"My Favorite Place" exhibition and a film summarizing the 30th anniversary of partnership between Lublin and Münster

The partnership agreement between Lublin and Münster - the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia - was signed on November 30, 1991. Since then, enhanced cooperation procedure has been established between the cities on a number of various levels. Active citizens of both cities have been undertaking a particular role in supporting reciprocal relations from the very beginning of the partnership: the Münster-Lublin City Partnership Support Society in Munster, and the Lublin-Münster Civic Association in Lublin.
In 2021, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of partnership, numerous jubilee projects were conducted in both cities despite the difficulties related to the Covid-19 pandemic:

• In August, Lublin youth representing the Sempre a Frente Foundation took part in the Twin City Games competition organised in Münster.

This is the first activity of this kind with young people from the partner cities of Münster: Lublin, Kristiansand (Norway), Rishon LeZion (Israel), Enschede (the Netherlands) taking an active part in the project. The main assumption was the possibility of being introduced to the overseas peers through sports participation. During these few days, a group of over 50 young people contended in 5 disciplines: streetball, spikeball, zumba, parkour and frisbee. Each discipline was attended by at least one person from each city. The aim of the competition was to form international teams and to allow the players to get to know each other better. The programme also included a meeting in the historic Town Hall - in the Peace Hall where the Peace of Westphalia was signed.

Munster, as the "city of bicycles", provided each participant with a two-wheeler acting as the only means of transport during the entire length of stay. Therefore, everyone was given the opportunity to explore this beautiful city from a bicycle saddle perspective.

• at the beginning of September, Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of Lublin, took part in the jubilee celebrations in Münster on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the city partnership.

The Mayor of Lublin expressed his gratitude to Ms Michaela Heuer, President of the Society for supporting the idea of friendship that has been binding up the citizens of our cities for over 30 years now. A significant issue of the visit was the exchange of best practices between Münster and Lublin. The 30th anniversary of partnership was commemorated by an entry in the Golden Book of the City of Münster in the historic Peace Hall. The meeting was accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra concert in Münster on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the cooperation between Münster and Rishon LeZion and the 30th anniversary of the cooperation with Lublin.

• on September 6, the official exhibition opening "Bridge of Culture. Lublin - Münster. Feast of Friendship" was held in Litewski Square.

The exhibition was prepared in cooperation with the Association of Polish Artists and Designers - Lublin Chapter, the artistic organization pART96 e.V. Künstlergemeinschaft Münster and both partner cities. It was opened by Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of Lublin, and Krzysztof Stanowski, Head of International Cooperation Centre. There were also Wojciech Mendzelewski, President of ZPAP Lublin District and Krystyna Rudzka-Przychoda, curator of the exhibition. The opening ceremony was attended by the artists whose works were presented at the exhibition, representatives of Primary School No. 16, cooperating with the German partner city: Anna Sochal - Deputy School Headmistress, Katarzyna Dejnek - a German teacher and school students, as well as representatives of the Civic Association Lublin - Münster: Jolanta Szafrańska and Izabela Raba.

• on October 16, the exhibition "Bridge of Culture. Lublin - Münster. Feast of Friendship” was officially opened in Münster.

The vernissage was attended by representatives of the city authorities and the Society for Supporting Partnership of the Municipalities of Münster - Lublin. The exhibition was opened until November 12 on display in the Überwasserkirche church building.

• At the turn of November and December, Piotr Choduń, councillor of the Lublin City Council and Roman Jaborkhel, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Centre of the City Hall – Lublin representatives participated in the events organized by the Münster-Lublin City Partnership Support Society as part of the 30th anniversary of city partnership.

On November 30, exactly on the 30th anniversary of the partnership, an official ceremony was held in the Historical City Hall of Münster. The meeting was hosted by Michaela Hoeuer, the President of Society of many years now. The special occasion speech was delivered by Markus Löwe, Mayor of Munster and Piotr Choduń, Lublin City Councillor. They emphasized the role and strength of partnership based on civic cooperation and friendship between the inhabitants of both cities, actively conducted by both associations, as well as universities, schools, parishes and cultural institutions. The ceremony was also attended by: Anita Mikołajczak, vice-consul for economic and public diplomacy of General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Cologne, Witold Matwiejczyk, President of the Lublin Civic Association Lublin - Münster, Jolanta Szafrańska, Evangelical - Augsburg Parish in Lublin and the Civic Association Lublin – Münster and Zdzisław Cieszkowski, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Civic Association Lublin – Münster.

Finally yet importantly, jointly prepared film and the photo exhibition "My Favourite Place" will stand as a lasting reminder of the 30th anniversary of the partnership of cities. Both the film and the exhibition present the statements of people involved in the municipal international cooperation. The exhibition was inaugurated in a municipal library in Münster on December 1, at the initiative of the Münster-Lublin City Partnership Support Society. It was opened by Klaus Rosenau, Mayor of Münster and Piotr Choduń, Lublin City Councillor. A Polish-language version of the exhibition "My Favorite Place in Münster or Lublin" was prepared in Lublin. It is presented in the virtual space only but at the beginning of 2022 it will be present at the headquarters of the Lublin Municipal Public Library.

We cordially invite you to familiarize yourself with the film and an exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of Lublin and Münster's partnership.