Activities

In the border region, the Rhine is not a border but a connecting link. 40,000 people currently work in the neighbouring country. The family business La Baguette in Freiburg, the French entrepreneur Guy Tonnelier in Kehl and the company Ernst Umformtechnik in Oberkirch discussed the obstacles they still encounter in their daily lives. The event was supported by the Honorary Consul, who is the managing partner of a company where more than a quarter of the employees come from France.

“Links with France and Alsace are of the utmost importance for the skilled crafts sector, which make up a large part of the economy in South Baden. As our industry is mainly organised on a regional basis, France is very important for us as a market and partner”, emphasised Dr. Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, member of the board of the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts, to an audience of representatives from business and politics, various institutions, research and students from the region’s Franco-German courses. “There are almost 3,000 German companies working with the French economy. That is why we are committed to promoting relations with France and minimising bureaucratic hurdles”, added Dr Dieter Salomon, Managing Director of the Southern Upper Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce. “The developments of the last 60 years prove time and again that we have something to be proud of. There are numerous initiatives, cooperations and investments on both sides of the Rhine, and the governments and administrations are working to further strengthen cross-border relations”, emphasised Gaël de Maisonneuve, French Consul General in Baden-Württemberg.

Christine Jablonski, HR Manager for the French market at Europa-Park, was also invited to talk about the company’s strong Franco-German recruitment strategy and the solutions found to overcome the obstacles encountered (help with CV writing, integrated language courses, support for cultural understanding between the two nationalities).

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In der Grenzregion stellt der Rhein keine Grenze, sondern eine Verbindung dar. 40 000 Menschen arbeiten heute im Nachbarland.  Das Familienunternehmen La Baguette in Freiburg, der französische Unternehmer Guy Tonnelier in Kehl und das Unternehmen Ernst Umformtechnik aus Oberkirch sprachen über die Hindernisse, die ihnen im Alltag noch begegnen. Eine Veranstaltung, die vom Honorarkonsul unterstützt wurde, der geschäftsführender Gesellschafter eines Unternehmens ist, in dem mehr als ein Viertel seiner Arbeitskräfte aus Frankreich kommen.

„Die Verbindungen zu Frankreich und dem Elsass sind für das Handwerk, das einen großen Teil der Wirtschaft in Südbaden ausmacht, von größter Bedeutung. Da unsere Branche vor allem regional organisiert ist, ist Frankreich als Markt und Partner für uns sehr wichtig“, betonte Dr. Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, Mitglied des Vorstands der Handwerkskammer Freiburg, vor Vertretern aus Wirtschaft und Politik, aus diversen Institutionen, der Forschung und aus Studierenden der deutsch-französischen Studiengänge der Region. „Fast 3.000 deutsche Unternehmen interagieren mit der französischen Wirtschaft. Deshalb setzen wir uns dafür ein, die Beziehungen zu Frankreich zu fördern und bürokratische Hürden zu minimieren“, fügte Dr. Dieter Salomon, Hauptgeschäftsführer der Industrie- und Handelskammer Südlicher Oberrhein, hinzu. „Die Entwicklungen der letzten 60 Jahre geben uns immer wieder Recht, stolz zu sein. Es gibt zahlreiche Initiativen, Kooperationen und Investitionen auf beiden Seiten des Rheins, und die Regierungen und Verwaltungen arbeiten daran, die grenzüberschreitenden Beziehungen weiter zu stärken“, betonte Gaël de Maisonneuve, französischer Generalkonsul in Baden-Württemberg.

Christine Jablonski, Referentin für Personalwesen Frankreich im Europa-Park, wurde ebenfalls eingeladen um  über die entschieden deutsch-französische Einstellungsstrategie des Unternehmens zu sprechen und Lösungen zu präsentieren, die zur Beseitigung der aufgetretenen Hindernisse gefunden wurden (Hilfe beim Verfassen des Lebenslaufs, integrierte Sprachkurse, Unterstützung des kulturellen Verständnisses zwischen den beiden Nationalitäten).

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Over 120 people were present to listen to the remarks made by Daniel Cohn-Bendit, invited to reflect on Franco-German cooperation on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty being signed.

The event was organised as a collaboration between the three Franco-German Societies (DFG) in Baden-Baden, Freiburg and Colmar, supported by the City of Baden-Baden and the Honorary Consul. It provided the opportunity to highlight the importance to Europe of Franco-German collaboration. The former MEP drew from personal experience, pointing out that the Élysée Treaty being signed was an ‘important act’, not so much because of the agreements reached therein, but above all because of its acceptance by the population. ‘We have learnt to appreciate one another,’ he emphatically repeated.

In the discussions that followed, the still noticeable deficits in the collaboration between both countries were addressed, but also the rôle these have to play in the aftermath of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Waning language skills on either side of the Rhine were also lamented by the numerous participants in attendance.

The celebration, supported by the Honorary Consul, was part of a series of events on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty.

Further information:
https://www.dfg-baden-baden.de/

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The Mack family has continued with its commitment to Franco-German friendship, supporting the creation of a bilingual learning kit on the topic of World War I for primary and secondary school pupils.

New learning materials for 8- to 14-year-olds, provided by the Committee for the National Memorial at Hartmannswillerskopf (CMNHWK), could be launched thanks to the Mack family’s social engagement and Europa-Park sponsorship.

