The partnership between Erlangen and Rennes was established in 1964. Rennes is located 350 km west of Paris and 1,200 km from Erlangen.
The origins of modern-day Rennes can be traced back to the Gallic settlement of Condate, which existed as early as 57 B.C. In the 6th century, Rennes was the seat of a duke and a bishop, and it became part of the French Crown in 1532. In 1720, a devastating fire destroyed 900 of the city’s characteristic half-timbered houses. In 1899, the city was the site of the second Dreyfus trial. During World War II, the Germans occupied Rennes, which was liberated by American troops on August 1, 1944.
Rennes has a population of 212,000 today. It is France’s tenth-largest city, the capital of Brittany, the seat of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, and the center of the Rennes Métropole metropolitan area with 362,000 residents, which is currently connected to Rennes by a modern, environmentally friendly rail system.
Not least because of its thriving economic and cultural life, Rennes attracts new residents from all over France. Rennes is home to two universities and several major colleges with a total of nearly 60,000 students. With 153 students per 1,000 residents, Rennes is well above the average for other major French cities. The university hospital, with nearly 7,000 employees, is the city’s largest employer.
In the business sector, the successful collaboration between research, development, and industry—particularly in the fields of communications technology and biotechnology—is exemplary. Of particular note here is the Rennes-Atalante Technology Center, founded in 1984, which comprises 200 high-tech companies and 12 research centers across three locations, providing a total of 8,000 jobs. Another key economic sector is the food industry, which sources its raw materials from the city’s surrounding countryside, characterized by agriculture and livestock farming.
In terms of “traditional” cultural institutions, Rennes is home to an opera house, the Breton National Theater, and a number of museums, among which the “Musée de Bretagne” is the best known. However, events such as the major summer music festival “Les Tombées de la Nuit” and the “Transmusicales” jazz festival in November also contribute to the cultural scene.
In 1988, Rennes was voted “France’s Most Dynamic City” and has proven itself worthy of this distinction ever since. In recognition of its contributions to promoting the European ideal, the city has been awarded the “Golden Star of Europe.”
Partnership activities extend to all areas of community and cultural life, including youth, schools, and sports, as well as professional and university exchanges and political contacts. Particular importance should be attached to the intensive partnership and cooperation between Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the two universities in Rennes, Rennes 1 and Rennes 2.
