This is the website of the "Freundeskreis Höchstadt-Castlebar e.V.", which
coordinates the town twinning between Castlebar in Ireland and Höchstadt
in Germany.
History
How it began
In 1996, the city of Höchstadt began to look for a twin town
in an English-speaking country.
We wanted to improve the quality of life in our city with
cultural exchange, but also to give the pupils of our schools the
chance to have a twin town, where they can use and improve their English
and have connections with another EU member state.
The Major of Höchstadt, Mr Gerald Brehm, supported us very successfully, so that
we already had an information meeting the next year. People from
Höchstadt travelled to Castlebar in order to introduce ourselves and to
get to know the people there.
Where is Castlebar?
The city of Castlebar is located in the north-western part of the
Republic of Ireland, near the lovely landscape of Connemara, between
two big lakes. The sightseeings of Westport at Clew Bay and
Knock, a town that is well-known for its Marian apparation,
and its international airport, is located near to Castlebar.
As it is the capital of County Mayo, the city is not only administration
centre, shopping and school city, but also a favoured location for
industry and business.
The number of inhabitants has been increasing for the last ten years,
and now has reached the level of Höchstadt.
The people living in Castlebar are well-known for their hospitality.
Where is Höchstadt?
The city of Hoechstadt is located in the centre of Franconia in Germany,
between Erlangen, Nuremberg and Bamberg.
It is important for the area around as it has three secondary schools,
a Gymnasium, a Mittelschule and a Realschule.
Like Castlebar, Hoechstadt is also an important place for
Industry and business, and it has administration offices for the
district "Erlangen-Hoechstadt".
Cultural events are very important and that's why an old shoe factory
has been converted to an culture and event centre, called "Fortuna Kulturfabrik"
(see www.fortuna-kulturfabrik.de)
The area around, called the "Aischgrund" (meadows at the river "Aisch"),
is well-known for the carp ponds and the dishes made from carps.
The foundation of the "Freundeskreis Höchstadt-Castlebar e.V.
The "Freundeskreis Höchstadt-Castlebar e.V." was founded at St. Patrick's Day
1999 (17 March). The official twinning started at the 24 September 2000.
What we do
In Höchstadt, celebrating St. Patrick's Day has become already a tradition,
as well as our monthly English-speaking regulars' table.
We also have an very successful dance group performing traditional Irish dances called
"Irish Heartbeat" (see www.irish-heartbeat.de).