Germany Calls Italy: The Celebration for the 65th Anniversary of the Twinning Between Albbruck and Carmignano di Brenta

Over fifty Carmignano residents visited Albbruck this weekend to celebrate 65 years of twinning between the German town and Carmignano di Brenta, the longest-standing friendship in the province of Padua.

The municipal administration, in the presence of the mayor Eric Pasqualon, the twinning councilor Alberto Lucietto and the councilor delegated to culture Lorena Bisi, together with the twinning committee of Carmignano di Brenta, were able to take part in a rich program of events and initiatives aimed at celebrating this important milestone. On Friday, after the welcome by the mayor Stefan Kaiser and the community of Albbruck, the long weekend was kicked off with the official ceremony with institutional speeches and the "Great military ceremony with torchlight procession" with the participation of all the musical bands of Albbruck and the entire fire brigade of the town. It was also an opportunity to deliver some gifts to the friends of Albbruck: a wrought iron sculpture depicting two people holding a sphere that represents the union between the two communities, a form of semi-mature cheese from our territory with the twinning logo printed on it, a painting with the renewed friendship pact between the two towns and a key with the logo of the Municipality of Carmignano di Brenta. A symbolic gift that has its roots in the Middle Ages, when cities were fortified and keys were used to open and close the city gates. In this sense, whoever owned the keys was authorized to cross the walls at any time. The donated key therefore represents in a figurative and metaphorical sense not only the seal of friendship between the two countries but also the symbolic meaning of welcome, of the door always open that Carmignano di Brenta keeps for the friends of Albbruck.

On Saturday, instead, a guided tour of the Laufenburg hydroelectric plant was organized and in the afternoon a soccer match was held between the representative teams led by the mayors Eric Pasqualon and Stefan Kaiser. On Sunday, after the Holy Mass, the traditional exchange of gifts between the two communities took place with the final greeting. Mayor Eric Pasqualon declared: «In all these years, the twinning has been much more than a written agreement: it has been a bridge between cultures, people, generations. This weekend was an opportunity to renew the pact of friendship that unites the Municipality of Carmignano di Brenta and that of Albbruck looking to the future with the involvement of the younger generations through the commitment to restart the traditional school cultural exchange and participation in the reciprocal annual events that will be organized by the two committees. As a municipal administration we thank Mayor Stefan Kaiser, Doris, Christian and the friends of Albbruck for the welcome and hospitality in these days. On the occasion of this important milestone, we also thank all those who have contributed to keeping this bond alive: the citizens, the associations, the committees, the mayors and the institutions. A dutiful thanks also goes to the president Francesco Pigato together with all the members of the twinning committee of Carmignano di Brenta and all the supporters who are committed with passion and dedication to nurturing this historic bond". The councilor for twinning Alberto Lucietto concludes: "Sport has been a tool for conviviality and will be a reason for strengthening the two countries in the future by involving young athletes".