Visiting the twin town Bitche

Visiting Friends: Inaugural Visit with Mayor Sophie Pastor in Bitche The town partnership between Lebach and the French town of Bitche thrives on personal exchange and encounters between the people of both communities. This was once again evident during the recent visit of a Lebach delegation to the partner town. At the invitation of the new mayor Sophie Pastor, who has been leading the Lorraine town since March, Mayor Klauspeter Brill, Executive Officer Roman Werth, First Deputy Markus Schu, and Florian Wagner, responsible for the town partnership, traveled to Bitche. The purpose of the visit was to get to know the new city chief and her team, to jointly lay the groundwork for further cooperation within the framework of the town partnership established in 1979. The program included a tour of the Garden of Peace as well as a visit to the impressive citadel. During a joint meal, representatives from both towns took the opportunity to engage in intensive discussions about future projects and encounters. There was unanimous agreement that the town partnership should continue to be lively and diverse through regular contact on administrative, club, and citizen levels. Personal meetings remain the best foundation for nurturing and further developing the friendly relations between the people of Lebach and Bitche. Already firmly planned is the participation of Lebach citizens in the ‘Estivales de Bitche’ at the last weekend of July. As in past years, the town of Lebach will provide a free bus so that those interested can travel comfortably to Bitche and celebrate the popular summer festival together with their French friends. The people of Bitche have also announced their next visits to Lebach. A delegation including Mayor Sophie Pastor, Jean-Michel Haller (responsible for the partnership at the town of Bitche), as well as Jackie Hores, Vanessa Jung, and Aline Goeber will come to Lebach for the Green Week. The guests from the partner town will thus celebrate the Lebach Oktoberfest and most likely also the Nativity Market. The inaugural visit made it clear how much both sides value the town partnership that has lasted for more than 45 years, and Lebach and Bitche alike look forward to the 50th anniversary of the jumelage taking place in three years. Photos: Laurent Beckirch