Radolfzell celebrates 50 years of friendship with Istres – a celebration of cultures!

Radolfzell celebrates 50 years of friendship with Istres – a celebration of cultures!

The city of Radolfzell is in the starting blocks for a very special anniversary celebration: from June 27th to 30th, the successful town twinning with Istres will be celebrated, which this year looks back on a proud 50 years. Preparations for the festival are already in full swing, as the importance of this friendly connection needs to be duly acknowledged.

A total of 130,000 euros is planned, which has attracted some public opinion. Critics question the level of expenditure and fear that it will place an unnecessary burden on the city's budget. However, Christine Steiert, head of the cultural office, explains that savings have reduced the expected number of guests from the original 120 to 102. In this context, Mayor Simon Gröger emphasizes that the budget will not be completely exhausted and that the celebrations are planned carefully.

A varied program

The celebrations begin on Friday evening with the arrival of the delegation from Istres and a festive event at Villa Bosch. On Saturday, June 28th, there will be a non-public meeting of the jumelage committees, before the citizens of Radolfzell and guests are invited to a boules tournament and other encounters. The highlight of the day will be the public dance event “Danz am See” at the Konzertsegel, which starts at 2:30 p.m. Here everyone can look forward to performances and participatory dances. The evening then offers an additional attraction with a tour on the MS Stadt Radolfzell and a party in the s'Bokle cultural center.

On Sunday, the day begins with a public service in the cathedral, followed by a colorful cultural program in the city center. From city tours to making herbal ointments to pedal boat rides – there is something for everyone. The planting of an anniversary tree at 3 p.m. in Mettnau Park will be particularly emotional, at which a marble stele will also be set up to honor the historical roots of the partnership. On Sunday evening there will be the big ceremony in the Markolfhalle, where not only entries will be made in the Golden Book, but also personalities will be honored who have made a special contribution to the twin town relationship.

A bond between cultures

This anniversary celebration is the result of many years of joint efforts. The partnership between Radolfzell and Istres was founded in 1974 after the two cities wanted to build a new connection and friendship after the two world wars. Mayor Gröger recently recalled this during a reception in Istres and emphasized the positive prospects for the future of this special relationship. A delegation from Radolfzell, including members of the local council, the town band, the DRK and many others, also traveled to Istres for this year's festivities, where Mayor François Bernardini and the town's citizens were warmly welcomed. The highlight of the celebration was the Fête de la Musique, where Istres was transformed into a large concert stage.

On this solid foundation of friendship, Radolfzell plans to do everything possible to ensure that this anniversary is not only celebrated, but also experienced intensively. The anticipation in the city is already palpable and expectations for the upcoming event are high. Everyone involved is optimistic that the program will not only strengthen the connection between Radolfzell and Istres, but also build further bridges between the cultures that extend beyond the borders.

In summary, it can be said that Radolfzell and Istres are an excellent example of lived international understanding and friendship. Let's stay tuned to see how the celebrations will go at the end of the month and what new chapters the town twinning will open in the coming years.

Further details and interesting background information on the German-French city partnerships are also available pole-franco-allemand.de to read.