Town twinning
Mutual exchange
A town twinning is a connection between two towns concluded for an indefinite period of time with the aim of exchanging and informing each other especially in the fields of culture, education, sports and youth and/or economy.
Town twinning
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Bielsko-Biala-Poland
The city of Bielsko-Biala, located in the southern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, is an important commercial and tourist city with 180,000 inhabitants. Bielsko-Biala was founded in 1951, so it is one of the few cities in Europe that is even younger than Wolfsburg.
However, the city was formed by the merger of Bielsko, located on the Silesian side of the river, first mentioned in writing in 1312, and Biala, located on the eastern Polish bank, a weavers' settlement mentioned in 1564. The always influential city, architecturally modeled in parts on Vienna, which is not far away, is surrounded by the peaks of the Beskids.
The town is an excellent resort and starting point for mountain hikes leading through beautiful nature reserves. In the first half of the 19th century, the industrial revolution took hold of the still separate towns with their history of craftsmanship, especially cloth-making. Today the city is an important industrial and economic center in Poland. The city is also a cultural and academic center of the Beskid foothills. Museums, galleries, theaters, colleges are institutions that document this.
Concerts of various musical genres are organized by the Cultural Center. Thus, the city of Bielsko-Biala with its 700-year history offers many attractions: the beauty of nature, richness of the past and the modernity of an industrial, cultural and tourist center. The twinning between Bielsko-Biala and Wolfsburg has existed since 1998. In 1996, a friendship agreement was already signed between the two cities. In the course of the years firm contacts between citizens, associations, institutions and so on of both cities developed in many areas.
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Halberstadt - Germany
In 2024, Wolfsburg and Halberstadt will celebrate the 35th anniversary of their town twinning relationship. Both cities are celebrating this year with many different events and activities in various cultural areas.
This year, the 86th anniversary of the founding of the city of Wolfsburg was all about the town twinning with Halberstadt. The positive developments in relations between the two cities in the past and present were the focus of a joint ceremony in the Scharoun Theater. Various contributions made the topic a lively event for the guests, many of whom had also traveled from Halberstadt.
Guests of the city birthdayIn spring, ilka Leukefeld and Olaf Wegewitz will be showing their socio-political artworks in Wolfsburg-Fallersleben, followed by a presentation by Wolfsburg artists Bettina Hackbarth and Volker Veit at the Schraube-Museum Halberstadt from fall 2024. The title "Opus 35 - A Duo in a Quartet" refers to the anniversary year and the exhibition concept.
In August, Mayor Andreas Klaffehn attended the Halberstadt Park Festival and presented congratulations and a prize for the raffle.
Mayor Andreas Klaffehn with Mayor Daniel Szarata and the lucky winnersIn cooperation with the WMG and the Internationaler Freundeskreis Wolfsburg e. V., two citizens' day trips were organized to Halberstadt for "Ton im Dom" and the Halberstadt Christmas market. Both trips were sold out in just a few weeks and the participants were delighted with the interesting program in Halberstadt. At the same time, the citizens of Halberstadt also visited us for the Landpartie at Wolfsburg Castle in spring and the Wolfsburg Christmas market in December.
Wolfsburg day trip to Halberstadt for "Ton am Dom"In October, a delegation from Wolfsburg will visit Halberstadt to celebrate the anniversary of the partnership in Halberstadt. The official partnership agreement was signed on October 24, 1989 - just a few days before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The anniversary year will conclude with a concert on November 9, 2024 at the Wolfsburg Music School to mark the anniversary with pupils from the music schools in Halberstadt and Wolfsburg.About Halberstadt:
The 1,200-year-old bishop's town of Halberstadt with its 40,000 inhabitants is located on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains. The cityscape is characterized by sacred buildings - the Gothic cathedral with its world-famous cathedral treasure as well as the Romanesque Church of Our Lady and the Romanesque Church of St. Martin. These buildings determine the silhouette of the city.
After the city was 80 percent destroyed in World War II, these wounds have almost completely healed. The city center with the central axis Holz- and Fischmarkt was rebuilt. In 1990, Halberstadt became a model city for urban redevelopment and urban renewal.
