- town twinning Five Rot(h)enburgs compete in a sports competition
- The last meeting in Rothenburg LU took place in 2011 with a mayor’s swing. From left: Kurt Forster (Rothenburg o. d.Tauber), Detlef Eichinger (Rotenburg Wümme), Reto Wyss (Rothenburg LU) and Pjoter Ivanus (Czerwieńsk).
- «Wonderful international exchange»
- Friendship has existed for years
town twinning
Five Rot(h)enburgs compete in a sports competition
Rothenburg is not just in the canton of Lucerne. There are also places of the same name in Germany and Poland. At the weekend there is a big Rothenburg meeting with a sports competition.
It is not an everyday sports tournament that begins on June 9th in Rothenburg. At the event, which takes place over two days, it is not different chat groups that compete, but representatives of various communities and towns named Rotenburg and Rothenburg.
Delegations from various communities and towns travel to the canton of Lucerne for the town and athletes’ get-together: People from the German towns of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Rotenburg an der Wümme and Rotenburg an der Fulda – as well as Czerwieńsk, in German: Rothenburg an der – meet there Or. Only the cities of Rothenburg an der Neisse and Rothenburg an der Saale are missing this year.
The last meeting in Rothenburg LU took place in 2011 with a mayor’s swing. From left: Kurt Forster (Rothenburg o. d.Tauber), Detlef Eichinger (Rotenburg Wümme), Reto Wyss (Rothenburg LU) and Pjoter Ivanus (Czerwieńsk).
On Friday evening there will be an opening ceremony in the Chärnshalle. “There will also be political representatives. The mayors travel with their partners from the individual cities, »says Severin Lohri, head of social affairs and social integration in the municipality of Rothenburg and OC boss. The celebration is accompanied by local cultural associations. The Alphorn Blower Association Lucerne and the Schwyzerörgelifrönde Pilatusblick are also taking part.
“Around 150 people from abroad travel to the tournament,” says Lohri. If you include the locals, then there are around 250 in total. At the tournament, the individual representatives compete in four sports: “We offer football, handball, volleyball and table tennis,” says Lohri.
«Wonderful international exchange»
The sports tournaments will take place on June 10 during the day. “It will be a big tournament in a playful way,” says Lohri. However, the “competitive character” will certainly be felt when the groups are gripped by ambition. After the competitions, a ranking ceremony will be held in the evening. There will also be a festival with grill stands and risotto. Feldmusik Rothenburg, a pop band from the music school and the Guuggemusig Fläckegosler Roteborg will provide musical entertainment. “Rothenburg is looking forward to a festival with ‘all Rot(h)enburgs’,” says Lohri.
Christian Grunwald, mayor of the twin town of Rotenburg an der Fulda, is also looking forward to it: “Everyone is always really looking forward to it when it happens again,” he says. Grunwald has been mayor for more than eleven years and has already experienced a number of meetings: “Wonderful friendships are always formed there. This is really nice.” He himself will probably take part in the volleyball tournament. “In addition to the sporting competition, there is also a wonderful international exchange, also about the political and social situation,” says Grunwald. Worries and problems, but also positive things are sometimes very similar. But there are also issues where there are major differences between the cities.
Friendship has existed for years
The friendship between the Rot(h)enburgs goes back many years. A friendship had already existed between some towns in western Germany in 1980, when the town authorities of Rothenburg ob der Tauber sent an invitation to a meeting in the canton of Lucerne. Other cities in Poland and the former GDR later joined the association.
The first meeting in Lucerne Rothenburg took place in 1988. At that time around 700 people traveled, mainly from Germany. Further events in Switzerland were held in 1999 and 2011.
