Town twinning between Bernburg (Saale) and Rheine exists for 33 years
Rheine. “Our town twinning has already existed for 33 years and thus represents one of the building sites of German reunification.” With these words, Mayor Dr. Peter Lüttmann opened the small ceremony for the meeting of the twin towns in the Salzsiedehaus. “After 1990, we helped to shape the democratic construction of the reunified Germany together and we can be proud of that.” According to Lüttmann, “Without the 1000-fold cooperation of the cities and municipalities from West and East Germany, without the exchange of experiences of the people in the clubs, associations and organizations, without the many friendships that have developed, the path to a common future would have been different and also with even greater problems. Of course, he remembers the turnaround well. In the meantime, however, a generation has grown up that has not experienced the division of our country itself, but only knows it from history, from stories told by older people or from lessons in schools. “We should always be aware of that. For them, it is self-evident what their parents only dreamed of: the abolition of decades of division and a common life in freedom and democracy.”
Lüttmann especially welcomed the mayor of the city Bernburg, Dr. Silvia Ristow, who made her inaugural visit to Rheine in this capacity.
While events commemorating October 3 usually focus on euphoric speeches, the Bernburgmayor elaborated on her own experiences and lessons learned.