Silver anniversary of Mayo town's twinning with German community

by Johanna Blum

Twenty-five years ago, the mayors at the time, Gerald Brehm and Pat King, signed the document that officially sealed the joint future of Castlebar and Höchstadt.

John Condon, head of the Mayo county town's administration, led the Castlebar delegation for the 25th anniversary celebrations as he did back in 1999.

He emphasised that the English word “twinning” does not accurately describe the exchange between the cities. The term “town partnership” is more appropriate, as it also expresses the friendly bond between the two towns.

At the start of the welcome reception in the Aischblick restaurant, there was a live link to the County Mayo Fire Service in Castlebar, where Tony Shevlin, together with several firefighters, personally conveyed their anniversary greetings.

Not only he, but also John Condon have vivid memories of the extremely hot summer of 2003 during the celebrations for Höchstadt's 1000th anniversary.

All 160 Castlebar residents who actively supported the historic celebrations in Höchstadt at the time with music and dancing were completely thrilled by the warm hospitality of the Höchstadt residents.

The Höchstadt Fire Brigade has been maintaining a lively exchange with the Mayo Fire Brigade for over 20 years.

At annual joint training workshops held alternately in Castlebar and Höchstadt, the firefighters work closely together at a high professional level.

It particularly important in these politically difficult times, in which peaceful coexistence has been destroyed by numerous conflicts, for young people to get to know each other and interact on the basis of friendship.

Tanya Fisher-Lehmann, a teacher at the secondary school, presented the lively exchange between her school and Davitt College together with three of her students.

Both schools form an Erasmus+ partnership, which is actively and wholeheartedly pursued through exchanges of pupils and teachers and various joint pupil projects.

Ulrich Langer, then deputy headmaster of the secondary school, expressed his delight that this important German-Irish youth exchange continues to be so vibrant.

Since its foundation in 1999, the Höchstadt-Castlebar Friendship Association has been a key driving force behind the town twinning.

Former chairwoman Dagmar Wennmacher gave an extensive slide presentation, which gave everyone an impression and overview of the numerous activities between the towns, as well as the association's activities.

The convivial moments of friendly interaction experienced by all those involved are clearly reflected in the pictures.

For councillors Donna Sheridan and Harry Barrett, as well as David Mellett and Dwayne Jordan from Castlebar Municipal District, this was their first visit to the twin town.

On the Saturday, Mayor Brehm offered his five Irish guests a tour of Höchstadt. At Karpfenland Aischgrund e.V., the employees told them all about the history of the carp tradition, but above all about the important contribution the association makes to the carp industry.

The association is responsible for successfully marketing this traditional delicacy beyond the Aischgrund region, protecting the Aischgrund carp brand, promoting tourism and even working towards the goal of having the unique carp pond industry recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Kellerberg Ensemble and the voluntary commitment of the members of the Kellerberg Association impressed the Irish guests. David Mellett and Dwayne Jordan, who are responsible for municipal services and urban development in Castlebar, found Brehm's explanations about the health centre and retirement home just as interesting as the expansion and redesign of the various schools and more.

During the lunch break of the city's closed-door meeting in the Fischereisaal hall of the Fortuna Kulturfabrik, they also had the opportunity to talk to the Höchstadt city councillors who were present.

All guests were very interested in the urban development strategies for Höchstadt. During the tour of the upper floors of the Kulturfabrik (led by Bernd Riehlein), councillors Donna Sheridan and Harry Barrett expressed their desire for a building with such a magnificent view over Castlebar.

Inspired by the concept of this cultural centre with music rooms, a library, a cultural hall, a youth club and an adult education centre, a discussion arose within the Irish delegation about the development possibilities for the former military barracks in Castlebar.

Gerald Brehm and Bernd Riehlein were happy to answer questions from the Irish guests. Brehm promised to send David Mellett the construction plans for the skate park. The information tour of Höchstadt ended at the Aischpark Centre and the Nikolaihöfen.

John Condon was once again deeply impressed by what Brehm had initiated and achieved since his last visit to Höchstadt in 2016.

Not only do the secondary school and Davitt College have concrete plans for future cooperation as part of their Erasmus partnership, but the Castlebar delegations also agreed with Michael Gibson to establish contact between the water rescue service and the BRK with the Irish Red Cross in the area of water rescue and lifesaving for young people.