Also / France - “We warmly welcome the delegation from Memmingen” - this was the inscription on the banner that adorned the balcony of the town hall of Auch in the middle of the Place da la Liberation.
The 31-year anniversary of the Memmingen-Auch town partnership was celebrated.
Mayor Manfred Schilder, former mayor, honorary citizen and co-founder of the partnership, Dr. Ivo Holzinger, representatives of the city council and board members of the Franco-German Circle of Friends of Memmingen-Auch in the southern French twin town.
Schilder and his French counterpart Christian Laprébende again signed the town twinning charter at their meeting in the town hall of Auch in order to further strengthen the partnership between the towns.
The 30th anniversary of the partnership should actually be celebrated in Auch in May 2020.
Due to the corona crisis, however, the date had to be postponed several times.
In addition to the twelve-person delegation, other loyal companions of the city partnership, such as the Musketeers, a group of the Fischertagsverein Memmingen eV, could not take part in the trip as usual.
Meeting of the old OBs
In his celebratory speech, the Mayor of Memmingen gave a review of the formation of the friendly and later partnership ties between the two cities. In May 1990, accompanied by a delegation of almost 200 people, the official partnership between the French city of Auch and the city of Memmingen was established by the mayor at the time, Dr. Jean Laborde and Lord Mayor Dr. Ivo Holzinger sealed with a certificate. A year later, the certificate was signed in the Memmingen town hall along with a cultural and economic encounter with French friends. During their stay in Auch there was also a short meeting between the two signatories of the partnership certificate from May 1990: Dr. Ivo Holzinger and the now almost 100-year-old Dr. Jean Laborde,who is still in good health and still follows the political events in his hometown with great interest.
First contacts 43 years ago
The first contacts were made 43 years ago as part of the school partnership between the Oratoire in Auch and the Bernhard-Strigel-Gymnasium in Memmingen.
The partnership has left visible traces in both cities.
These include the street names, the friendship trees planted at the state horticultural show and the vineyard of friendship on the city wall, the distance signposts to Auch and Santiago at the entrance to the Antonierhaus, the fountain inaugurated in 2010 on Schrannenplatz with a reference to the twin town Auch and the in years In 2012 a stele with the city arms of Memmingen was erected on the town hall square in Auch.
Lived partnership
Schilder was delighted to be able to “look back today on a partnership filled with life, in which many committed personalities have contributed and are still involved”. In this context he particularly remembered the encounters between the musketeers, the groups of friends, the numerous student exchanges, the encounters between the hunting horn blowers and the city youth association. According to Schilder, “our town twinning is so lively because it is based on diverse personal connections between the citizens of Auch and Memmingen.” This was confirmed time and again during the Memmingen Group's stay in Auch. Again and again they met people who said: "Aah, Memmingen, I've been there!"These encounters are testimony to lived and practiced friendship.
The mayor of Auch, Christian Laprébende, also appealed to those present: “This Europe of peoples, which we are striving for, runs through Auch and Memmingen, and each of us must make a contribution in his own city, namely through our direct and personal contributions Relationships and through the school, cultural and sporting exchange that is established and organized daily by our circles of friends with the support of the cities. ”In this context, Laprébende also looked back at the numerous contacts, relationships and exchanges that fill the partnership with life .
Colorful visit program
The colorful visit program of the German delegation included a city tour with a tour of the cathedral and the museum, the opening of the Aucher circus festival as well as a visit to an Armagnac distillery and numerous encounters with French friends.
A special highlight was the reception at the Association Memmingen-Auch, the local circle of friends. The travel community felt at home here: numerous pictures of Memmingen adorn the rooms of the clubhouse and Memminger beer is sold every Saturday.
After four eventful days in Auch and with numerous beautiful impressions in their luggage, the Memmingen visit said goodbye, not without inviting the French friends to Memmingen for Wallenstein 2022.
(MK)