From a flash of inspiration to a peace movement

In 2003, Austrian Johannes Aschauer went on pilgrimage with a friend on the Camino de Santiago from Austria to Finisterre (around 3,000 km). The journey stayed with him for a long time, and Johannes shared his experiences with people through film presentations. In March 2006, on his way home from a lecture tour, Johannes suddenly had a flash of inspiration. The word Jerusalem kept running through his mind and wouldn’t let go until Johannes took the impulse seriously and opened himself to the idea of walking to Jerusalem. A call is a call.

After four years of preparation, Johannes finally set off on June 24, 2010, accompanied by David Zwilling and Otto Klär. The two police officers and the downhill world champion followed in the footsteps of the Crusades, walked the paths of the Apostle Paul and the historic pilgrimage trails through Europe, Asia Minor, Syria and Jordan, all the way to the Holy Land. They walked through valleys and over mountains, through fertile landscapes and barren deserts, along sea coasts and river courses, and finally through Syria shortly before the outbreak of war. After half a year, they arrived in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and reached Jerusalem on December 26, 2010.

On December 21, 2012—the day when, according to doomsayers, the world was supposed to end with the end of the Mayan calendar—Johannes and his companions travelled to Finisterre again to establish the beginning of the JERUSALEM WAY with the message:

“From the end of the world, through the heart of Europe, to the beginning.”

This was the initiation of the longest pilgrimage route, the international peace and cultural route JERUSALEM WAY.

Afterwards, Johannes Aschauer wrote down the initial journey and published the adventure in the richly illustrated book: On the Jerusalem Way – an extraordinary pilgrimage from the heart of Europe to Jerusalem on foot. Like the film presentations, it inspires people who catch the bug and set out on the path themselves.

With the founding of the association on December 21, 2013, and its registration as a European protected trademark, the Jerusalem Way was given a legal form on February 3, 2014. Since then, the registered association

“JERUSALEM WAY International Peace Team”
stands for the values PEACE, FREEDOM and TOLERANCE

In an interview from summer 2023, pioneer Johannes Aschauer describes how the vision became today’s worldwide peace project: Interview on YouTube | Interview as a podcast

From the call of one individual, a movement has grown over the years. Today, a volunteer core team and countless quiet helpers continue to develop the vision and, with the world’s longest peace trail, want to make a contribution towards confidence, international understanding and world peace.

YOU ARE WARMLY WELCOME! Whether as a pilgrim, an organisation, with a membership in the association or Donation for expanding the route, networking work and further development of technologies.

Be welcome to be part of a great peace movement. Thank you.