1969: Saint-Savin becomes twin city
The finding of Heusenstamm’s first twin town was preceded by a fairly long phase of discovery. The process was initiated through an inquiry by the municipal administration (Magistrat) of Heusenstamm to the Council of European Municipalities and Regions on May 15th, 1963. In collaboration with Fernand Chaussebourg, member of the French national assembly, Gerhard Flämig, member of the German Parliament and contemporaneously member of the steering committee of the above mentionned Council, suggested the canton Saint-Savin as a possible twin town. In the following M. Chaussebourgh visited Heusenstamm , accompanied by his wife on April 8th, 1966, where he met with Heusenstamm’s mayor Hans Hemberger. In order to foster a deeper understanding of one another he encouraged reunions of citizens and students. Several cordial get-togethers ensued in subsequent years, including a first student exchange, which lay the grounds for the final decision to become twin municipalities. For Fernand Chaussebourg, it was a three-year “period of engagement”, during which visitors were able to get to know the other side.
The festive ceremony took place in Saint-Savin on July 19th, 1969. It was a day of elevated temperatures, as the newspaper articles stressed. It was especially remarkable for the 80-member strong delegation from Heusenstamm that its city was kin with 8 towns at one stroke. The close contact with the hosting families was just as impressive as the first experience of a five-course menu that lasted several hours.
At the same time tribute was paid to Hermann Elbert, who for a long time embodied the “good spirit” of the munipalities’ relationship, due to his linguistic competence. His counterpart on the French side was Yvette Amirault.
In his speech held at the festivities in Saint-Savin, Heusenstamm’s head of the municipal council (Stadtverordnetenvorsteher) Ernst Lind commented on the difficulties of linguistic understanding by quoting André Maurois: “You do not love a woman for the things she says – you love what she says, because you love her.” (in: Stadtpost Heusenstamm, July 23rd, 1969).
The perennial student exchange between the Collège Prosper Merimée and the two Adolf-Reichwein-Schools was the core of the Jumélage for many years. It was Jean Schneider (Saint-Savin) and German Bauer (Heusenstamm) who earned special merits in this respect. Due to demographic changes and other priorities in selecting a foreign language the exchange then came to a temporary standstill in the nineties. Since 2006 however, Gabi Picard and Marie-Christine Bouffard took charge of the program and redirected the pedagogical focus towards sports and fine arts. In the following, the exchange has once again become an inherent part of the schools inventory and has been ever since. Youth meetings organized by the Municipal Youth Care started off with a stay of teenagers from Heusenstamm in the holiday village of La Bussière in April 1980. From 1990 these turned into French – Belgian - German holiday camps.
Annually, a stand with specialities from Poitou enriches Heusenstamm’s St. Nicholas market. Moreover, a group of citizens from Heustamm goes on a trip to Saint-Savin at least once every two years.
1984: Borough of Tonbridge & Malling
The first student exchange between the Adolf-Reichwein-Gymnasium and the Judd School in Tonbridge already occurred in 1973, long before the offical declaration of partnership. This cooperation was later expanded to the Tonbridge Grammar School. Furthermore, there were fruitful cooperations between the local clubs, such as the “Stadtkapelle” Heusenstamm and the Sevenoaks & Tonbridge Concert Band . The mayors Janice R. Browne and Adolf Kessler signed the partnership-documents during an extraordinary meeting of the Council in West Malling on September 15th, 1984.
Throughout the following years, the partnership was especially stimulated by means of the respective private, thus not-municipal partnership-committees: the “Tonbridge/Heusenstamm Friendship Circle” and the “Freundschaftskreis Tonbridge & Malling”. Student exchanges as well as student internships are carried out on a regular basis. Furthermore, there are joint concerts of the Tonbridge Philharmonic Society and the Evangelische Kantorei Heusenstamm.
A carob that was planted in West Malling to mark the partnership as well as the widely apparent red phone booth next to the castle in Heusenstamm embody visible signs of the towns’ partnership. The regularly occurring English-German cultural events organized by the Freundschaftskreis in Heusenstamm are always frequented and draw an interested audience. On the other side it’s the British specialties offered by the Friendship Circle during the St. Nicholas market that are coveted by people in Heusenstamm.
