Various municipalities or cities in Friesland have a friendly relationship with another municipality or city. With friendship in mind, cultural exchanges take place or economic support is given. Some friendship ties date back to the 1960s and other municipalities have recently signed a declaration of intent.
Friendship and exchange between municipalities
- Friend
- Twinning
- Friesland
- Ameland
- Het Bildt
- Dokkum
- Ferwerderadiel
- Franekeradeel
- Heerenveen
- Leeuwarden
- Opsterland
- Skarsterlân
- Smallingerland
- Sneek
- Weststellingwerf
Friend
A friendship with a city in another part of the world is established for various reasons. Three quarters of Dutch municipalities have such a bond of friendship. This may involve:
- cultural exchange;
- economic support;
- influence on a peace process.
Twinning
Entering into a city partnership is called twinning . Formalizing the bond is done by signing a declaration of intent. European subsidies are easier to access through twinning . The bond of friendship is a social agreement: the social aspect usually trumps the business aspect.
Friesland
In Friesland there are twelve municipalities that have or had an agreement with another municipality or city.
- Ameland with Fanø and Kleve;
- Het Bildt with Panavezys Rajones;
- Dokkum with Crediton and Fulda;
- Ferwerderadeel with Nowe Miasto;
- Franekeradeel with Sátoraljaújhely;
- Heerenveen with Rishon Le Zion and Baselga de Pinè;
- Leeuwarden with Liyang;
- Opsterland with Ra’anna and Beit Sahour;
- De Fryske Marren with Medias and Drolshagen;
- Smallingerland with Gobabis and Kyriat Ono;
- Sneek with Kurobe;
- Weststellingwerf with Choszczno.
Ameland
Since 2009, Ameland has had a friendship with the Danish Wadden Island Fanø, which became official on September 11, 2014 with the signing of an agreement. Ameland benefited greatly from the island because of the experiences of the Danish island in remaining an independent municipality. At the start of the friendship, both islands stated that joint activities in the fields of education, art and sustainability could result and that personnel could possibly be exchanged. Not much concrete has emerged from this in the period between 2009 and 2013. The German city of Kleve considers itself a friend of Ameland, because of the many years of youth camps organized from the German city on Ameland. Kleve offered a Friendship Bench in August 2012, which has since stood in front of the tourist office on Ameland. Ameland regularly travels to Kleve for the Night of Ameland, a cultural festival with Amelander musicians. On July 3, 2014, Ameland and Kleve confirmed their bond by signing a friendship agreement.
Het Bildt
Since 1998, Het Bildt has had a close relationship with Panevezys Rajonas, a Lithuanian municipality. The bond of friendship is expressed in cultural projects and projects in which they jointly use European subsidies. The bond was maintained because it would increase access to EU funds. The bond of friendship has now been broken.
Dokkum
Dokkum has a bond with two cities and the binding factor is Bonifatius. The saint was born in Crediton, England, murdered in Dokkum and buried in Fulda, Germany. Municipal administrators visit each other’s municipalities and there are sporting exchanges. There are also exchanges with musicians, choirs, entrepreneurs, students and religious groups. The band’s approach is mainly to recruit tourists.
Ferwerderadiel
Ferwerderadiel has had a bond with Nowe Miastro from Poland since 1993. Parts of the band included assistance with education, agriculture, tourism and the economy. It was help from the Frisian municipality to the Polish one. The city linking will end on July 1, 2013 because the Polish city can now manage itself very well.
Franekeradeel
Franekeradeel and Sátoraljaújhely have been friends in Hungary since 1991. The municipality has a City Link Association that organizes exchanges through a similar association in Hungary. There are school exchanges and internship exchanges. Professional groups also visit each other’s cities.
Heerenveen
Heerenveen has had a friendly relationship with Rishon Le Zion in Israel since 1993 and with Baselga de Pinè in Italy. Both cities have artificial ice rinks, just like Heerenveen. Skating clubs and students from the Frisian city are in contact with both cities from Israel and Italy.
Leeuwarden
The Frisian capital has had a city link with Liyang in China since 2011. The bond is mainly intended to promote trade relations. The cities have projects planned in the areas of water, energy, tourism, knowledge and education. Leeuwarden expects the city link to create jobs.
Opsterland
Opsterland has a triangular bond with Raanana in Israel and Beit Sahour in Palestine. The bond of friendship must contribute to the peace process in the Middle East.
Skarsterlân
This church has two friends abroad. Administratively it is friends with Medias in Romania. For example, the Frisian municipality helps the Romanian one with waste collection. It forms a community bond with the German Drolshagen.
Smallingerland
Smallingerland has a friendly relationship with Gobabis in Namibia to help the poorest there. A Smallingerland delegation regularly travels to Namibia to transfer knowledge. AIDS and help for street children are high on the agenda. Smallingerland brought a written-off garbage truck to Africa and helped build a retirement home.
Smallingerland has an old bond with Kyriat Ono in Israel, but that bond is no longer as vibrant in 2013 as the one with Gobabis.
Sneek
Since 1973, Sneek has had a sister bond with the Japanese Kurobe. The band originated from a branch of a Japanese zipper factory in Sneek.
Weststellingwerf
Weststellingwerf has been connected to Choszczno in Poland since 1992. An election observership in Poland resulted in a partnership between Weststellingwerf and Choszczno. The municipalities initially wanted to learn from each other. The band now expresses itself in cultural exchanges.
read more
- Friendship between Kleve and Ameland