Press releases

A delegation from Cape Town, led by Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, has now paid a three-day visit to Aachen. The visit served to strengthen the long-standing relationship between Aachen and Cape Town, whose partnership will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year.

In numerous constructive discussions with representatives of the Aachen-Kapstadt Association, the business community and local companies, future opportunities for cooperation in the areas of education, sustainability and business were discussed. The focus was on exchanging ideas and strategies in order to further intensify cooperation in these key areas.

At the official reception hosted by Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen, the focus was on topics such as urban development and climate protection. Aachen's "100 climate-neutral cities" project, which is supported by a comprehensive climate city agreement and can serve as a model for similar initiatives in Cape Town, aroused particular interest. After a short tour of the city, the delegation also visited the Heinrich Heine Comprehensive School, which has been in close partnership with the Soneike School in Cape Town for many years.

In the years of its existence, the city partnership with Cape Town has established itself as a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas. The collaboration is to be further strengthened in the coming years in order to jointly implement projects that benefit people in both Aachen and Cape Town.

The partnership was established in 1998 as part of the Agenda 21 process, when initial contacts were made with the Khayelitsha Education Resource and Information Center (KERIC) in Cape Town. On June 28, 2000, a "Memorandum of Understanding" was signed in Aachen by Welthaus, KERIC, the City of Aachen and the former city of Tygerberg, of which Khayelitsha was a district.