Linz and Pornic
35 years of lively friendship between cities
The celebrations for the 35th anniversary of the town twinning took place in Pornic at the beginning of October. The 35-strong Linz delegation consisted of members of the Friends of Linz-Pornic, the Art Association, carnivalists and private individuals committed to the town twinning. On the city side, the mayor Hans Georg Faust, the first councillor Helmut Muthers and members of the city council were present. A Linz wine princess and the wine queen and wine princess from Dattenberg also took the opportunity to take part in the celebrations. At the same time, the 25-year town twinning between Pornic and the Spanish town of Baiona was also celebrated.
One of the highlights of the programme was a visit to the castle of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes. The evening continued with a musical programme by a Breton folk dance group. City councillor Ruth Zimmermann was a delight with French and Spanish songs.
The visit ended with a typical French dinner and dance in the city's new casino. At the beginning of this event, Mayor Jean-Michel Brard awarded the medal of honour of the city of Pornic to his Linz counterpart. Despite the extensive programme, there was plenty of room for direct talks and the participants' cosy get-together.
In their speeches, the mayors Hans Georg Faust (Linz), Jean-Michel Brard (Pornic) and Carlos Gomez Prado (Baiona) emphasised how important international town twinning is, especially in today's tense times. In times when national egoism and even xenophobia are gaining ground again, when the values that have prevailed and been lived since the French Revolution are to be shaken up, living friendships between cities are a positive and exemplary counterpoint.
One of the guarantors of the lively exchange between Linz and Pornic is the commitment of the associations in both cities. In addition to the official meetings, there is a lively exchange of carnivalists, led by the Linz Funkencorps Blau-Wieß and the Pornic Mi-Carême. Every year, members travel to events in the twin cities, such as the Prince Proclamation in Linz or the street carnival in Pornic.
The Linz-Pornic Circle of Friends regularly arranges typical French activities, such as the game of petanque. However, the most important success factor is certainly the accommodation of the participants in host families. This has resulted in lasting personal friendships.
The school exchange between the two cities should also be mentioned. Recently, more than 20 pupils from Pornic were in Linz again.
"Promoting such a lively town twinning is simply fun. To see that so many associations, but also private individuals, keep this friendship alive with their own commitment is particularly valuable in this day and age." Faust summed up. "It is important to pass on this living friendship to future generations so that young people also enjoy the exchange and get personally involved. Only in this way can we carry the partnership into the future."
City of Linz on the Rhine, 18.10.22
