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25 years of town twinning: Forest plants trees for the future!
On July 1, 2025, Forst (Lausitz) will celebrate 25 years of twinning with Lubsko and Brody through environmental campaigns and anniversary events.
25 years of town twinning: Forest plants trees for the future!
A very special anniversary was celebrated in the heart of Lusatia: Forst, Brody and Lubsko celebrated a quarter of a century of town twinning in 2025. This was celebrated with an impressive tree-planting campaign on the picturesque brushwood island, where the mayors of the three twin cities each planted a tree. Each tree symbolizes a city and illustrates the common growth as well as the strong environmental protection concept that has become more and more important over the years. The Niederlausitz Aktuell website reports on this festive campaign, which turned out to be a powerful sign of sustainable cooperation. Particularly noteworthy is the motto of the celebrations: “Rose Bridge”, which underlines the connection between the cities and emphasizes the personal responsibility of each individual who works for harmonious coexistence.
The cut rose show “Rosey Times – 25 Years of Sister Cities” in the visitor center invited visitors to actively participate in the design. Volunteers from Forst and Brody excelled in creating the magnificent arrangements. The guests had the opportunity to add roses to the “missing” bridge arches and thus symbolically contribute to the connection between the three cities.
Planned activities for the anniversary
The anniversary year also offers a series of joint events that are intended to further strengthen the close ties between the three cities. A concert in Brody will kick off the celebrations on March 4, 2025, followed by a guided bike tour on May 18, 2025 in the footsteps of Count Brühl. Another highlight is the German-Polish seniors' meeting on May 26, 2025 in Forst, where 25 seniors from Lubsko will be guests. The sporting side will not be neglected either - SV Lausitz Forst will give its best at the football tournament on May 31, 2025.
The anniversary reaches its climax on July 4, 2025 in Lubsko, where the program includes, among other things, a visit to the castle and the church in Dolzig. A German-Polish film project with 20 children as well as a children and youth meeting in the outdoor swimming pool in Forst are also planned for August, both of which take place on the occasion of International Youth Day. This commitment is also supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Spree-Neiße-Bober Euroregion Small Project Fund, which underlines the importance and possibilities of the project.
A look at the history of town twinning
The town twinning between Germany and Poland has a long and eventful history. According to deutschland.de, reconciliation began in 1965 with an appeal from the Polish Bishops' Conference: “We forgive and ask for forgiveness.” Originally, 42 partnerships were founded before 1989, and more than 200 new partnerships were added by the turn of the millennium, which shows how highly valued this form of collaboration is. But there are also challenges: financing bottlenecks represent a major obstacle that was already mentioned in surveys in 2019. The corona pandemic and the threateningly worsening economic situation could also put a strain on financial resources for future projects.
However, the response to the new forms of society is consistently positive. The role of cities and municipalities in reconciliation work is highly valued, and the positive effects that arise from these partnerships are immense.