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Tourcoing |
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| Mayor: | Mr Jean-Pierre Balduyck | | Population: | 95000 | | Area: | 15,00 km² | | First mentioned in a document: | in 1080 | | Homepage: | http://www.ville-tourcoing.fr/patrimoine/ | | Cultural highlights: | "Franche Foire" in June
Jazz Festival in October |
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Tourcoing is located in the French part of Flanders. In the Middle Ages it was an important centre of cloth manufacturing.
The first friendship agreement between the two cities was made in 1961. After the Helsinki Agreement on International Co-operation in 1979, the mayors, at that time Mr H Hempel and Mr Devloo, reconfirmed the partnership between the two cities. Because of the limited opportunities for travel outside the GDR at that time, visits between the cities were made almost exclusively by the French partners to Mühlhausen.
On 21 May 1993 the partnership agreement between Tourcoing and Mühlhausen was once again renewed. Since then, mutual contacts have developed in earnest, particularly covering such fields as education and training, culture, sports, and administration. A public celebration was held in Tourcoing in May 2003 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the partnership.
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Eschwege |
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| Mayor: | Mr Jürgen Zick | | Population: | 21625 | | Area: | 63,00 km² | | First mentioned in a document: | in 974 by the German Emperor Otto II | | Economy: | engineering and crafts | | Homepage: | http://www.eschwege.de | | Cultural highlights: | Johannisfest in June
Open flair Festival in June |
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Mühlhausen and Eschwege are very proud of being the first cities to have made an agreement of friendship after the wall came down in 1989 and before the reunification of Germany in 1990. It took effect on 22 December 1989 when the at that time mayors Klaus Neukirch (ceased) of Mühlhausen, and Jürgen Zick of Eschwege signed the agreement. The two neighbouring cities declared it the object of their efforts to strengthen their historic ties and to revive common cultural and economic traditions that began long before the wall was built.
After the wall came down, Eschwege and Münster assisted the city of Mühlhausen to restructure its administration. Talks at regular intervals have contributed to mutual understanding, involving such themes as urban and housing development, infrastructure and traffic connections, preservation and restoration of historic monuments, tourism, culture and art, education, recreation and sports. With only a few kilometres between the two cities, the co-operation of the city offices, municipal organisations, clubs, societies and associations has grown since the arrangements were formalised. Members of the Mühlhausen city council attend meetings of the Eschwege city council and vice versa - a productive way to be well-informed of the development of the neighbouring city.
The annual June Johannisfest in Eschwege is a favourite venue for mutual visits. The annual city festival and the distinctive Stadtkirmes fair in Mühlhausen, also attract visitors from near and far.
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Münster/Westfalen |
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| Lord Mayor: | Dr Berthold Tillmann | | Population: | 280000 | | Area: | 303,00 km² | | First mentioned in a document: | in 793 | | Homepage: | http://www.muenster.de |
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The friendship agreement was signed in the Friedenssaal of the Münster city hall on 14 September 1990. In 1983, the city of Münster had made first efforts to partner with a city in the GDR. Personal contacts and initiatives played an important part in the agreement that was made after the wall came down. The guild of the bakers and confectioners were the first in the network to pursue mutual contacts. One year later the agreement of friendship was signed. On 26 August a ceremony in the city hall to commemorate the 10th anniversary was held as part of the Mühlhausen Kirmes fair.
The city administration of Mühlhausen will not forget the generous assistance given by the city of Münster shortly after the wall came down. Mühlhausen received urgently needed equipment, office material and devices to handle the new administrative challenges.
Since then institutions, social associations, clubs, societies and political parties of both cities have increased their co-operation. Existing contacts at the community, cultural and administrative levels have been cultivated and improved. A number of initiatives, projects and group activities have made the agreement a lively tradition.
Mühlhausen and the university city of Münster have in common that they both look back on a long history. Münster was first mentioned in a document dated 793. In the Gothic city hall at Prinzipalmarkt of Münster and in Osnabrück, the parties of the Thirty Years' War exchanged the ratification documents of the Peace of Westphalia on 18 February 1649.
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Kronstadt |
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| Mayor: | Mr Alexander Goroshko | | Population: | 50000 | | Area: | 375,00 km² | | First mentioned in a document: | 18 May 1704 by Czar Peter I | | Economy: | navy base | | Homepage: | http://www.gov.spb.ru/gov/admin/terr/reg_kronsht | | Cultural highlights: | http://www.gov.spb.ru/culture/suburbs/kronshtadt |
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Czar Peter I recognised the strategic importance of the island 30 km off St Petersburg, where Kronstadt is located, and ordered a fortress, a harbour and a town to be built on it. The harbour has always played an important role: 40 historic sailing expeditions around the world started there.
From its very beginning the town has hosted a base of the important Russian Baltic Fleet.
The friendship arrangement between Kronstadt and Mühlhausen was signed on 18 March 1995.
As the established gate to the district of St Petersburg, Kronstadt provides an excellent platform for the mutual exchange of cultural, political, economic and scientific relations. Since the signing of the agreement both cities have concentrated their efforts on the improvement of existing contacts and on the establishment of new ones. This is reflected in increased exchanges of students and visitors.
Tilesius von Tilenau (1769 - 1857), citizen of Mühlhausen, was a member of the crew under the command of Iwan Fjodorowitsch Krusenstern that first sailed around the world. When the Lord Mayor of Mühlhausen visited Kronstadt in August 2002, a street was named after Tilesius, commemorating this sailing exhibition.
On 9 April 2005 a ceremony at the city hall celebrated the 10th anniversary of the friendship arrangement between Kronstadt and Mühlhausen.
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