Suwon

Last Monday, Red Baron followed an invitation from Freiburg's mayor Martin Horn to a reception with the newly elected mayor Jae-Joon Lee from our partner city Suwon. During the reception, I found out that I was invited as the representative of the Freiburg-Madison-Gesellschaft, so I am bound to report on this meeting to my friends in Madison.

Lee came from France and made his inaugural call to Freiburg during a flying visit. After having officially sealed a new city partnership between Tours and Suwon, he used the direct TGV connection Bordeaux-Freiburg. Our city made every effort to give Mayor Lee a warm welcome.

Greeting the guest,

sightseeing,

and working

Here are some pictures from Lee's visit that I found on Horn's Facebook site. He is a master of social media. When Martin was elected five years ago, he used this weapon deliberately and won over young voters in particular. Dieter Salomon, who was up for re-election, lost out.

Pointing to Suwon's street sign: Freiburg's Mayor for Finances Stefan Breiter,
Suwon's Lord Mayor Jae-Joon Lee, SC Freiburg's soccer Player Woo-Yeong Jeong,
 and Freiburg's Lord Mayor Martin Horn (©BZ).

While visiting the new Freiburg soccer stadium, Lee also met Korean international Woo-Yeong Jeong, who plays for SC Freiburg. This gave Lee the idea of organizing a friendly match between the Sportclub Freiburg and FC Suwon - after all, both clubs are currently in fifth place in their respective first divisions.

As a welcome, a Youth choir sang a Volkslied and Rapp.

The lady to the left translated Horn's welcome address.

Freiburg's gift

One of Suwon's presents, the Zähringer? eagle

At the reception in the city's old council hall on Monday, Lee, who holds a doctorate in environmental engineering, said that the philosophy of the two cities is the same, "Freiburg is an eco-city - and that's where I would like to take Suwon. Ecologically and humanely, Freiburg is a great role model."

Solar panel-covered bike path near Freiburg's fairgrounds (©BZ)

It's almost uncomfortable to hear so much praise," Horn said with a grin. If Lee wants to learn from Freiburg, Freiburg has already learned from Suwon, Horn said, pointing to the bicycle path covered with solar panels that Freiburgers saw in Suwon and immediately copied. It is the first one in Europe.,

Horn emphasized the importance of the partnership: "It is the youngest, but one of our most intensive. In two years, on the occasion of the then 10th anniversary of the partnership, we mayors want to swap our posts for one day."

View of the town hall square from the balcony of the City hall.
From left St Martin's church, the tent of the environmental protesters,
the Ukrainian flag, and the monument for Bertold Schwarz,
the alleged inventor of gunpowder.

Red Baron had the occasion to step on the city hall balcony where in the summer of 1909, Grand Duke Frederick II stood on the left wearing a spiked helmet. Next to him is his wife, Hilda, and Lord Mayor Otto Winterer.

Click to enlarge

*