20 years of friendship: Celebrate the German-French connection with us!

20 years of friendship: Celebrate the German-French connection with us!

On August 16th a very special festival will be celebrated in Dannstadt-Schauernheim. The Dannstadt-Schauernheim-Bétheny Circle of Friends looks back on 20 years of successful German-French partnership. Established in June 2005, the partnership agreement between the two communities was finally signed in October 2005 and officially sealed the following year. Matthias Wiesenfeldt, the chairman of the circle of friends, emphasizes the historical significance of friendship and emphasizes that regular meetings keep the partnership alive. These celebrations are an important contribution to overcoming the centuries-long “German-French hereditary enmity”, which was transformed by the Élysée Treaty of 1963 and other measures after the Second World War into a strong friendship that is of ongoing importance for European integration.

The celebrations on Saturday, which will take place from 3 p.m. on the grounds of the tennis club at Obere Weide 5, offer a colorful program: In addition to a champagne drink, there will, as always, be time for a look back at the club's history, which Wiesenfeldt will present. Guests can relax with coffee and cake, followed by a barbecue, where everyone can bring their own drinks and grilled food. The highlights of the partnership over the last two decades include not only cultural events such as concerts and exhibitions, but also sporting activities such as cycling and hiking as well as football tournaments.

Involve younger generations

But despite all these successes, the circle of friends is increasingly confronted with problems with recruiting young people. With around 70 members, Wiesenfeldt and Schön are trying to attract more younger people to Franco-German friendship. An important measure could be the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on March 12, 2025. The election of a new first chairman will be decided here, as the election on February 18, 2025 was canceled due to a lack of applicants. On this day there was also a look back at the club's past history and an outlook on future activities, during which the members remembered the journey together.

A film about the two clubs was shown, which those present watched with great interest. Everyone received a small souvenir of a soup bowl and a recipe for a classic German-French onion soup, which underlines the connection between the two cultures. The members also have plenty of opportunities to network with each other and relax - such as at the regular boules game, which is scheduled to take place in Schauernheim on August 14, 2024.

A look into the future

Preparations for the big anniversary in 2026 are already underway, and in addition to the planned celebration, a “Festival Franco-Allemand” in Bétheny in September 2024 will further strengthen the Franco-German friendship. The last delegation trip to Bétheny in May 2023 also resulted in a successful exchange, during which the participants discovered the charms of the twin city together.

Nowadays, maintaining these relationships is more important than ever, as Franco-German relations act as a motor of EU integration and the two countries work closely together despite existing conflicting interests in foreign and security policy. The story of this friendship, from the conflicts of the past to today's joint projects, impressively shows how cooperation and friendship can transcend. The Dannstadt-Schauernheim-Bétheny Circle of Friends remains a shining example of how deeply rooted and vibrant the German-French partnership can be.

For further information on the history and current projects of the circle of friends, those interested can visit the website Bétheny Friendship Circle as well as the comprehensive aspects of the German-French relations visit on Wikipedia.

Rhine-Palatinatealso reports on the upcoming anniversary and the importance of the partnership.