The town twinning between Vaterstetten and Allauch has existed for 40 years. It will be celebrated on the evening of April 29th – with a Provençal buffet, short presentations on Allauch’s culture and the activities of the association and of course with lots of talks. The chairman of the “Partnership with Allauch” association, Ursel Franz, looks back on the long time we had together.
SZ: Ms. Franz, how did the partnership between Vaterstetten and Allauch come about?
Ursel Franz: Professor Franz Werner from the Humboldt-Gymnasium in Vaterstetten had French students in his class whose families he became friends with and which gave him the idea of how nice it would be to have a partnership with a city in France. He asked this family for advice on who in France might be interested. The answer was: “Our mother lives in Marseille, she knows God and the world, let’s ask her.” And this mother, Mrs. Bost, said: “Allauch is definitely interested.” And that was indeed the case!
What were the most beautiful experiences that you associate with this partnership?
Of course that is difficult to say. We went on countless interesting excursions together, we celebrated wonderful parties, there were a number of marriages between Allauch and Vaterstetten… There were so many highlights, it’s hard to say which was the best. It’s great fun every time and it’s different every time. The hospitality of the French is – just like here – very great, and a deep friendship has developed over the forty years.
You mentioned excursions. Can you give a few examples?
When we come to France in June, we always go to the lavender fields in Valensole, for example. It is an incredible experience to experience the endless expanses of blooming lavender fields and to learn a lot about lavender and how it is processed and used. Of course, the sea is always a popular destination, as there are so many bays and small towns that are worth visiting. And a highlight is a boat trip along the Calanques, this rocky coast near Marseille with wonderful small bathing bays that you can only hike with difficulty. Then there is also the town of Les Baux-de-Provence with the impressive Carrières de Lumière. These are colossal limestone quarries with a unique multimedia exhibition: gigantic famous paintings by great artists are projected there on the stone walls to the accompaniment of classical music – an indescribable experience. One would like to do this excursion every year, because there are always other artists being shown. Another popular destination is Aix-en-Provence, a wonderful town not far from Allauch. You see, I get excited, I could tell so much about what we have experienced in 40 years, you would need a really big article for that.
Were there problems with your French friends that you had to overcome, or were there misunderstandings?
Nothing worth mentioning. I myself have been on the organizing committee for 26 years, everything has always gone well, otherwise we wouldn’t have spent 40 years together. And with so many volunteers in Vaterstetten and Allauch, I’m optimistic about the future!
ZTogether with the adult education center in Vaterstetten, the partnership association is celebrating the anniversary in the adult education center rooms this Friday, April 29th. Start is at 7 p.m.