France/ In Ducey-les-Chéris, 75 Germans will come to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the town twinning
To mark the 40th anniversary of the town twinning, visitors from Laichingen, Germany, will gather for the Corso Fleuri, an annual festival in Ducey-les-Chéris. A history told through photographs.
It’s just a stone’s throw from Laichingen to Ducey-les-Chéris! At least, that’s been the case since May 1986 in southern Manche. A year earlier, a German delegation took the first step. A few months later, in September, it was the turn of five residents of the canton of Ducey to travel to West Germany and makehistory.
The charter was signed on May 10, 1986, in Ducey and on June 14, 1986, in Laichingen, formalizing the twinning. From then on, the two committees decided to organize two official visits each year, in both countries.
Music as a Bridge
How can ties endure between two towns separated by a border and different generations? One of the answers—if not the most striking one—is music. Whether through Baie Music Ducey or in Laichingen, musical instruments maintain a bond between the two towns. “They are the two lungs of the twinning,” says Franck Dallain, deputy mayor of Les Chéris and committee member.
It’s also a way to “promote school exchanges,” adds Bruno Thiéry, committee chair. The partnership with Gabriel-de-Montgomery Middle School is still going strong, allowing students to spend a week each year in Germany meeting their “siblings” from Laichingen.
“Young people no longer want war”
2020 and 2021 were difficult years for the committee. No exchanges were possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, starting in 2022, the exchanges resumed with the same vigor as before.
“The friendship has remained the same; I’ve been meeting the same family for 40 years,” exclaims Henry Trublet, who served as president for nearly 13 years and has been involved since the very first exchanges with Laichingen. “It’s almost a family affair,” adds Bruno Thiéry, before continuing, “There’s a genuine brotherly bond between us; the war is still very much on people’s minds, but the young people don’t want it anymore.”
To mark the 40th anniversary, twelve photographs are on display behind the Montgommery Castle. Among them are a photo of the first class that went on an exchange in 1987 and another of the beer festival in Laichingen celebrating the 20th anniversary of the twinning. The captions have been translated into German so that future guests can understand the details.
In total, there will be 75 guests, including the musicians. They’ll have their moment in the spotlight on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. during the Corso Fleuri, an iconic festival in Ducey-les-Chéris. They’ll perform a concert that the committee is eagerly awaiting.
Source: actu.fr/normandie/
