Twin Cities
Brzeg Dolny - Barsinghasen

Brzeg Dolny is a city and municipality with a population of over 10,000. Located on the right bank of the Oder, 31 km northeast of Wrocław, it is a natural continuation of the city's urban and industrial areas. Brzeg Dolny is viewed by both its inhabitants and visitors as a dynamic town. The former consider it a district of Wrocław not only because of its proximity. Investments in Brzeg Dolny, particularly those after the 1997 flooding, have led to the reconstruction of the flooded areas as well as to their improvement and adaptation to present-day requirements. In 1996 and 1999, Brzeg Dolny was nominated for the Dolnośląski Klucz Sukcesu award as the best organised urban and rural municipality. To confirm this opinion, in 1999, the Institute for Research on Market Economy named Brzeg Dolny an extremely attractive investment area. Brzeg Dolny is therefore one of Lower Silesia's noteworthy municipalities.
 Several large industrial companies are located in the area, including the largest among them, the Zakłady Chemiczne "Rokita" S.A. chemical works. Since the 1950ťs the company has been an economic centre around which the whole city developed. It invested in Brzeg's housing facilities and infrastructure. Brzeg has also accommodated many foreign investors including producers of technical gas, polyurethane foam and electricity meters. Over 700 businesses operate within the relatively small municipality. The city board's development plans give preference to those investors who wish to cooperate with Rokita. Ventures aimed at improving the town's social and living conditions come a close second. These include the development of roads, a new road bridge over the Oder and the territorial development of rural areas.

 For a number of years, Brzeg Dolny looked for a Western European twin city, a city of similar size and social and economic structure. The partner was found in Barsinghausen, Lower Saxony. Cooperation between the cities began a few years ago with a student exchange between two secondary schools, the KGS Goetheschule in Barsinghausen and the Liceum Ogólnkształcące in Brzeg Dolny. On October, 28 1999, both schools signed a partnership agreement defining terms of cooperation and student exchanges. However, cooperation between the schools of Brzeg Dolny and Lower Saxony began much earlier. In October 1993, Brzeg Dolny hosted a conference for heads of Lower Silesian and Lower Saxon schools. It was then that the first contacts were established.

For two years, both parties worked on formulating the basis for and forms of contact. Various institutions, including the Foundation for Cooperation between Polish and German Youth in Warsaw and Potsdam, supported them. This resulted in an agreement and a programme for exchanges, and in 1995 children from Primary School no. 5 in Brzeg visited the German Hapuptschule-Mellendorf in Wedemark. During their weeklong stay they learned about German history and culture, visited various sights, participated in lessons and sports events and studied German. Staying with German families was an important element of their visit. Later, German children visited Brzeg Dolny, and further exchanges have taken place. Both schools have signed a partnership agreement.
 Many other schools from the area cooperate with schools across Europe, schools in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Romania and Lithuania. Many teachers, parents and students supported by local authorities are involved in organising the exchanges.
 In 1998, the City Council of Brzeg appointed Josef Michael Samola honorary citizen of Brzeg Dolny.  Josef Michael Samola, who is the Head of KGS Goetheschule in Barsinghausen and Chairman of the Association of Lower Saxon School Heads, known for his commitment towards the reconciliation of European youth.
 As a result of this excellent cooperation, the Mayor of Barsinghausen Klaus D. Richter, Josef Michael Samola, and the authorities of Brzeg have decided to expand their hitherto cooperation between schools to other areas, such as business and art. A partnership agreement between both cities will be signed in June 2001. .