On September 19th, 2009, it was David Packer and Michael Dobson from Tonbridge as well as Dr. Enno Buss from Heusenstamm who were awarded the “Ehrenbrief of the State of Hesse” for their efforts in the context of European Partnership.
1991: Malle
The partnership between Heusenstamm and Malle is a consequence of the partnership between Saint-Savin and Malle, which has been in place since 1959. Citizens from Heusenstamm already participated in activities that were conducted by the two westerly towns since 1980. Former participants enthusiastically recount car-rallies that alternately took place in the three countries. At this juncture the contenders did not only have to prove skillfulness at the steering wheel. Moreover there were various stations that required political and historical knowledge. Besides, music clubs from both towns played concerts in the other town in the early eighties. Namely these performances were carried out by the Church Choir of Maria Himmelskron and the TSV-Marching Band in Malle as well as the Paulus-Choir in Heusenstamm.
The partnership was officially sealed in Malle on June 29th, 1991 by the mayors Robert Mintjens (Malle), Josef Eckstein (Heusenstamm) and Michel Brouard (Saint-Savin). The Offenbach-Post summed up Heusenstamm’s point of view of her “new twin” as: “A beautiful place, surrounded by historical Flanders, open-minded people, very little communication difficulties, the coast in close proximity and a fairly short distance between the two towns.”
Between 1990 and 2002, there were tri-national, recreational youth camps with a main focus on adventurous activities. These camps under guidance of the Municipal Youth Service lead by Richard Eder alternately took place in France, Belgium and Germany. However, du to financial and organisational difficulties these camps could eventually no longer be sustained.
The relations between clubs of both towns are multifaceted. An iconic character can be attributed to the annual “mallenaric” stand at the Saint Nicholas market in Heusenstamm. It is at this famous stand where mayor Harry Hendrickx and other members of the partnership-committee dress up in monk frocks and serve the well-beloved Trappist beer.
Heusenstamm's mayor Peter Jakoby on European partnership meetings: “All too soon does one succumb to the temptation of believing to know everything about the others. But only when living with the families, getting to know their homes and listening to their stories of how they go about their everyday life – only then is it possible to see the world through their eyes.” (in: Offenbach Post, October, 5th, 2004).
2001 Ladispoli
It was the initiative of Archino Graziosi, an Italian, who had lived in Heusenstamm at times and who eventually returned to Italy. Since 1982 he had been committed to putting into effect a partnership between the two towns. In consequence, soccer players, the TSV Marching Band and the Friends of Saint Cäcilia as well as local politicians visited the town on the Mediterranean coast. Most of these visits occurred during the traditional Artichoke Festivities which take place in the spring time every year. Archino Graziosi could not experience the realization of his endeavors. He died only a few months before official partnership was sealed in Heusenstamm on December 9th, 2001. The mayors Gino Ciogli and Josef Eckstein signed the partnership documents during a ceremony held in the Hall of Clubs (Saal der Vereine).
From this day forward representatives from Heusenstamm regularly attend the Artichoke Festivities and a group of citizens from Ladispoli visits Heusenstamm during the Saint Nicholas market. It is here where they experience how atmospheric it can be north of the Alps despite the cold and dark winter months. The Freundeskreis Partnerstädte Heusenstamm has organized several citizen-trips to the twin town. During these trips, the visitors could admire art and other cultural treasures from the times of the Etruscans, the Romans, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in and around Rome. A strong friendship has evolved between the Freundeskreis and the Gruppo Archeologico Romano di Ladispoli, which shall lay the basis for further youth meetings.
The Freundeskreis Partnerstädte regularly maintains a wine stand at the Heusenstamm wine festival, whereby the served grape juice is provided from Ladispoli’s neighboring town Cerveteri. Since 2003 there is a “Ponte di Heusenstamm” in Ladispoli in reminiscence of the partnership with “Germania”.
Bernd Fischer
Translated by Martin Rinscheid