In the recent past, Halberstadt has increasingly developed into a service center and business location of the Harz region, an attraction for travelers from near and far. Museums, theaters, art and a variety of recreational facilities make Halberstadt a worthwhile destination.
The partnership between Halberstadt and Wolfsburg was sealed before the fall of the Berlin Wall on September 21, 1989 by the City Council of Wolfsburg and on October 24, 1989 by the City Council of Halberstadt. Especially in the time of political upheaval, the partnership has proven its worth and many contacts have been established.
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Jendouba - Tunisia
Jendouba is a city in northwestern Tunisia and the capital of the governorate of the same name. The city has a population of around 45,000 and is located in the Medjerda Valley in one of the most fertile regions of the country.
Many Tunisians have come to Wolfsburg from this region since 1970 to work here. Over the years, they have become the second largest foreign population group in Wolfsburg, and now second and third generation Tunisians have become an integral part of the citizenry.
There has been a close friendly relationship between Wolfsburg and Jendouba for many years. The former mayor Ridha Saidi has visited Wolfsburg several times with delegations. At his invitation, a Wolfsburg delegation paid a return visit to Jendouba in 2008.
Wolfsburg's Lebenshilfe organization and a local youth soccer team also maintain long-standing contacts with Jendouba. In September 2009, the women's representative of the city of Jendouba was a guest of the foreigners' department and the women's office of the city of Wolfsburg as part of the intercultural days.
During the inaugural visit of Jendouba's mayor Larbi Hannachi to Wolfsburg, an agreement on friendly cooperation between the two cities was signed on September 30, 2010.
On March 10, 2019, Lord Mayor Klaus Mohrs and Jendouba's Mayor Ammar Ayadi elevated the city relationship to a partnership at a ceremony in Wolfsburg Castle.
Since 2016, the two cities have also been cooperating in the field of municipal development cooperation within the "Maghreb-Germany Municipal Cooperation" project. Here, from 2017 to 2019, technical exchanges between the two cities were realized for the planning and construction of a district park in the Ennour neighborhood. Further technical exchanges are planned from 2020 on topics relating to water and waste management.
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Jiading - China
Jiading is one of 18 districts of the world metropolis Shanghai in eastern China. The district is located in the Yangtze River Delta in northwest Shanghai on an area of about 464 square kilometers. The population is about 1,500,000.
The Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Company has had its headquarters in the Anting district since 1985. Since 1992 there has been a special industrial zone in Jiading, which also contributes to the development of the new Shanghai district of Pudong.
In addition to one of the few remaining Confucius temples, which today serves as a district museum, the Shanghai International Circuit, the only Chinese Formula 1 race track, is located in Jiading.
During a visit by a Wolfsburg delegation to Jiading in November 2004, the idea of signing a friendship agreement matured. On October 22, 2007, the friendship between the cities was contractually sealed in Wolfsburg.
On the occasion of the signing of the partnership agreement, Lord Mayor Klaus Mohrs welcomed a delegation from Jiading to the town hall. The contract was signed at a reception in the council meeting room: Lord Mayor Klaus Mohrs signed for the City of Wolfsburg, and Liu Haitao, Chairman of the Jiading District Party Committee, signed for Jiading.
"Wolfsburg and Jiading have already been linked by a city friendship for many years. With this partnership, we are forging even closer ties between the two cities. I hope that the twinning will also promote exchanges between citizens and lead to a better understanding of cultures," explained Lord Mayor Klaus Mohrs.
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Marignane - France
The city of Marignane with its 34,000 inhabitants is located about 25 kilometers from Marseille in the south of France.
The city is known for its helicopter industry. The company Eurocopter is the largest industrial employer in the region. The Marseille-Provence airport is not far away. Thus, Marignane is also called the city of aviation.
Located directly on the Etang de Berre, the largest inland saltwater lake in Europe (15,500 hectares), friends of water sports are offered many opportunities in Marignane. Especially windsurfers will find good conditions here.
