Saint-Avold, double twinning

History of the Saint-Avold/Fayetteville/Dudweiler twinnings

Fayetteville:

The history of the twinning between Saint-Avold and Fayetteville, North Carolina, is marked by the personality of Martha J. Duell (1924-2015). Originally from Alsace, she settled in Fayetteville in 1948 after marrying an American officer. Throughout her life, she was actively involved in charitable and cultural activities, with the aim of strengthening ties between her native and adopted countries.

Founder of the Lafayette Society in 1981, she worked closely with the Association France-États-Unis de Saint-Avold to bring the two towns closer together. Thanks to her commitment, the twinning was officially sealed on September 10, 1994, during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Saint-Avold. The charter was signed in the presence of Gérard Longuet, then Minister of Industry, Post and Telecommunications, Martha J. Duell representing Fayetteville, and Saint-Avold mayor François Harter (1930-2022).

Since then, numerous cultural, educational and commemorative exchanges have nurtured this special relationship, symbolized by statues of the Marquis de La Fayette erected in both towns. Over the years, several municipal delegations from Saint-Avold have visited Fayetteville, notably in 2009, 2010 and 2013. In 2010, Fayetteville's mayor, Anthony Chavonne, also visited the Naborian town to attend Memorial Day ceremonies at the American military cemetery.

More recently, in 2023, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the twinning, the mayor of Saint-Avold, René Steiner, was received in Fayetteville by his counterpart Mitch Colvin. During this visit, a "St. Avold Avenue" was inaugurated, echoing the "Avenue de Fayetteville" created in 1994 in Saint-Avold.

This twinning embodies a loyal and lively friendship, nurtured by joint projects, regular meetings and a shared desire to honor our collective memory.

Dudweiler:

The twinning between the Saarland town of Dudweiler and Saint-Avold has its origins in the spirit of reconciliation conveyed by the Élysée Treaty, signed in 1963 by French President Charles de Gaulle and German President Konrad Adenauer.

The initiative of Denis Klein, mayor of Saint-Avold, and Hermann Mühlenberg, mayor of Dudweiler, was formalized on June 28, 1964 with the inauguration of the Robert Schuman traffic circle, symbolically marking the beginning of a lasting Franco-German friendship, perfectly illustrated by its motto: "Enemies yesterday, comrades today, friends tomorrow!

On January 14, 1989, a grand Franco-German gala was organized at the Centre d'Action Culturel in Saint-Avold to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the twinning, in the presence of François Harter, then mayor of Saint-Avold, and Heinz Schmidt, mayor of Dudweiler.

On May 16, 2004, to mark the 40th anniversary, the twinning charter was solemnly renewed by André Wojciechowski, Mayor of Saint-Avold, and Heinz Schmidt. On the same day, a commemorative monument, created by Urschel the craftsman, was inaugurated at the rond-point de l'Europe. On it, two flames, one German and one French, symbolize the light of peace in a united Europe, with a handshake, recalling the solid friendship between the two peoples and cities.