Anniversary of the town twinning between Konz-Könen and Charny, France

On Pentecost, June 5-7, 2025, the Konz-Könen district welcomed a large crowd of visitors from Charny to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the partnership. The music club, choir, and table tennis players, who actively participated in the program, as well as members of the partnership committee and long-standing citizens, attended.

The anniversary began with the ceremony on Saturday in the sports and multi-purpose hall in Könen, which featured musical accompaniment by the music clubs from Könen and Charny, as well as the "Croqu'note" choir. Following the welcome and address by Mayor Erhard Holbach, there were speeches by the Mayor of Charny, Elodie Ménard, the First Deputy Mayor of the City of Konz, Bernhard Marx, and the Chair of the Comité de Twinning, Patricia Mery, who also provided translations. The reconciliation of Germans and French as a historic achievement and the importance of cross-border partnerships, especially in today's world, were emphasized in all the addresses. Looking ahead, everyone should continue to strive for a new beginning, to reach out to young people in particular, and to send a Franco-German signal of deep friendship and solidarity.

This was included as a promise in the solemnly signed anniversary certificate.

The regional representative of the Rhineland-Palatinate partnership association, Franz-Rudolf Schlöder, presented the certificates of honor for the district of Konz-Könen and the municipality of Charny Orée de Puisaye on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the partnership.

For his outstanding services in promoting the partnership, he presented the long-standing chairman of the Könen Partnership Committee, Peter Wincheringer, with the Gold Medal of Honor, the highest award available.

On behalf of the city of Konz and the Könen district, 23 families received a certificate of appreciation and a small gift for their exceptional, long-standing commitment to promoting the partnership and their constant willingness to host guests. At the end of the evening, Könen magician Florian Herz captivated the audience with his magic tricks.

Sunday began with a commemorative wine and a shared lunch, followed by a tour of the historic bell foundry and the town of Saarburg. The guests spent the evening with their families.

Following Holy Mass on Whit Monday, which was co-led by the Könen Church Choir, a wreath-laying ceremony took place at the memorial in remembrance of the victims of the wars of both nations, with musical accompaniment from the two music societies and members of the fire departments from Könen and Charny. After a shared lunch, the guests departed for home, not before expressing their gratitude for the successful celebration and the warm welcome.