Historical buildings are witnesses of a long town history. The church of St. Nicholas is the oldest building in the town. It dates back to the coronation period of Charlemagne. Covet Castle with its impressive facade, built in the 12th century, now houses the town hall.
It was in this historic building that the twinning agreement between the cities of Marignane and Wolfsburg was signed on 01.09.1963 during a festive meeting.
Exchanges in many areas have since brought people from both cities together. As a result, warm friendships have been built up and deepened.
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Pesaro-Urbino - Italy
The province of Pesaro-Urbino, surrounded by Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria, is located in the north of the Marche region. The province stretches from the Adriatic Sea to the mountains of the Apennines.
With its 67 cities and towns, Pesaro-Urbino has a total population of 339,000.
In the towns and villages you can discover the numerous artistic treasures of the province. They bear witness to the varied history and architecture of the past 2,000 years. Ancient traffic routes cross here, the most important of which is the Flaminia, the road of the Roman consuls. It once connected Rome with the Prealps of Gaul and the whole of Northern Europe. Cities flourished at its junctions, including Pesaro and Urbino.
A jewel of the Renaissance is Urbino, the birthplace of Raphael. The ancient university town is still a site of art and culture. Many priceless masterpieces can be seen in the National Gallery in Palazzo Ducale.
In Pesaro, the birthplace of Gioacchino Rossini, an annual opera festival is held in honor of this famous citizen of the city. The ceramic art - majolica - from Pesaro is famous all over the world.
Mountain massifs, cliffs, beautiful sandy beaches and panoramic roads that offer breathtaking views of the beautiful coastal landscape are also tourist attractions. The province has a total of 40 kilometers of beaches to offer.
The Italian province of Pesaro-Urbino has been twinned with the city of Wolfsburg since 1975. The contacts extend to almost all areas of municipal life. Over the years, many friendly relationships have developed between the citizens of the Italian partner province and Wolfsburg.
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Togliatti - Russia
Togliatti is located around 1,000 kilometers south-east of Moscow on the banks of the Volga near the Samarskaya Luka National Park. On the opposite bank of the river are the Shiguli Mountains, the only mountain range on the Volga. This part of the Volga region is known as the "Pearl of Russia" due to its scenic beauty.
Originally called Stavropol, the city was renamed Togliatti in 1964. The city was founded in 1737 by decree of Tsarina Anna I as a settlement for Christianized Kalmyks. In 1950, following the completion of construction work for the Volga hydroelectric power plant, most of the city sank into the Volga floods. The city was rebuilt on the left bank of the Volga and now has 750,000 inhabitants.
Togliatti is a large industrial center. Best known is the Lada car plant, the largest car plant in Russia. Other economic focal points are mechanical engineering, chemicals and the food industry.
The city has six universities and colleges, several museums, a philharmonic orchestra, theaters of all kinds and cultural palaces. Togliatti has also made a name for itself as a sports city.
Togliatti and Wolfsburg have been twinned since 1991. Since then, exchanges in a wide variety of areas have brought people from both cities together and allowed warm friendships to develop and deepen.
The city of Wolfsburg will continue to maintain its relationship with the Russian city of Togliatti. However, the connection is currently suspended until further notice.
City friendships
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Changchun - China
Changchun is the capital of the northeast Chinese province of Jilin. It has an area of 20,600 square kilometers and more than 3 million inhabitants in the city center. The name Changchun translates as "eternal spring".
Changchun is considered an important transportation hub as well as one of the most important industrial locations in northern China. In addition to steel mills and metal processing plants, Changchun has been the location of the joint automobile plant of Volkswagen and the Chinese First Automobile Works (FAW) since 1991.
In 2004, the second VW-FAW factory was opened in Changchun. A further automobile production plant and a car city based on the Wolfsburg model are in the planning stage. The city government wants Changchun to become a Detroit of the East.
Another economic factor is agriculture - the area around Changchun covers 1.1 million hectares of cultivated land. Since 1992, the city has hosted the Changchun Film Festival. In 2007, the Asian Winter Games were held in Changchun.
