Activities

At the initiative of Gaël de Maisonneuve, French Consul General in Stuttgart, several prominents took the floor at this celebration, including Martin W.W. Horn, Lord Mayor of the City of Freiburg im Breisgau; Michèle Lutz, Lady Mayoress of the City of Mulhouse; Brigitte Klinkert, MP for Haut-Rhin; and Dr Patrick Rapp, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Baden-Württemberg.

In his speech, Michael Mack recalled the close relationship that Europa-Park ─ and the Mack family in particular ─ has had with Alsace for several generations. He thereafter presented ongoing projects in France, related to the division of the MACK One France company in Plobsheim and at Ollwiller Castle. He also referred to the thousand employees from Alsace contributing to this great success day by day.

The consular office, with its base at the Freiburg French Cultural Centre (CCFF), receives requests from several thousand French people living in the region of Freiburg and Tübingen. When the last elections in France were held, a new polling station was also set up in Offenburg to meet the demands of French citizens residing in Ortenau. The honorary consul, who is involved in multiple projects promoting exchange between either side of the Rhine, together with other powers that be in cross-border cooperation, welcomed all kinds of activity with the goal of supporting and strengthening Franco-German friendship.

The French national anthem, led by the Franco-German choir from Freiburg im Breisgau, let the 250 assembled to sing in unison and the performance of the Franco-German high school big band at Freiburg im Breisgau was an outstanding confirmation of the Franco-German youth in action.

Further information:
https://tinyurl.com/hex4k5jx

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After Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on the evening of the European election, early parliamentary elections were called for 30. June and 7. July 2024.

The French honorary consulate in Freiburg-Tübingen actively participated in carrying the election out and organising it for French people resident in Germany, who were called upon to vote for their MP in the 7th constituency for the French overseas, encompassing 16 countries in Central Europe and the Balkans, Germany being the most populous of these.

French people from Ortenau could again honour their duty as citizens at a polling station in Offenburg, whilst also having the opportunity to place their vote online.

At the end of both rounds of voting, Mr Frédéric Petit was returned to office.

Further information:
https://www.resultats-elections.interieur.gouv.fr/legislatives2024/ensemble_geographique/ZZ/ZZ07/index.html

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Nearly one hundred French and German school pupils came together at Europa-Park as part of two projects carried out in cooperation with the Académie de Strasbourg.

The ‘Fairy Tale Podcast’ project allowed the young people of the Collège in Kochersberg and the Stromberg Gymnasium secondary school in Vaihingen an der Enz to put forward an original and creative re-interpretation of fairy tales. Through the setting of new stories to music and the depiction of fantasy characters, not only could they further develop their digital and technical competencies, but also their independence, their capacity to cooperate and their mastery of their respective neighbours’ language.

The ‘Fairy Tale Songs’ project offered two classes from the Collège of Truchtersheim and the Falkenhausenschule in Kehl the opportunity to broaden their concepts of artistic and cultural education by acquiring a new repertoire of children’s songs in German and French, which the Alsace composer Nicolas Fischer had composed.

During the presentation of both these products at Europa-Park, the pupils could again sing the anthem of cross-border collaboration ‘Es lebe l’amitié, vive la Freundschaft’ (both meaning ‘Long live friendship’)

The ‘Grimm Magical Forest’ was then the setting of linguistic developments in French and German. Thanks to the educational work of the Académie de Strasbourg, the resulting podcast was completed there. The youngest participants could, in turn, listen to a fairy tale reading by Miriam Mack, chair of the European Fairy Tale Centre ‘Märchenland’.

Michael Mack emphasised the distinctiveness of this cross-border encounter, a true-to-life and joyful proof of European ambition.

Further information:
ORGA journée transfrontalière des contes 2024 – Digipad by La Digitale

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To accommodate French citizens living in Ortenau, the French Consulate General in Stuttgart has taken the initiative and set up a fifth polling station in Offenburg.

