Danish delegation enthusiastic about Brandenburg: friendship on a new course!

Danish delegation enthusiastic about Brandenburg: friendship on a new course!

A delegation from the Danish twin town of Ballerup visited Brandenburg an der Havel from June 10th to 12th, 2025. This trip was all about exchange and deepening the long-standing friendship between the two communities. During this meeting, which was accompanied by Susanna Rafn and members of the Ballerup-Brandenburg partnership association, including Verena Pedersen, Bente Skytt and Per Præstekjær, numerous joint projects were discussed and new ideas were developed. The Danish guests were particularly impressed by the city's hospitality and cultural diversity.

As Brandenburg an der Havel mentions on its official website, the visit began ceremoniously with a dinner in the historic Ratskeller, where representatives of both cities exchanged ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. The official program started on June 11th with a visit to the Vicco-von-Bülow music school. Headmaster Arndt Jeschke presented the musical partnerships and past projects, while lively discussions took place about exchanges with Danish choirs and music groups.

Cooperation and cultural connection

In the context of the town twinning, there is already a long-standing cooperation project that enables student exchange and cultural experiences between the residents of both cities. This underlines how important the connections are to increasing the quality of life for citizens and companies in both regions, reports Ballerup Municipality. In order to further promote exchange between citizens and associations in the region, a new “Samarbeidsbyforening” was founded this spring, whose board includes Bente Skytt, Konstantin Pedersen and Per Præstekjær. This initiative aims to ensure greater visibility and exchange in areas such as music, dance and sport.

A central element of the visit was a meeting with Dr. Jürgen Peters from the “erlebnis Altstädtischer Markt e.V.” association, where the further development of the Christmas market was discussed taking Danish Christmas traditions into account. Such creative approaches show how town twinning not only maintains historical connections, but also keeps an eye on current projects.

Perspectives for the future

The guests spent their lunch break in the cafeteria of the Brandenburg University of Technology, where further exchanges took place about the beginnings of the collaboration. A highlight of the trip was the two-hour boat tour on the Brandenburg waters, which gave visitors an insight into the city's impressive architecture. The summer reception of the city of Brandenburg an der Havel, which brought together over 400 participants from various areas, also offered an excellent networking opportunity for the Danish delegation.

The trip concluded with a traditional asparagus meal in Mötzow, at which Christian Heise, organizer of the World Skateboarding Championships with close connections to Ballerup, was present. The mayor of Brandenburg an der Havel, Steffen Scheller, emphasized the importance of the town twinning as a long-standing friendship that is actively lived and always opens up new perspectives.

The extensive agenda and the positive discussions during the visit clearly show that both Brandenburg and Ballerup are interested in continuous, fruitful cooperation. The basis that this town partnership offers could not only strengthen cultural exchange, but also serve as a foundation for future projects and initiatives. Together, Ballerup and Brandenburg not only create connections between citizens, but also actively shape the future of their communities.

City partnerships like this are a valuable opportunity to promote intercultural exchange and build social bridges. Therefore, we continue to work on raising awareness of these initiatives so that other clubs and institutions in Ballerup and Brandenburg can also benefit from the advantages of the collaboration. Anyone interested in finding out more about the new collaborations or getting involved yourself can contact the association via email ballerupbrandenburg@gmail.com.

The entire commitment, both in Brandenburg an der Havel and in Ballerup, shows how important international municipal cooperation is to strengthen the European idea. There is also more information about this Innovators Club, which deals with developments and topics relating to town twinning.