Mutual visits over the years have created a friendly relationship between Wolfsburg and Changchun. In November 2004, both cities signed an agreement on friendly cooperation. At a ceremony in Wolfsburg on June 12, 2006, the contract establishing a friendship between the cities was signed.
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Chattanooga - USA
Chattanooga is the fourth largest city in the US state of Tennessee. It has about 167,000 inhabitants and is located on the banks of the Tennessee River near the border with the state of Georgia.
In 1816, the city was founded by Chief John Ross under the name Ross's Landing as a center of trade with the Cherokee Indians. The present name Chattanooga, which the city has borne since 1838, probably derives from the name of a rocky outcrop on nearby Lookout Mountain.
The first contacts between Wolfsburg and Chattanooga were primarily on an economic level after Volkswagen AG announced in 2008 that it would build a new plant in Chattanooga. Several visits by official delegations to Wolfsburg followed.
At the invitation of Mayor Ron Littlefield, an official Wolfsburg delegation visited Chattanooga in September 2011. The friendship agreement between Wolfsburg and Chattanooga was signed there on September 26, 2011.
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Dalian - China
Dalian is a city in the northeast Chinese province of Liaoning. The urban area covers about 13,000 kilometers and is home to about 6 million people.
As a port city, Dalian trades with over 160 countries and regions as well as more than 300 ports, and is now on its way to becoming the largest multifunctional port in northern China. Dalian has also been a production site for Volkswagen AG since March 2007.
In February 2007, the city was crowned "Best Tourist City of China" by the UN Tourism Organization and also received an award for exceptionally environmentally friendly conditions.
In May 2004, a delegation from Dalian visited Wolfsburg for the first time.
During the visit of Dalian's Lord Mayor LI Wancai to Wolfsburg in March 2010, the two cities concluded a memorandum of understanding on future friendly cooperation.
During the China trip of an official delegation of the city of Wolfsburg, the friendship treaty was signed in Dalian on July 13, 2010.
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Nanhai - China
Nanhai is one of five administrative districts in the southern Chinese city of Foshan in Guangdong Province. The district is located in the Pearl River Delta and in the immediate vicinity of the metropolises of Hong Kong and Macao. The district is divided into seven municipalities with a total area of 1073.8 square kilometers and 2.6 million inhabitants*.
Nanhai has been considered an important trading center since the city was founded in 1271. The infrastructural connection is ensured by several highways, ports and the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which is served by many international airlines from Europe.
In 2013, the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture opened its plant in Nanhai district, where vehicles of the Audi and Volkswagen brands are produced.
In August 2014, the first delegation from Nanhai, led by Mayor Zheng Canru, visited the city of Wolfsburg. In March 2015, Lord Mayor Klaus Mohrs signed a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation with Nanhai during a trip to China. This was followed by the signing of a memorandum in April 2016. In August 2016, a delegation from Nanhai traveled to Wolfsburg to sign the official friendship treaty. The city of Wolfsburg received a traditional dragon boat as a gift, which was handed over during the Ritz-Carlton Cup.
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Popoli - Italy
Popoli is located in the Italian province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region. The town has about 5,500 inhabitants.
During the recruitment of guest workers from Italy starting in the 1960s, numerous men and women from the Abruzzo region also played a major role in the construction of the city of Wolfsburg and the Volkswagen plant.
In 2009, the Abruzzo region was hit by a very severe earthquake. A large part of the town of Popoli was also destroyed. The city of Wolfsburg provided financial aid of 100,000 euros for the reconstruction of a secondary school in Popoli.
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Puebla - Mexico
Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza is located in central Mexico and is the capital of the state of the same name, Puebla.
The epithet refers to General Ignacio Zaragoza, under whose leadership the victory over the French intervention forces was won in 1862.
In colonial times, the city went by the name Puebla de los Ángeles ("People of the Angels"), by which it is still known today.
