Gelsenkirchen's mayor celebrates her anniversary in Cottbus!

Gelsenkirchen's mayor celebrates her anniversary in Cottbus!

Last weekend, Karin Welge, the mayor of Gelsenkirchen, set a special milestone in the history of twin town partnerships. She entered the Golden Book of the city of Cottbus on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Gelsenkirchen and Cottbus. This festive moment took place as part of the popular city festival weekend, which brought the citizens of both cities together. The Niederlausitz Aktuell reports on Welge's impressive recognition of the urban development and structural change that Cottbus has experienced in recent years.

Karin Welge's visit was her first to Cottbus, and she was visibly impressed. In particular, the progress in structural change that the city has made and the strong identity that has developed from the shared football tradition of both cities were acknowledged in detail. Cottbus and Gelsenkirchen have a lot in common, especially in the coal and energy industries, which are characteristic of both cities. This underlines how similar the living and working realities are in the former industrial centers.

30 years of city friendship

The town twinning between Gelsenkirchen and Cottbus was launched in 1995, at the time of the Federal Garden Show in Cottbus. Since then, numerous cultural and economic connections have developed, which will continue to be expanded in the future. This was also highlighted by [Cottbus.de](https://www.cottbus.de/general/cottbus-chosebuz- Feiert-partnerschaftsjubilaen-mit-den-stadten-zielona-gora-und-gelsenkirchen/). The importance of this partnership is reflected not only in the official contacts, but also in the broad citizen participation and the exchange of initiatives between the two cities.

With around 6,500 town partnerships maintained by German municipalities worldwide, the example of Gelsenkirchen and Cottbus is by no means unique. According to Deutschland.de, partnerships between cities are an important means of promoting international relations and strengthening cultural exchange. Over 2,200 of these partnerships exist with locations in France alone, which underlines the close connection within Europe.

What is special about this partnership lies not only in the shared history, but also in the perspective it opens up for the citizens of both cities. The collaboration and exchange on urban development, cultural projects and sporting virtues help to make the neighborhood in the heart of Europe visible and lively. Our cities are tempted to learn from each other and inspire each other's development, which is invaluable for the years to come.

No matter whether on the football field or in the city development plans - the close connection between Cottbus and Gelsenkirchen shows how city partnerships can enrich lives in many ways. We can't wait to see where the journey of these two active partners will lead in the near future.