Exchange in the field of youth work between Bolzano and Erlangen

The visit was a first step towards planning a joint project in 2025, which is being launched as part of the city partnership between the Stadtjugendring Erlangen (SJR) and the Bolzano Youth Service, supported by the Association of Youth Services of South Tyrol (AGJD). The focus of this first meeting was the participatory exchange between the associations and organizations of both cities in order to get to know each other and at the same time develop ideas for future cooperation.

"Connecting young people as the basis for a successful partnership between the two cities started with a great weekend together and will continue in the coming years. We are looking forward to it," said SJR Managing Director Veronika Lauterbach.

Experiences were exchanged and new ideas developed together

As soon as they arrived, the SJR Erlangen management team immediately paid a visit to Bolzano City Councilor for Youth Christian Battisti and youth officer Manuel Mattion at Bolzano City Hall, where they described the great value of a strong urban network of youth organizations, as is already being practiced in Erlangen - and is being established in Bolzano by Mattion. "We were able to learn a lot from our visit to the Erlangen Youth Summit a year ago, also in terms of participation, but above all the close cooperation between the youth organizations there," Mattion enthuses.

On Saturday morning, around 30 delegates from both cities, group leaders from the Haslach Scouts to the Erlangen Young Fire Brigade, met for an ideas workshop professionally moderated by the South Tyrolean Youth Ring. Michael Hofer, Managing Director of the Bolzano Youth Service, is cautiously enthusiastic: "We have lots of great ideas, but with so many associations it will be quite a challenge to take as many needs and interests as possible into account." According to the results of the workshop, great importance is attached to culinary delights: "The most important thing for us is eating good food together," laughs a youth leader from Erlangen.

In addition to the professional exchange, the weekend also offered space for community activities and cultural experiences. The delegation from Erlangen had the opportunity to visit the structures of their Bolzano association counterpart, get to know the city better with a "geocaching" rally and try out the "Cat Town" cell phone city game from the Bolzano Youth Service. On the last evening there was a dinner together, where the new contacts were further strengthened and plans were made for the next steps, before dancing late into the night at the "Advanced Clubbing" event of the current Transart Festival.

Partnership relationships further strengthened

"On a personal level, we have built up a close relationship over the years thanks to numerous visits and simply good chemistry, so we are happy to meet up for a coffee or mulled wine when we are in each other's city," says Michael Hofer, Managing Director of Youth Services Bolzano. The exchange is seen as an important step towards strengthening and further expanding the partnership between Erlangen and Bolzano in the area of youth work in the long term and, in the best case scenario, extending the already friendly relationship to the clubs.