transports these vehicles via Vilnius and Moscow, concealed in train containers bound for Tajikistan. Despite evidence linking some to Germany, they are never repatriated.
Our original plan included a visit to Dushanbe's local Protestant congregation. However, we had already learned from Bishop Alfred Eichholz of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, that the church had disbanded for various reasons.
See also: In the Heart of Asia*
German Development Aid in Tajikistan
Several organizations are engaged in development work in Tajikistan, including the German Corporation for International Cooperation (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ). Operating on behalf of Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ implements projects to support structurally weak countries.
We had arranged a meeting with Thomas Lux, the GIZ's portfolio manager in Tajikistan, who provided us with an in-depth look at the organization's work. Since 1995, the GIZ has been assisting Tajikistan in sustainable economic development and healthcare. During our visit, Lux was preparing for a work trip to the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan in the Pamir Mountains to meet with partners in an economic development project. Since this remote region was also on our itinerary, we were invited to join the delegation.
Our expedition began on the legendary Pamir Highway. At the Nurek Dam—currently the world's tallest—Thomas Lux pointed out a GIZ-backed project: a distribution station for the Nurek hydroelectric plant, funded by Germany's state-owned development bank, KfW. The massive dam plays a crucial role in securing Tajikistan's power supply.
See also: Environmental Protection as a Matter of Honor*
Yak, Yak, Yak
Our paths diverged from the delegation in Khorog, the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan. From there, we followed the raging Vanj River for 700 kilometers along the Afghan border, traversing barren, lunar landscapes dominated by 7,000-meter peaks. We crossed the Ak-Baital Pass (4,655 m), the world's second-highest mountain road, with the Hindu Kush looming in the distance.
The Tajik-Afghan border is one of the most heavily guarded in the world. Soldiers patrol the area, and snipers stand watch—not because of the war in Afghanistan, as one might assume, but to combat opium and heroin smuggling. Over the years, authorities have seized tons of narcotics in this desolate region.
The Pamir Mountains—often called the "Roof of the World"—are sparsely populated. Only in the Wakhan Corridor, a fertile valley divided between two countries, do settlements exist. The people of this remote region are known as the Pamiris and follow the Ismaili faith, a branch of Shiite Islam. Our progress through these breathtaking mountain landscapes was painfully slow. As night fell, we found shelter with local families along the way.
Just before reaching the Kyrgyz border, we happened upon a Kyrgyz nomadic family by chance. They invited us to stay overnight. At 4,200 meters above sea level, we spent the night in a yurt. Breakfast consisted almost entirely of yak products: yak milk, yak butter, yak cheese, yak yogurt, and eggs. We came to deeply appreciate the hospitality of the local people, who generously shared what little they had with us.
