Reims - France

On January 28, 1967 - on the occasion of St. Charles' Day - the city fathers of the time, Jean Taittinger and Hermann Heusch, signed the twinning agreement between Aachen and Reims.

This town twinning follows on from the meeting between Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and General de Gaulle in Reims on July 8, 1962, when the two statesmen sealed the Franco-German reconciliation. Even today, two plaques set into the ground in French and German in front of the main portal of Reims Cathedral commemorate this important event in Franco-German history.

There were indirect contacts between Aachen and Reims due to the many parallels between the two cities - coronation, episcopal and university cities. To some extent, the two cities also share a common history: the Frankish King Louis, son of Emperor Charles, for example, was crowned in Aachen and consecrated in Reims.

Since 1992, the Aachen-Reims twinning committee has kept this friendship alive and has set itself the task of promoting a deeper mutual understanding through cultural contributions and encounters with citizens of both cities.

The twinning committee connects the two cities

In addition to the official ties between the city of Aachen and the City of Reims, the Association for the Promotion of the Aachen-Reims Sister City Partnership (Verein zur Förderung der Städtepartnerschaft Aachen-Reims e.V.), founded at a meeting on May 18, 1992, and entered in the registry of associations on January 28, 1993, serves as an important link between the residents of both cities. The partnership committee offers a wide range of activities and supports initiatives to foster friendship between the two cities. The focus is on regular trips by residents of Aachen to Reims, as well as welcoming guests from Reims to Aachen for various occasions and events (such as the Aachen Street Carnival, the Charlemagne Prize Festival, or other city festivals).

The Partnership Committee is happy to support Aachen schools and associations in their exchange projects with partners from Reims. Please contact us: kontakt@aachen-reims.de

The twin city of Reims in view

Population: 190,000, university city (since 1971)
Location: 130 km north-east of Paris
Région: Grand-Est
Département: Marne
Association of municipalities: Communauté urbaine du Grand Reims with 143 municipalities (total population approx. 300,000)
Mayor: Arnaud Robinet (Les Républicains) (since 2014)
Sights: Cathedral, Saint-Remi Basilica, Palais du Tau (all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites), old town, surrounding area with vineyards
Major economic sectors: Champagne cellars (some very worth seeing) as well as supply industries, pharmaceutical, textile, automotive and aircraft industries, agricultural industry Aircraft, pharmaceutical, textile and agro-industry

Located around 130 km north-east of Paris, Reims has a long history dating back to Roman times and is now an expanding city and hub between the Ile-de-France, Germany and the Benelux countries. The most important industrial sectors are the food and beverage industry, including champagne production, as well as the pharmaceutical industry and suppliers to the automotive industry. Some sectors, such as the packaging industry, have their origins in champagne production, but are now much more diversified. New economic activities are emerging along new value chains for the use of agricultural resources. The research activities of the University of Reims, for example, are making a significant contribution here.

The cathedral, the Basilica of St. Remi, the Halles de Boulingrin (an art deco market hall) and the old town as well as the surrounding area with its vineyards of the Montagne de Reims are particularly worth seeing. The introduction of a tramway in 2011 and the redesign of the Promenades in particular have greatly improved the urban development of Reims city center.

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