The French Honorary Consulate in Freiburg-Tübingen has been actively involved in organising and implementing the election. The polling station, located on the premises of Offenburg’s adult educational institution (VHS), was one of five venues in Baden-Wurttemburg (alongside Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Freiburg im Breisgau and Tubingen) to be integrated into the Stuttgart consular district.

Further information:
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/services-aux-francais/voter-a-l-etranger/resultats-des-elections/article/elections-europeennes-2024-resultats

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Every year, the discovery day invites businesses and institutions to get involved in the mobility between France and Germany of young people. Several secondary school classes for the hotel and restaurant industry in Guebwiller and Gérardmer were invited by the Honorary Consul to learn about the industry and professional opportunities in this area in the middle of Europa-Park.

School pupils studying for the French vocational qualification for the hotel industry and gastronomy could visualise the variety and scope of professions with representation at the Europa-Park resort.

The 4* theme hotels ‘Kronasar ─ The Museum Hotel’ and ‘Bell Rock’ were chosen as the venues for these encounters. A cycle of presentations, discussions between students and their teachers and, finally, a professional tour of the facilities took place there.

The Honorary Consul rejoiced in a day many new things could be learnt in. The discovery day ended with an afternoon at the theme park free of charge.

Further information:
https://www.ofaj.org/programmes-formations/journee-decouverte#1

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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

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Being the only cross-border university prize in the Upper Rhine, the Prix Bartholdi is intended to deepen intercultural experiences of young people from this region between France, Germany and Switzerland and develop the internationalisation of university education in this three-nation metropolitan area.

In 2023, 4 prizes were awarded in this competition: the Prize for Best Work Experience Report, the Video Prize, the Bartholdi Stipend and the Embassy Prize

The honorary prize was awarded to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, represented by Mr Luc Gaillet.

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

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Michael Mack’s exequatur, with which he was awarded the title of Honorary Consul of France in Freiburg im Breisgau, was officially extended to a second term by Gaël de Maisonneuve, Consul General of France in Stuttgart.

As part of the network of 12 Honorary Consulates of France in Germany led by an honorary consul, Michael Mack’s office welcomes French citizens resident in the area of Freiburg im Breisgau and Tübingen, by appointment, to process their applications for renewing identity documents (identity cards and passports) and for other administrative concerns (life certificates, residence certificates, notarisation of copies corresponding to the original).

Moreover, the Honorary Consul regularly initiates a number of projects to stimulate and promote Franco-German friendship. All these tasks are carried out in close collaboration with the diplomatic and administrative department of France’s Consulates General in Stuttgart and Munich.

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As part of this project, carried out with support from the Académie de Strasbourg, around fifty German and French school pupils met at Europa-Park.

A technical rally, held at the Park, offered pupils from the Lycée Le Corbusier in Illkirch-Graffenstaden and the vocational school BBS Neustadt an der Weinstrasse the opportunity to work on the theme of ‘Architecture in Europe through the ages’ together. Through play, they could prove their technical and professional capabilities and make out a list of the park’s architectual features.

The objectives of this actions were meeting one another across borders, collaboration and immersing oneself in one’s neighbours’ language and culture, supported by the Honorary Consul and the Académie de Strasbourg.

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Initiated by Michael Mack to develop cross-border projects, the ‘RheinForum 182’ brought a group of decision makers together from France, Germany and Switzerland to discuss various current themes and political and economic developments in cross-border collaboration.

In his opening remarks, Michael Mack stressed what Franco-German relations meant in particular: ‘We are very happy that so many important decision makers from either side of the Rhine have accepted our invitation to Europa-Park. For decades, the Mack family has stood up for the European idea of collaboration around the tri-border area. For me, it’s important, above all, to better the future prospects and career opportunities of young people in the Upper Rhine region’.

In a variety of specialist presentation, participants addressed current topics, discussing the political and economic challenges of cross-border collaboration. They were in agreement, that the economic power of the tri-border area is an important factor of success in the region, based upon close, intensive exchange across borders.

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