50 years of town partnership: Mettmann and Laval celebrate friendship!

50 years of town partnership: Mettmann and Laval celebrate friendship!

The city partnership between Mettmann and the French city of Laval is celebrating a remarkable anniversary this year. For 50 years, the two cities have been connected to a close friendship for 50 years as part of the 1963 Élysée Treaty, which strengthened Franco-German reconciliation after the Second World War. The contract laid the foundation for numerous partnerships between cities in Germany and France.

The official sealing of the partnership took place on May 26, 1974 in Mettmann and on June 15 of the same year in Laval. The then mayor Erich Sommer and André Pinçon signed the founding certificate, and the city councils of both cities had unanimously given their approval. The aim was to promote the cultural exchange between the cities and to deepen the connection between the citizens.

celebrations and highlights

to celebrate the 50th anniversary, Mayor Sandra Pietschmann traveled to the twin city of Laval with a delegation. On this festive occasion, a document for the continuation of the partnership was signed, which confirms the intention to further promote dialogue and understanding between the two communities. On November 1st, the documents will also be officially signed in Mettmann.

A special highlight of the celebrations will be a public event in the auditorium of the Heinrich Heine-Gymnasium (HHG), which is planned for 5 p.m. During this ceremony, the mayors of Mettmann and Laval will come together to appreciate the decades of friendship and to sign the documents to strengthen relationships.

Following the ceremony, the Laval city orchestra will give an anniversary concert from 6 p.m. With more than 40 musicians under the direction of Christophe Turcant, the orchestra will offer a broad audience a sign of cultural connection and friendship. Although the Mettmann city orchestra does not occur itself for organizational reasons, its members support the French guests musically.

musical cooperation

The Laval Orchestra and the Mettmann city orchestra have been combining friendly contacts since 2018. During this time, they organized concerts together in both Laval and Mettmann, each of which was recognized by an enthusiastic audience. In these performances, the invitation to musical cooperation comes alive and lets the cultural bridge continue to grow between the two cities.

The Laval orchestra is made up of around fifty members who are mainly amateurs, music students and professional musicians, and its repertoire has developed over the years. "The concert promises to become a very special treat again. Music lovers can look forward to a great evening," says Ingo Kreitmann, chairman of the Mettmann city orchestra, who is looking forward to the performance of the orchestra.

For more information about the program and the celebrations, you can find out more on the website of the city of Mettmann. The partnership that has shaped the past five decades shows how important the cultural exchange and friendship between the peoples is.