France/ Combourg. Twinning with Bavaria celebrates its thirtieth anniversary

To mark the thirtieth anniversary of the twinning of the towns of Combourg and Waldmünchen in Bavaria, the association's summer trip will include festivities both on Bavarian soil and in Brittany, where the Germans will be welcomed at the end of August 2023.

Around seventy Combourgeois headed for Bavaria last week to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Franco-German twinning between Combourg and Waldmünchen.

At the end of August 2023, their German counterparts will continue the celebrations of this thirtieth anniversary with a stay with the association's member families. A performance of the play Le dernier voyage de Chateaubriand, staged in Waldmünchen, will serve as a reminder that the origins of this twinning go back to an episode in Chateaubriand's life. an episode in the writer's life which he recounts in Les mémoires d'Outre-Tombe (Part IV, Book III).

Chateaubriand, the twinning link

Like Combourg, Waldmünchen has preserved a historical trace of François-René de Chateaubriand's visit. The link in this twinning is Chateaubriand," explains mayor Joël Le Besco. One day, when he wanted to travel to Prague, he had to stay in Waldmünchen until his papers were in order. It was from this episode that the twinning of our two towns was born, and it continues today through the school exchange between the Collège Saint-Gilduin and the Bavarian Realschule, and regular visits by members of the association to both countries".

In the early 1990s, Combourg was on the western edge of Europe, and Waldmünchen on its eastern edge: "Despite this distance, which may have seemed insurmountable at the time, folkloric, literary and cultural links have been forged between our two towns. This twinning enables us to commit our communities to a European dimension, synonymous with peace.

Festivities on the other side of the Rhine, then in Combourg

The stay of the Combourgeois, which lasts until July 18, 2023, will be punctuated by activities and festivities such as the historical show Trenck der Pandur, an equestrian representation inthe historical show Trenck der Pandur, an equestrian performance in ^18th-century costume based on an episode in the history of Waldmünchen, and the traditional Oktoberfest. In return, the Bavarians will be taking part in the Lantern Festival, among other events. A photo exhibition retracing thirty years of twinning in the streets of Combourg will be on view during their visit at the end of August.

Source: www.ouest-france.fr