In Zittau, Germany, the heads of the Neisse-Nisa-Nysa Euroregion – Berndt Lange, Piotr Roman and Martin Puta – spoke with the President of Germany about cooperation at the tripoint of the borders. The topics discussed concerned joint projects and activities in areas including transport, the economy, culture, sport and education between the German, Czech and Polish parts of the Neisse-Nisa-Nysa Euroregion.
President Joachim Gauck showed great interest in cross-border cooperation between local communities and local governments, paying particular attention to local responsibility and the involvement of local communities. During the visit, specific examples of completed cross-border projects were presented. Representatives of local governments from Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, as well as non-governmental organisations, also had the opportunity to present plans for future projects. In Zittau, the meeting participants visited the Church of the Holy Cross and learned about the history of the Great Lenten Cloth, created in 1672 and displayed again in Zittau since 1999.
The stay in the Euroregion ended with a visit to Görlitz. In the afternoon, President Gauck and Daniela Schadt, the First Lady of Germany, met with representatives of local governments, politicians and representatives of social organisations. In the hall of Augustum-Annen-Gymnasium, the presidential couple was welcomed by the school community with a short musical performance. It was also an opportunity for individual conversations and discussions of issues including demographics, defining European identity and overcoming language barriers.
The meeting in Görlitz also featured a distinctly Bolesławiec touch. The President of Bolesławiec, Piotr Roman, presented the presidential couple with a ceramic vase, which elicited undisguised delight. “I know Bolesławiec pottery. Bolesławiec pottery is very well known, but I have never seen one like this before. It will be a special reminder of a special day,” said Daniela Schadt, the First Lady of Germany.
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