From 6 to 8 May 2024, the first meeting of the "Activation of Chemnitz's European Town Twinning" working group took place in Chemnitz. The idea and initiative for this came from the City of Chemnitz's Senior Citizens' Advisory Council. The twin cities working group now consists of around ten committed members who meet monthly to prepare upcoming events.
The aim of the initiative is to find out how twin cities actively integrate older people into city life. They discussed how a festival day for twin cities can be prepared as part of the Capital of Culture year 2025 and how older people from Chemnitz and the twin cities can take part. The first meeting served as a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences.
A varied programme was carried out and discussed with representatives from the twin cities of Düsseldorf, who travelled to Chemnitz in person, and the online participation of Seniorencollege Łódź.
Highlights included the presentation of the Capital of Culture programme for 2025 and discussions on sustainable cooperation beyond 2025. The participants had the opportunity to get to know institutions and programmes in Chemnitz, including the university library of Chemnitz University of Technology and the Seniorenkolleg of Chemnitz University of Technology. The event ended with a final meeting to gather feedback and make plans for the future. The twin city meeting was not only a successful step towards strengthening the city partnerships, but also a good example of the active involvement of older people in shaping their cities and communities.
The Generation Team of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 is also involved in the event and is responsible for involving different generations (children, young people, young adults and older people) and developing a programme that takes up and combines their perspectives.
The Partner Cities Meeting of the Seniors' Working Group is funded as part of the micro-project funding programme of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. The aim is to provide impetus for new cultural formats or encounters in the city and the Capital of Culture region.
