Trip to Jena on October 3, 2024

Around 200 Erlangen residents were guests in the twin city of Jena with Mayor Jörg Volleth on German Unity Day. Following a long tradition, the two cities take turns in celebrating the holiday.

Deputy Chairwoman of the Association Against Forgetting and the German Society e. V. gave a speech

The guests were welcomed to the Volkshaus by Lord Mayor Thomas Nitzsche. The importance of encounters of this kind - Erlangen and Jena were one of the first German-German town twinnings in 1987 - was also emphasized by keynote speaker Linda Teuteberg, member of the Bundestag and deputy chairwoman of the association Gegen Vergessen und der Deutschen Gesellschaft e. V. The young generation was already given the stage during the ceremony. The street dance formation Cucumbers from Jena performed. On the other hand, the flute ensemble from the Erlangen Municipal Singing and Music School also performed. Both delighted the audience - each in their own way.

A varied program of sport and culture

Encounters took place on numerous levels: among citizens, politicians, various art forms, contemporary witnesses, encounters in sport and also in faith. There was a varied program in the afternoon. Two city tours were offered. The opening of the art exhibition "Encounters" by the GruppePlus of the Kunstverein Erlangen e. V. took place in the historic town hall. Afterwards, the third part of the partnership film by the Geschichtswerkstatt Jena was shown, followed by a discussion with the protagonists. At the same time, several teams competed to win "BigKev's pub quiz" at Café Immergrün. And sportsmen and women from both cities took part in joint tournaments. The "Erlanger Dollbadscher" won the volleyball tournament this year, much to their delight. In the evening, an ecumenical prayer service was held in Jena's St. Michael's Church. Finally, everyone gathered on the market square for the joint farewell singing as part of the "Deutschland singt und klingt" initiative.