Dixon celebrates German Sister City partnership’s 25th anniversary

DIXON – The Dixon Sister Cities Association and 24 German delegates celebrated the 25th anniversary of the sister city charter with Herzberg/Elster, Germany, at the Dixon Elks Club on Thursday evening.

The celebration began with Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes reading a proclamation declaring the week of July 21 to July 27, 2024, as Herzberg/Elster Germany Sister City Week in the city of Dixon. Followed by several speeches, a buffet-style dinner and live music by Acoustic Circus, Dixon Sister Cities Association President Steve Caudillo used the term “framily” – a combination of friends and family – to describe the bonds formed between the citizens of Dixon and Herzberg.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 6

Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes (right) presents Herzberg/Elster Burgermeister Karsten Eule-Pruze with a T-shirt Thursday, July 25, 2024, at the Sister Cities anniversary dinner. (Alex T. Paschal)

Herzberg is located in the state of Brandenburg in Germany. The sister city relationship was formalized in Dixon on April 4, 1999, by Herzberg Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk and Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets. Burgermeister is a German term that translates to “master of the citizens.”

Twenty-five German delegates were scheduled to arrive in Dixon on Friday, July 19. Because of a global technology outage, flights were delayed for 14 of the delegates. The first 11 delegates arrived as scheduled, followed by the remaining 14 on Tuesday, July 23. One delegate, Regina Kliesch, was unable to attend because of health reasons, Caudillo said.

The outage became a point of laughter at the dinner Thursday. Who knew a Microsoft update could cause so much trouble, Caudillo said.

In an interview with Shaw Local, Caudillo said they’ve been making the best of the short amount of time they have together. It’s been full of “communication, laughter and tears,” he said.

Until their departure Sunday, July 28, the delegates are living with host families in Dixon and have spent their days touring popular local landmarks, including the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, the Dixon Park District and more, Caudillo said.

The 10 host families all are members of the Dixon Sister Cities Association and were asked to host by the association’s German Committee. The committee selected those who they thought would be a good fit. They considered factors such as similar interests and occupations between the families and the delegates, Caudillo said.

Debbie Nagy, a member of Discover Dixon’s beautification committee, and Hughes hosted Karin Jage and Frank Zinnow. Nagy said that it “was so much fun getting to know new people.”

Jage and Zinnow met during Herzberg’s first sister cities visit to Dixon in 1999. The pair got married in 2004, Nagy said.

Caudillo hosted Ines, Eric and Til Tromplet. Having been friends with the family for a long time, Caudillo has seen the boys grow from small children into young adults, he said.

During their trip, Caudillo made a traditional American breakfast one morning, and the Tromplets made a traditional German breakfast another morning, Caudillo said.

Two years from now, delegates from Dixon will go to Herzberg, stay with host families and experience their culture, Caudillo told Shaw Local.

At the anniversary dinner Thursday, Herzberg Burgermeister Karsten Eule-Pruze described his first time talking to a Dixon resident as “interesting, funny and exciting.”

Eule-Pruze gave Hughes and Caudillo each a “Dixon Drive” road sign, which are replicas of the sign that marks Dixon Drive in downtown Herzberg.

Up next to speak was Deputy Consul General Gabriela Bennemann of the German Consulate General in Chicago. She acknowledged the fear that can come with a sister city partnership. As a German native, she described how nervous she was during her first visit to a small town in England as a teenager.

She pointed out that the light switches were “weird” because they switched up and down, which was different than the ones she was used to at home, and they had roast beef for dinner, which she’d never heard of before, Bennemann said.

After dinner, she was given a tour of the host family’s house. Bennemann looked inside their daughter’s room and saw that the girl had the same posters on her wall that she had at home, Bennemann said.

Bennemann has stayed in contact with that family for decades, she said.

Dixon is a member of Sister Cities International, which was created by former President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 to increase global cooperation at the municipal level while promoting cultural understanding and stimulating economic growth, according to the Sister Cities International website.

“For better or worse [the idea behind sister cities] is every bit as relevant today as it was when it started,” Hughes said Thursday.

It’s not just about tourism, he said. It’s about learning from each other and building friendships.