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BÜRGERMEISTERS
ADDRESS:
Dear
Herr Goddard, Herr Callaghan and members of the
committee, Ladies and Gentlemen.
May
I wish you all heartfelt thanks for your invitation to
this Jubilee Meeting. With this invitation I bring the
very best greetings of the Town Council and people of
Stadt Konigslutter.
It
is really great that this partnership has existed since
1951 when Camp Langeleben was opened and the friendship
up to present time still exists for all all to see.
For
more than 40 years from 1951 up to 1992 Camp Langeleben
later called Anderson Barracks were neighbours with
Stadt Königslutter am Elm, and later when the camp
closed, the former British Soldiers often returned to
visit us. In 2009 the council from the Rathaus agreed
for you to erect a memorial stone. This memorial stone
reminds of the close ties that exists with former
british soldiers and the people of Königslutter,
These
strong ties have been continued by the affection of the
Langeleben Reunion Branch since 1993. This strong
tradition has continued over the last 20 years, and we
trust that this tradition will continue for many years
to come.
Many
friendships have been tied between the people of Britain
and Germany, formed with visits to the town brewery and
the visit of Gordon Banks in 2011 more than 50 years
since he was stationed here and played played football
for Victoria Konigslutter football team. For more than
60 years marking this friendship between the British
Soldiers and the people of Konigslutter.
In
these days when there is so much conflict in the world
for all to see, here in Germany we have been blessed
with peace. The memorial stone in Langeleben has these
words engraved on it:
We
came as youths in an uncertain world, and left older and
wiser in peace and friendship in a world full of hope.
Let
us hope that in this world if we all work together, and
the world does the same. Our friendship and the ties
between us is a good model for all to copy.
Most
of all my deepest thanks to you all for the further ties
since the 2009 when you marked our friendship with the
memorial stone at Langeleben.
Finally
I wish you all a lovely break here in Konigslutter, and
please come and visit us again in the future.
Alexander
Hoppe
Bürgermeister
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