Twin City: Gradačac

View of the city Gradačac

The partnership has officially existed since the signing of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian version of the partnership documents by Düren's Mayor Paul Larue and his counterpart Ferhat Mustafić on August 16th, 2001 in Gradačac. The signing of the German documents occurred on the 23rd of February 2002 in Düren. It is the second official partnership of two cities from Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina - the first that has been made after the Bosnian civil war.

Düren and Gradačac have similarities that connect each other!

Both cities had been seriously destroyed by a horrible war. They also took in refugees without any kind of commitment, supported them and offered them a temporary home. During the visits of Bosnian-Herzegovinian refugees and Düren's citizens in the years 1992 through 1998, many contacts were established, which have been continued even after they returned to their home country in September 1998. There is a good chemistry between the citizens of both countries. Effort, vitality, cheerfulness, hospitality, and frankness are equally strong on both sides. The return of 220 refugees happened in a colony established by the City of Düren for this purpose in Gradačac. This colony is an official part of Gradačac with the name "Düren".

The picture shows a street sign in Gradačac with the distance to the City of Düren (1,431 km).

Despite the large distance, the contacts between the citizens of both towns are very intense. Every year, the cities present themselves to the citizens of the counterpart with information and specialties on the occasion of festivities- the Stadtfest (festivity) in Düren and the "Pflaumenmesse" (Plum fair) in Gradačac.

In a lot of areas, a close cooperation has begun. Both administrations cooperate and 3 exchange programs for schools already exist. In the areas of sports, culture, work with disabled persons, firefighters, medical supply, and churches, there exists promising contacts. There are also efforts to support the reconstruction of the infrastructure in Gradačac with the help and advice of companies in Düren. First contacts in the economic sector are being established as well.

The association "Dürener Freundeskreis fur Gradačac und Bosnien e.V.", founded in October 1999, has been a motor for the partnership. It is as well a link to the administration and distinguishes itself with the assembly and development of new partnerships.
 
To this day, the members of the association carry out auxiliary feeding systems to Gradačac twice a year to support elderly, sick, and also to provide schools, churches, and centers for the disabled with helpful tools and features. To maintain the partnership and the human relations, other tours to Gradačac have been organized as well. The tours and transport are also used to take representatives of Düren's schools, clubs, public facilities and many others to Gradačac to introduce and intensify partnerships.

www.gradacac.ba