A pair of international trips is helping Mayor Dave Cieslewicz rack up the frequent flyer miles this year. He traveled to Hokkaido back in January for a week-long exchange visit to Obihiro, one of Madison's official sister cities, taking in the dairy farms, winter sports and Ban'ei horse sled races of the Japanese community. Now with the start of summer, the mayor is spending a week in southern Germany on a weeklong exchange visit to another municipal sister: Freiburg.
The connection between Madison and Freiburg is long and extensive. The University of Freiburg has been a primary destination since the '60s for UW students looking to study abroad in Germany, an educational exchange that continues on an annual basis. This relationship deepened in the mid '80s with a pair of mayoral exchanges between the two cities, culminating with a formal agreement and another pair of visits in 1988. Ultimately, this led to a formal set of criteria for Madison's Sister Cities, which have since grown to nine in number. This visit to Freiburg is scheduled to mark the twentieth anniversary of the sister relationship.
Arriving in the Black Forest city on Monday afternoon, the mayor has a busy itinerary through the week. Guided tours, formal dinners, and meetings fill up each day, including visits to a sustainable neighborhood built on a former French occupation military base, solar energy and biogas programs, the central farmers' market, and other green programs for which the nine-hundred-year-old city is renowned. More information about the exchange and broader programs between Madison and Freiburg is detailed by both the and MAYOR CIESLEWICZ WEEKLY SCHEDULE Monday, June 9, 2008 During the day Travel to Europe for sister city visit -- Freiburg, Germany Tuesday, June 10, 2008 During the day Explore Freiburg, Germany Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:00 a.m. Guided tour through the city district Vauban Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:00 a.m. Departing by tram to the public transport services and lecture on public transport in Freiburg Friday, June 13, 2008 10:00 a.m. Visit of a Biogas Digester at a farm in Oberried "Steierbartllehof" Saturday, June 14, 2008 During the day Possibilities for visiting:
4:54 p.m. Arrive in Freiburg
4:00 p.m. Guided City Tour
7:00 p.m. Welcome-Apéro and dinner at the restaurant Roten Bären in attendance of first Mayor Otto Neideck
11:30 a.m. Meeting with architect Rolf Disch and visit of the Solarsiedlung and Heliothrop
12:30 p.m. Lunch at the Solarcasino/Solar-Info-Center
1:30 p.m. Tour and lecture at the Solar-Info-Center
3:00 p.m. Visit of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy
4:30 p.m. Return to the hotel Roten Bären
7:00 p.m. Vernissage photo exhibition Brent Nicastro in the Schwarzwalk-City
8:30 p.m. Welcome party for all participants of the sister cities meeting and the Madison delegation (BBQ at the City Hall garden)
12:00 p.m. Lunch at the restaurant Markgräfler Hof
1:45 p.m. Lecture by Mr. Schröder-Klings, Building Authorities Director, on "Sustainable City Planning" in the City Hall (Aula)
3:30 p.m. Program by the Citizens' Club Vauban (Mr. Erich Lutz)
6:00 p.m. Vernissage quilt exhibition at Carl-Schurz-Haus
7:30 p.m. Dinner at the restaurant Greiffenegg-schlössle invited by the Freiburg-Madison Association
12:30 p.m. Lunch at the restaurant Halde on top of the mountain Schauinsland
3:00 p.m. Opening ceremony for the sister cities meeting at the Rathausplatz together with Lord Mayor Dr. Salomon and Consul General Jo Ellen Powell
4:00 p.m. Official reception with Lord Mayor Dr. Salomon at the Gerichtslaube of the City Hall to celebrate the 20 years partnership's anniversary Madison-Freiburg
7:30 p.m. Departing with Lord Mayor Dr. Salomon for the celebration act "1000 Jahre Zähringen"
Afterwards Excursion to Titisee or Schauinsland (possibly back by bicycle; organized by Freiburg-Madison association)
8:00 p.m. Concert of the Young Music School Freiburg at the "Historisches Kaufhaus"/Münsterplatz (conductor from Nova Friburgo/Brasilia) in attendance of Ass. Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach
Saturday, June 15, 2008 - Monday, June 23, 2008
Vacation
