Scientist, philanthropist, and donor Edmond Offermann and his wife arriving in Sarajevo: They will be awarded lifetime cable car passes

(Patria) - Dutch scientist, philanthropist, and the biggest donor for the reconstruction of the Trebević cable car, Dr. Edmond Offermann, and his wife Maja Amra-Serdarević will visit Sarajevo next week and will be guests at JP Sarajevo during their visit.

The Offermann couple is scheduled to receive lifetime passes for the use of the Trebević cable car. The visit is planned for Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Sarajevo City Hall.

Dr. Edmond Offermann initiated the reconstruction of the Trebević cable car and was the main donor for its construction. He donated 7 million KM for the revitalization of this symbol of Sarajevo. In addition to the cable car construction, he has also influenced the development of education in our country, with his donations for the development of physics at the University of Sarajevo (UNSA) being particularly significant. The renovated Trebević cable car was opened on April 6, 2018.

For his generosity, Dr. Edmond Offermann was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Sarajevo, but he stated at the time: “For me, the greatest rewards are the friends I have met here and the memories I am creating in Sarajevo with my family.”

These very words of his are engraved on a plaque located at the Trebević cable car station.

In December 2022, the University of Sarajevo awarded Dr. Offermann an Honorary Doctorate from UNSA.

Offermann holds a doctorate in physical sciences in the field of experimental nuclear physics.

The Rector of UNSA, Rifat Škrijelj, stated at the time that Dr. Offermann had made a strategic contribution to the development of science, promotion, and internationalization of the University of Sarajevo, and with his support, he encourages the University of Sarajevo to adopt new ways of thinking about scientific research activities.

Offermann has donated multi-million funds for the complete renovation of all premises, procurement of capital research equipment, and modernization of the entire teaching infrastructure at the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Sarajevo. He is also the initiator and main financier of the project to establish the Sarajevo Ion Accelerator at the University of Sarajevo.

Offermann financially supports the professional development of employees and students of the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at CERN and other renowned scientific research centers, and he is one of the initiators of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between CERN and the University of Sarajevo, which was signed in 2020.

Offermann stated that, looking at the list of previously appointed individuals for this honorary title, he is honored and grateful for this award.

“I want to pay tribute to all the scientists who made the decision to stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina despite many very challenging situations. You are the ones who will move this country forward, hopefully, with politicians who could ease potential obstacles. I will quote Dr. Fauci from his recent NY Times speech: extraordinary things happen when science and politics work hand in hand,” said Dr. Offermann during the awarding of the honorary doctorate.