In Puebla, modern industry meets the buildings of the colonial period, some of which are four centuries old. In 1987, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The city's largest employer is Volkswagen AG, which founded a new plant in Puebla in 1964. The legendary VW Beetle ("Vocho") was built here until 2003. Its successor, the New Beetle, was produced exclusively in Puebla for the entire Volkswagen Group until August 2010.
In February 2006, Wolfsburg and Puebla signed a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation. On a cultural level, contacts are promoted in particular by the Mexican-German Society of Wolfsburg and the Mexican-Hispanic-German Cultural Circle of Wolfsburg.
The friendship agreement between Wolfsburg and Puebla was signed during the visit of Mayor Blanca Alcalá Ruiz on April 6, 2010.
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Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Friendly relations have linked Wolfsburg with Sarajevo since 1985.
Sarajevo is the capital of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and lies on the banks of the Miljacka River. The name Sarajevo was first mentioned in 1507. Many associate the name Sarajevo with the 1914 assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, the trigger of the First World War.
In 1984, as host of the XIV Winter Olympics, Sarajevo symbolized peace and international understanding. Today, after years of war, the city is gradually finding its way back to normality.
The city is reconnecting with its long tradition as a center of politics, business, culture and tourism. Important industries include tobacco, metals, automobiles, food, textiles and electronics. Volkswagen Sarajevo resumed operations in August 1998.
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Toyohashi - Japan
Toyohashi is located in the geographical center of Japan on the southeastern edge of Aichi Prefecture surrounded by the sea and mountains. To the north of the city is Ishimaki Mountain and to the south is the Pacific Ocean with its beautiful beaches. The population is 370,000.
The city is located in the middle of an economic zone that stretches from Tokyo to Osaka. Both cities are only 250 kilometers away from each other.
Toyohashi itself is an industrial, commercial and agricultural center. In addition to domestic companies such as Toyota, well-known foreign companies such as Volkswagen, Daimler Chrysler, LandRover and Bayer are also based here.
Volkswagen Group Japan has its headquarters and import center for all of Japan in Toyohashi.
The Mikawa port is the largest port in Japan for the export and import of cars.
Contacts between the Japanese city of Toyohashi and Wolfsburg have existed since 1998. In 2002, on the occasion of a visit by an official Wolfsburg delegation to Toyohashi, a memorandum of friendly cooperation was signed between the two cities.
During the visit of Lord Mayor Koichi Sahara with a delegation from Toyohashi, a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of friendly relations was signed in Wolfsburg on June 30, 2011.
Solidarity partnerships
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Nizhyn - Ukraine
The city of Nizhyn has a population of 75,000. The city in the north of Ukraine is part of the Chernihiv region and approx. 125 km from Kiev. The city is known for its food specialties and is a central hub for rail traffic.
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Shovkva - Ukraine
Shovkva is a Ukrainian town with 13,000 inhabitants. The very rural town in the west of Ukraine is part of the Lviv region, consists of several villages and is around 50 km from the Polish border.
Former partnerships
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Luton - Great Britain
The city of Luton, with a population of around 180,000, is located just 50 kilometers north of London in the county of Bedfordshire and was first mentioned in official annals in 1086.
People from 140 different nations live in the university town of Luton. It is therefore a vibrant multicultural city that is committed to the integration of different cultures.
Luton was once famous for its hat industry. Now the city is best known as the home of Vauxhall Motors and for its airport, which handles about 7 million passengers a year. Its proximity to the M1, one of the country's major freeways, and good rail links make Luton an important center in the region, offering attractive living and working close to London.
The partnership agreement was concluded in 1950. In 2004, the city of Wolfsburg officially declared the partnership with Luton to be terminated. Prior to this decision, all efforts by the city of Wolfsburg to reactivate the official ties were unsuccessful. Today there is only contact between the fire departments of both cities.
Contact
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Contact
City of Wolfsburg
Representation Department & International Relations
Head of Department
Christin Schnaithmann
Porschestraße 49
38440 WolfsburgPhone: 05361 28-2204
Fax: 05361 28-2767
E-Mail: christin.schnaithmann@stadt.wolfsburg.de