France/Agen and Dinslaken celebrate 50 years of fraternal twinning

The 50th anniversary of the twinning between the towns of Agen and Dinslaken was celebrated in good spirits, without forgetting the new geopolitical challenges facing the Franco-German friendship.

As early as Friday evening, at the Salle des Illustres, during a conference on "Franco-German friendship, the driving force behind European construction", reference was made to the global geopolitical context. On Saturday morning, at the Théâtre Ducourneau, during the official inauguration of the festivities, the mayors of the two towns gave a serious reminder of the importance of solidarity and friendship between the peoples of Europe.

The American betrayal of the transatlantic alliance reinforces our conviction that our two countries must intensify their bi-national collaboration", said Jean Dionis du Séjour. Michaela Eislöffel echoed the same threats, adding: "Europe is the common home founded on freedom.

A multitude of testimonials of friendship

After the screening of a documentary recounting some of the events that have punctuated this half-century of cordial relations, numerous gifts were exchanged. A lamp in the shape of a rugby ball for some, a painting for others, and it's worth noting that the Dinslaken delegation offered five apple trees, remembering that the people of Agen had planted five plum trees on German green spaces.

Renate Seidel, president of the twinning committee, made a passionate speech, reminding us that "it's individual encounters that create friendship and understanding". Her counterpart from Agen, Julia Loewenthal, was overcome by emotion and could only stammer a few words, but her speech touched the audience.
Stefanie Zeidler, German Consul General in France, delivered a speech charged with meaning: "For too long, the hatred between our two peoples seemed insurmountable. The reconciliation project has succeeded, but the task now is to create a future in Europe. We have everything to build together.

The morning concluded with the signing of a renewed twinning charter, followed by a concert featuring 15 musicians from the Capitole de Toulouse string orchestra and 90 children from Ducos-du-Hauron secondary school and Palissy high school, forming a beautiful choir.

A German village on Place Wilson

Delegations from both towns then discovered German specialties on the Boulevard de la République: curry wurst, reibe churen (potato fritters with beet syrup) and brezel.
An orchestra of young Germans from Westphalia provided a lively musical accompaniment.

And so, the real party took over from exchanges with strong and worrying geopolitical overtones, which nonetheless left their mark on this anniversary.

Source: www.ladepeche.fr/