Eschbach emphasized the special significance of the student exchange for the district, as such encounters strengthen friendships and at the same time open up new opportunities for the future. A total of 16 pupils and two teachers are taking part in this year's exchange.
More than three decades of school partnership
The school partnership between the two institutions has existed for more than three decades. Initial contacts were established in 1990 and exchanges between the schools have been taking place regularly since 1994. One visible sign of this long-standing connection was a tree-planting campaign at the Carl Schaefer School in April 2015 to mark 25 years of school friendship with Hungary.
The pupils from Budapest attend a technical secondary school within the Corvin Mátyás Gymnasium. Young people in grades 9 to 11 who have made particular progress in learning German can take part in the exchange.
The principal of the Carl Schaefer School, Andrea Theile-Stadelmann, also emphasized the importance of the long-standing partnership: "It cannot be overestimated that this school partnership, which began over 36 years ago, has grown into a bond of genuine, living friendship over the years. So many pupils have been able to discover a lot in common through getting to know each other personally, despite their differences. For me, this expresses the European idea, which is more important than ever given the current world situation."
Exchange program with lessons and excursions
The visit to the district administration office was one of the items on the program during the exchange week. In addition to a welcome from the district administrator, the program included a group photo and an entry in the district's guest book. Afterwards, the guests were given an insight into the district through a short information film and rounded off the visit with lunch together in the canteen.
