Town twinning
The Leidschendam-Voorburg municipality maintains contacts with three other towns abroad. These twin towns are Hranice in the Czech Republic, Konstancin-Jeziorna in Poland and Temecula in the United States. The contacts arose at the beginning of the nineties.
All subjects related to maintaining the ties with these three different towns are accommodated in the Town Twinning Foundation in Leidschendam-Voorburg. Since Leidschendam and Voorburg came together, the foundation consists of three working groups, named after the town with which they are involved.
The creation of town twinning
Once the political changes had occurred in the eighties in Eastern and Central Europe it was important for European unity to substantiate and accelerate democratisation processes. The European Commission encouraged the development of support programmes for the cities in this part of Europe amongst others.
In this framework the first contacts were created between what were then Leidschendam and Voorburg and the towns in the Czech Republic and Poland. Voorburg's contact with the Czech town Hranice dates from 1990. Since 1991 Leidschendam has maintained ties with Konstancin-Jeziorna.
Town twinning between Voorburg and Temecula in America developed from 1993 onwards, but was of course started from a different ideology to that of the two European cities. Several years ago the Association of Dutch Municipalities started implementation of an international collaboration programme on the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among other things this was founded to collaborate more at local and regional level in different fields with ten Eastern European countries, which are pursuing admission to the European Union (EU). The ten so-called admission countries are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia.
The programme that was set up is called Municipal Collaboration with Admission Countries (MCAC). Secondments, work placements and training courses must contribute to local and regional administrations in the countries operating/starting to operate 'at a European level'. Under certain conditions MCAC pays for local and regional authority initiatives in the Netherlands.
Approximately 250 Dutch municipalities, provinces, and also district water boards and utility companies are currently maintaining a tie with a town in Eastern and Central Europe. The contacts of Leidschendam-Voorburg with the towns in the Czech Republic and Poland developed over the last twelve years from a quite unequal aid phase to an equal and adult collaborative relationship.
In the Leidschendam-Voorburg municipality two squares and a path have already been named after the three sister towns. The Konstancin-Jeziornapad, next to city hall in Leidschendam, the Temeculaplein in the Sijtwendetracé at the Mgr. Van Steelaan/Heuvelweg crossroads and the Hraniceplein in het Sijtwendetracé at the Prins Berhardlaan/Noordsingel crossroads.
More information
For more information about the work of the three working groups you can contact:
Hranice City Twinning Working Group
Mr. F. van Veen (chairman)
Gouverneurkade 136
2274 KN VOORBURG
tel: +31 - 70 - 386 38 73
e-mail: fc.van.veen@hccnet.nl
w: http://home.wanadoo.nl/ar.vandeholst
Konstancin-Jeziorna Town Twinning Working Group
Mr. J.A.Th. Kunst (chairman and secretary.)
Koningin Wilhelminalaan 25
2264 BL LEIDSCHENDAM
tel: +31 - 70 - 327 09 33
e-mail: johan.kunst@planet.nl
Temecula City Twinning Working Group
Mrs. M.N.A. Rookmaaker (chairman)
Park Vronesteyn 29
2271 HP VOORBURG
tel: +31 - 70 - 387 08 77
e-mail: rookmaakervoorburg@hetnet.nl
Temecula City Twinning Working Group
Mr. A.W.J. Wapenaar (secretary)
Hadrianusstraat 12
2275 VE VOORBURG
tel : +31 - 70 - 395 06 98
e-mail: arjen@wapenaar.info
Leidschendam-Voorburg municipality
Mr. P.C.J. Bekkering
tel: +31 - 70 - 300 91 05
e-mail: pcj.bekkering@leidschendam-voorburg.nl