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Kassel's town twinning: insights into cultural diversity!
Find out which cities Kassel has in partnership and discover the background to these international relationships.
Kassel's town twinning: insights into cultural diversity!
The city of Kassel maintains extensive networking with eight partner cities within the European Union, Turkey and Israel. These town twinnings come about through different historical and cultural connections, which have far-reaching effects on the exchange between the cities.
Among the twin cities are well-known cultural centers such as Florence in Italy and Rovaniemi in Finland. The connection to Rovaniemi, the capital of the Finnish province of Lapland with over 60,000 inhabitants, was officially sealed in 1972. The exchange with Florence even goes back to the 1950s and underlines the cultural importance of this partnership.
Development of town twinning
The partnership with Berlin-Mitte has its roots in the Cold War and serves as an important symbol for overcoming the division of Germany. The Mitte district, with an area of 1,341 hectares and almost half of it as green spaces, offers a large area for cooperation projects. The same applies to the partnership with Arnstadt in Thuringia, which was concluded in 1989 during this historic phase.
There is a special connection to the Turkish city of Izmit, which was created after the devastating earthquake in 1999 in which 18,373 people died. Izmit, located on the Sea of Marmara and surrounded by mountains, has since developed into an important partner for Kassel. In France, Kassel maintains a partnership with Mulhouse that includes not only the exchange of citizens but also joint projects.
More partnerships
The city of Kassel is also connected to Ramat Gan in Israel, which lies adjacent to Tel Aviv on the Yarkon River and has a population of approximately 161,000. This partnership complements international relations and promotes intercultural dialogue. Additionally, the relationship with Västerås in Sweden was established in 1958 with a focus on youth exchange programs.
Another interesting aspect is the twin town relationship with Yaroslavl. This was created in 1988 and shows how new connections emerged after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Aid campaigns and exchange programs between Kassel and Yaroslavl took place in the early 1990s, with the University of Kassel being particularly active in 1993-1994.
These diverse city partnerships in Kassel not only reflect a colorful cultural landscape, but also the desire to promote international relations and live intercultural exchange. The city of Kassel therefore remains an active player in the area of international town twinning.