The conference saw around 50 guests come together in the hotel Krønasår of the Europa-Park Resort and was chaired by Dr. Dieter Salomon, General Manager of the IHK Südlicher Oberrhein, and moderated by Yolande Baldeweck, former correspondent of the national daily newspaper Le Figaro pour l’Alsace. Repeated references were made to the strong ties that hold the two countries together on the southern Upper Rhine.

Niklas Zaboji, Paris correspondent of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Dr. Jörg Köpke, Editor-in-Chief of the Center for European Politics (CEP) in Freiburg and Berlin, and Dr. Stefan Seidendorf, deputy director of the German-French Institute (DFI) in Ludwigsburg, and Michael Mack were invited to comment on the possible effects of a political change of course in France. The Franco-German friendship, Europe’s ability to act, the Green Deal for Europe and the common economic area that transcends all borders were the focus of the debates and exchanges between the participants.

Further information:
https://www.suedlicher-oberrhein.ihk.de/international

Back to overview

Europa-Park has been named a winner in the ‘Company’ category of the 2022 Schwälmele Trophies, which are given to those who promote regional language and culture on a day-to-day basis. The award was an opportunity to commemorate the numerous actions in this area, such as the installation of bilingual street signs (French/Alsatian) in the Alsatian part of the French Quarter within Europa Park, the translation of two volumes of children’s books by ‘Madame Freudenreich’ into Alsatian, the sale of various media in the regional language in the park as well as the organisation of the ‘Alsace Day’, a true annual highlight that makes it possible to (re)discover the cultural wealth and traditions of the neighbouring border region.

The award fits in well with the current projects of the Honorary Consul, for whom Alsace, with its language and its traditions, continues to be an engine for development and the future.

Further information:  http://www.friehjohr.com/schwalmele

Back to overview

In the spirit of Franco-German cooperation, the Mayoress of Strasbourg was invited to present her plans for Strasbourg and the Eurometropolis to the actors of the WRO, represented by its President Toni Vetrano.

The meeting with multiple panels opened up new perspectives for political and economic cooperation, particularly regarding the areas of ecological change, mobility and cultural work between the region of Ortenau and the neighbouring European capital.

Back to overview

On 17^th January 2022, Michael Mack signed a cross-border partnership agreement with Elisabeth Laporte, the head teacher of the Strasbourg Academy, and with Jürgen Mack, Managing Partner of Europa-Park. As a result of this agreement, various cultural events are being organised at Europa-Park to support exchanges between the two countries and promote Franco-German friendship. With this project, the Strasbourg Academy seeks to encourage people to learn the German language and improve their employability on the job market in the Upper Rhine region.

The Honorary Consul took the opportunity to give the head teacher 120 children’s books from the world of Madame Freudenreich in French and Alsatian. They will be distributed to the 103 Alsatian kindergartens that have received the ‘Maternelle Elysée’ (bilingual daycare centre) quality label in 2021, as a small recognition of the measures taken to learn the German language at an early age.

The signing provided an opportunity for wide exchange on issues of language learning, mobility and more broadly youth and Europe, particularly in the context of the current French Presidency of the European Union.

Back to overview

The beauty pageant is widely followed and covered by the media in France (more than 7 million viewers each year). Cécile Wolfrom from Strasbourg was able to show her attachment to Alsace and present herself as a worthy ambassador of her homeland.

Even though the theme park was not new to her, she was very impressed by the quality of the animations and by the ambience of Europa-Park, which had been specially arranged for the winter season.

Cécile Wolfrom enjoyed exchanging ideas with Michael Mack about the countless riches of the beautiful border region.

Back to overview

Frédéric Bierry, President of the Alsace European Region, has set himself the goal of visiting the Alsatians in all of their 40 cantons. He wants to deal with the elected representatives of the people, representatives of the associations, residents, companies, public service providers and the care infrastructure of the region in order to hear their ideas, their wishes and to record their projects.

A meeting was also organised in Plobsheim, a municipality with 4,500 inhabitants in the south of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, to present two major projects being developed in the region: the Kempferhof Golf Club and the construction of the Mack NeXT company premises, a subsidiary of Mack International Group (owner of Europa-Park).

The conversation offered the opportunity to on one hand sound out the interests of the participants and on the other hand to emphasise the complementary nature of these two projects, as both care about the outstanding attractiveness and the special quality of the Alsatian region.

Back to overview

The Prix Bartholdi is the only prize that is awarded across borders in the higher education sector in the Upper Rhine region. It focusses on the goal of both supporting the cooperation of various universities in the trinational metropolitan region of the Upper Rhine as well as promoting their openness to internationalisation.

The first place in the competition, with a prize of €3,000, was presented by Europa-Park to Ms. Luisa Pfreundschuh, a student at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.

You can watch the awards ceremony and meet all of the 2021 award winners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSexgfK1bGY

Further information: http://www.prixbartholdi.com

Back to overview

Mr Julien Koegler, 33 years old, farmer and President of the Young Farmers of the Bas-Rhin, was accompanied by his deputy, Mr Thierry Wendling.

After an overview of the current health situation and its economic consequences on both sides of the Rhine, this exchange offered the opportunity to talk about major development projects in the cross-border region. An improved Rhine crossing, through the conversion of a bridge for buses, bicycles and pedestrians between Gerstheim and Schwanau (Germany), was seen as an important measure that was to be promoted as a matter of priority.

Back to overview

Capentreprendre, based in Forbach an der Mosel, brings project developers and entrepreneurs together and offers them the opportunity to examine the size, special features and ultimately the feasibility of their projects. Capentreprendre accompanies and trains young entrepreneurs to enable them to set up their own paid roles under the umbrella of the cooperative association, with the aim of contributing to the social and economic well-being of the region.

In the presence of Christophe Arend, French MP and President of the French Office of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly, and a Franco-German Friendship Group, the young entrepreneurs faced a series of questions and answers and also had the opportunity to attend a presentation from the Europa-Park family business about how it works. This was certainly an enriching visit, which was able to deepen and expand the student’s knowledge in the context of their professional career.

More information: http://www.capentreprendre.fr

Back to overview

Due to its location on the France-Germany border in the Quartier du Port du Rhin in Strasbourg, the Kapelle der Begegnung (chapel of encounters) is intended to help strengthen social cohesion in this area, which is currently undergoing major restructuring, and to strengthen and intensify Franco-German relations. Built as a sign of reconciliation after the Second World War, this chapel represents a mindset and history that the two churches (EKIBA-Protestant Church in Baden, and UEPAL – Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine) through their representatives (Dr. Jochen Cornelius- Bundschuh and Christian Albecker) wish to revive today.

A large call for donations to finance the construction work, which began in spring 2021, was launched so that the project can become a symbolic meeting place between French and Germans, but also between people of different origins and religions.

Additional Information: https://www.paroissebordsdurhin.eu/

Back to overview