The friendship between the region in the north of Israel and the district of Ludwigsburg has existed since 1983 and is the district's oldest partnership. The first document was signed in 1997, so the official partnership is now celebrating its 25th anniversary and was ceremoniously renewed. Regular pupil exchanges between schools in the district and their partner schools in the Upper Galilee revitalize the friendship. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier's inaugural visit was delayed by two years due to the pandemic. It was only at the third attempt that the delegation from the Ludwigsburg district was able to visit the Upper Galilee. The delegation included the chairmen of the district councils Rainer Gessler (FW), Manfred Hollenbach (CDU), Brigitte Muras (GRÜNE), Jürgen Kessing (SPD) and Andreas Frisch (LINKE), AWO Managing Director Alexandra Metzger and the Chairman of PKC Freudental, Mayor Albrecht Dautel,
The program covered a wide range of cultural, political and social aspects. In addition to a visit to the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem and a discussion at Eynot Yarden High School with Holocaust survivor David Ben Shalom, the highlights certainly included the ceremonial signing of the document renewing the partnership between the Ludwigsburg district and the Upper Galilee region. District Councillors Giora Salz and Dietmar Allgaier emphasized the importance of personal relations and exchange between the two regions.
In his speech, Dietmar Allgaier also addressed the current war and expressed his sympathy for the people in Ukraine. The fear of war spreading in Europe united the people from Germany and Israel, as did the friendship that contributes to peace. The signing of the new partnership agreement strengthens these friendships between the people and the relationships between the districts. "The exchange with the Upper Galilee is a matter close to my heart," emphasized Allgaier, who was delighted to be received "with open arms and hearts".
The other participants were also impressed by the more than 4,000 years of history, the coexistence of cultures and religions despite the constant risk of conflict, the warmth and hospitality that could be felt everywhere, the cultivation and beauty of the country and, last but not least, the joy at the victory of the home basketball team Hapoel
Galil Elion after falling well behind. District Councillor Jürgen Kessing summed up the experience of the visit, which was packed with a compact program, as follows: "We have by no means seen everything. We came as guests and left as friends."
