40 years of town twinning

A colourful festive programme lasting several days was offered to all friends of the town twinning to celebrate the anniversary between Beckum and La Celle Saint-Cloud.

25 May 2023
Ball for La Celle Saint-Cloud
  • Eye-catcher: the newly inaugurated town twinning balls at the town hall; pictures (3): Bernd Fernkorn.
Olivier Delaporte presents Michael Gerdhenrich with the anniversary gift.
Olivier Delaporte presents Michael Gerdhenrich with the anniversary gift.

On Friday, the guests from the twin towns of La Celle-Saint Cloud and Heringsdorf were welcomed to the town theatre for a buffet and music to mark the start of the anniversary weekend. On Saturday morning, the town twinning baubles dedicated to the friendships between Beckum, La Celle Saint-Cloud, Heringsdorf and Grodkow were ceremoniously unveiled at the town hall. Ulrich Roggenkamp, Chairman of the "Association for the Promotion of Town Twinning of the City of Beckum", was very pleased in his speech: "Let's drink to the fact that our town twinning will remain a round thing and as solid as concrete."

Fun and games
The rest of Saturday was all about fun and games: a "game without limits" awaited the city partners in the Jahnhalle, where they could put their sporting skills to the test. The day was rounded off with a barbecue at the old vicarage in Vellern.

Musicians from La Celle Saint-Cloud delighted the audience with an anniversary concert.
Musicians from La Celle Saint-Cloud delighted the audience with an anniversary concert.

Concert at the ceremony
The highlight was the ceremony on Sunday in the municipal theatre: As a special surprise, musicians from La Celle Saint-Cloud had prepared an hour-long concert that visibly captivated the audience. They performed beautiful and well-known chansons, including a special German version.

Creating and strengthening links
Various town twinning stakeholders then gave speeches, including founding member and former Mayor of Beckum Bernd Schnell. He looked back on the history between Germany and France and the history of the town twinning between Beckum and La Celle Saint-Cloud. Acting Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich emphasised the close ties between the people that have developed over these 40 years: "Our partnership is very much alive, it has not only brought countless contacts and trips, but also many friendships. And so I would like to thank our friends from La Celle Saint-Cloud and all those there and here who have endeavoured to make our town twinning so tangible." Mayor Olivier Delaporte from La Celle Saint-Cloud also emphasised the relevance of town twinning for international understanding: "We want to live the rhythm of Europe and its challenges. At our level, we must continue to support initiatives aimed at creating and strengthening links."

As a parting gift, Delaporte presented a metal image of France's most beautiful tree, which stands in La Celle Saint-Cloud.

Here's to the next 40 years and vive le jumelage!

Video impressions of the anniversary weekend
You can find a video giving an insight into the anniversary weekend on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.com/stadtbeckum or www.instagram.com/stadtbeckum