This interactive ‘toy chest’, which helps explore the history of the First World War, has been conceived as a commemorative initiative to ‘address the war and remember all the realities of this crisis, to ‘weather conflict’ and to celebrate ‘Franco-German friendship’, as Jean Klinkert, CEO of the CMNHWK, pointed out, accopanied by Olivier Faron, Rector of the Académie de Strasbourg. The fully equipped case is available in four forms, which are kindly made available to school classes in Germany and Alsace.

Further information:
https://www.memorial-hwk.eu/fr/actualites/60-ans-traite-elysee-54

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The Youth Council of the City of Strasbourg, bringing together 75 school pupils aged between 11 and 14 (38 girls and 37 boys), was officially received by Jeanne Barseghian, the Mayor of Strasbourg. After an initial training and integration at the European Youth Centre (CEJ) in Strasbourg, during which the elected young people familiarised themselves with how this new entity functioned, they determined their priorities as to their actions in the coming months at Europa-Park. At the close of session, the young people had access to the whole theme park, alongside youth councillors to have previously served, free of charge.

Michael Mack stressed the commitment of all these young people to making their projects a reality.

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The committee of the Hartmannswillerkopf National Monument, led by Jean Klinkert and Col. Laurent Luisetti, Commander of the 152nd Infantry Regiment, organised civilian and military thanksgiving services for the Armistice in the First World War, also attended by Louis Laugier, Prefect of the Haut-Rhin département, MPs of the 2nd and 4th constituencies of the Haut-Rhin, Hubert Ott and Raphaël Schellenberger, as well as the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jutta Gisela Frasch, as well as numerous legislators from the region.

Michael Mack was also invited to pay tribute to the fighters of the First World War, thus laying another modest remembrance stone to consolidate Franco-German friendship.

Further information:
https://www.memorial-hwk.eu/

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The voluntary, nationwide association of honorary and fully-fledged consuls of all states sending them to Germany, the German Consular Corps Association (CCD), today has more than 220 members who join for a large meeting annually. On the initiative of Michael Mack, himself a member, this meeting took place in Europa-Park. During the consular soirée at the ‘Bistro Tomi Ungerer’ in the France themed area, participants heard an opening address from district council chair Frank Scherer, who furnished information about its ongoing cross-border challenges, as well as an after-dinner speech from businessman Dr. Martin Herrenknecht, the world leader in tunnel construction equipment.

At this 26th General Meeting, a new chair was also elected: 66-year-old Stuttgart-born lawyer Prof. Dr. Roderich C. Thümmel, Honorary Consul to the Republic of Iceland in Baden Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, has succeeded Prof. Dr. Wolfram Scharff at the helm of the CCD.

Further information:
http://www.konsularkorpsdeutschland.de/2022/07/07/jahrestreffen-2022-im-badischen-rust-30-september-2-oktober

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Invited by the Honorary Consul and the Mack family, over 100 guests had come to celebrate Alsace and experience a day of colourful entertainment in the style and environment typical of the neighbouring border region.

For Michael Mack, ‘For a very long time, Alsace has had a special place at Europa-Park. The Franco-Alsatian themed area is a symbol of Franco-German friendship, which is more important than ever today’. Jean Rottner, President of the Grand-Est region, added: ‘At present, people are not only talking “transfrontalier” (cross-border), but “transamitié” (mutual friendship across borders)’. Given that the Park continues to employ over 1,000 workers from over the border, Nathalie Kaltenbach-Ernst, CEO of Alsace Destination Tourisme (ADT) stressed: ‘Europa-Park is an important tourist and economic partner to Alsace. The Park also contributes to making our region a brilliant holiday destination and we are proud of having such a remarkable place in the neighbourhood, with it having just been voted the world’s best theme park for the eighth time’.

Around 350 members of various folklore groups and orchestras travelled from the region, from both north and south, delighting guests with many colourful and symbolic performances. Also amongst the visitors was newly chosen Miss Alsace for 2022, Camille Sedira, a worthy representative of her homeland.

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The Miss France beauty contest brings nearly 8 million viewers round their television screens each year and, since its founding, it has been an important event on the French cultural landscape. For the first time, Michael Mack was a member of the 11-strong jury choosing Miss Alsace 2022, which took place in front of 5000 spectators, with Camilla Sedira being declared winner.

The Honorary Consulate made the presence of Domitila Barros, winner of Miss Germany 2022, possible at this event, a beautiful symbol of Franco-German friendship. Future meetings between French and German contenders for the crown are in the pipeline, with this possibly being held at Europa-Park.

Further information:
https://miss-alsace.com

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15 visitors met with the new Minister and presented him with their concerns as to the topic of economic convergence between France and Germany. During discussions, promising starting points for strengthened Franco-German cooperation were demonstrated.

The Southern Upper Rhine Chamber of Commerce, France’s foreign trade advisors in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, Business France in Deutschland, representatives of the French Embassy in Berlin, the Franco-German Business Club of Baden-Wurttemberg and several business leaders from the border region used the opportunity to exchange ideas with the Minister Delegate to Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The meeting also offered the opportunity to welcome Mr Gaël de Maisonneuve, the new French Honorary Consul in Stuttgart.

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