Memmingen receives European plaque of honor

Created: 08/08/2022, 1:00 p.m

Pierre-Alain Fridez, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, presented the European Plaque of Honor to Lord Mayor Manfred Schilder.

© Alexandra Weir

Memmingen - The city of Memmingen was awarded the Plaque of Honor of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

The prize recognizes a special commitment to promoting the European idea.

"On behalf of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe with over 700 million inhabitants, I would like to congratulate you warmly," said Pierre-Alain Fridez, member of the subcommittee for the Europe Prize of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, at the award ceremony in the town hall.

"The Council of Europe appreciates the European commitment of your city and your partner cities," emphasized Fridez, who is also a member of the Swiss National Council.

The city twinnings, which are filled with life, are part of Memmingen's European commitment, explained the European politician.

“There are regular exchanges: town twinning anniversary celebrations, education and teacher training partnerships, student exchanges, police and firefighter visits to each other, and cultural exchanges,” Fridez enumerated.

The founding of the European office in 2009 was also important, he emphasized.

The city's European Office, headed by Alexandra Hartge, organizes, among other things, a school trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg every year.

Mayor Manfred Schilder thanked for the award and expressed the city's gratitude to the people of Memmingen who are committed to Europe in very different areas, be it in schools, the fire brigade, the police or in the arts.

"Your commitment makes Europe strong." Representatives of five of the eight partner cities attended the home festivals, said Lord Mayor Schilder.

"On Sunday evening we sat peacefully together with Muslims, Jews and Christians in the Antonierhof.

And at the end of that evening Muslims, Christians and Jews hugged each other, invited each other and we parted in friendship.

If that works on a small scale

Why can't that also be done on a large scale?” It was aimed in particular at young people – pupils from a pre-seminar at the Vöhlin-Gymnasium on the subject of “Europe” attended the award ceremony: “You are the ones who have to carry on the European idea.

Go there, go to our sister cities.

You are welcome there.” Town twinnings, emphasized Schilder, serve peaceful coexistence and safeguarding of peace.

Markus Ferber, Member of the European Parliament, congratulated the city on the award.

"Because of the Twelve Articles, which have become the cornerstone of our modern constitution, Memmingen has a very special responsibility and a very special meaning." Memmingen not only celebrates this, but lives it.

“These days we are experiencing how important it is to stand together in Europe.

The European idea is that, knowing our unspeakable history on this continent, we can find a common way forward.”

"Europe is our future and a city like Memmingen has a special obligation to live it and does so in many different ways," emphasized Minister of State Klaus Holetschek.

He referred to the drafting of the Twelve Articles in Memmingen in 1525, which represent the first record of fundamental civil rights and freedoms on European soil.

This was also confirmed by laudator Pierre-Alain Fridez: "May the presentation of the plaque of honor be both a well-deserved reward for a job well done and an incentive to continue this great undertaking for the benefit of Memmingen and all of Europe!"

The application to receive the plaque of honor was made through the European office based on a city council application by city councilors Klaus Holetschek and Horst Holas.

Alexandra Hartge, head of the European office, moderated the ceremony and thanked the city council for the application.

"The application was a wonderful idea that we were happy to take up immediately in order to manifest the European commitment of the city of Memmingen and to apply for it," she emphasized.

The plaque of honor is a prize on the way to obtaining the Europe Prize.

The next goal is the Europe Prize, which recognizes a special commitment by municipalities to strengthening a united Europe.

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The ceremony was musically performed by the saxophonist Isabelle Heiss, who has just passed her Abitur at the Vöhlin-Gymnasium.