Regional co-operations
The Free State of Saxony maintains a number of connections with nations all over the world. Its closest co-operation is with its direct neighbours: the Czech Republic, particularly the North Bohemian districts of Liberec, Usti nad Labem and Karlovy Vary, as well as Poland, and particularly the Voivodeships of Lower Silesia and Lubusz.
Projects conducted as part of these regional co-operations include university outreach, trade missions, concerts and exhibitions, student exchanges, and experience exchanges between state and municipal authorities in the most diverse of regions.
Partnerships with neighbouring regions (Poland / Czech Republic)
The regional partnerships are managed by bilateral work groups (Saxon-Czech work group and Saxon-Lower Silesian work group, Saxony-Lubusz work group), and co-ordinated at the Saxon end by the Saxon State Chancellery.
Poland
© Fabianodp / Fotolia
Poland's and Saxony's shared history dates back many centuries. During the regency of Frederick Augustus I (Augustus the Strong) from 1694 to 1733 and Frederick Augustus II from 1733 to 1763, who governed electors of Saxony and kings of Poland alike, were indeed both connected in a joint national structure as part of the Saxon-Polish Union.
The present-day co-operations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland are founded on the treaty of 17 June 1991 on good neighbourliness, friendship and co-operation. And it is on this basis that the Free State of Saxony has signed co-operative agreements with two Polish voivodeships in the form of Lower Silesia and Lubusz.
The Lower Silesia Voivodeship shares a 110-km border with Saxony in the form of the Lusatian Neisse River, with Saxony on the western side and the Lower Silesia Voivodeship on the eastern side. It is a region characterised by diverse natural landscapes, numerous palaces and castles, large cities, picturesque towns and recreation areas. A place where history and tradition fuse with modernity and economic revival.
Lower Silesia is one of Poland's 16 voivodeships, and covers the south-western corner of the country. It borders Germany in the west and the Czech Republic in the south. The capital, Wrocław, with its over-1000-year-old history, is the political, financial and cultural centre of the voivodeship.
In a bid to intensify co-operations with the Lower Silesia Voivodeship, the Free State of Saxony signed 'Joint Declarations' on co-operation with the Marshal's Office on 17 September 1999 and with the Voivodeship Office on 2 May 2000. Since then, representatives from Saxony's ministries have been regularly meeting with their colleagues from the Marshal's Office and Voivodeship Office as part of a work group, where information and experiences are shared, problems addressed, solutions sought and joint projects developed.
The Lubusz Voivodeship is located to the north of Lower Silesia and shares a 13-km border with the Free State of Saxony. It is a major transport hub, while also offering charming cultural attractions and an attractive local recreational region with its many lakes. Poland's only winegrowing region is found near Zielona Góra,
the capital and headquarters of the voivodeship's Marshal's Office. The old winegrowing city boasts an enchanting old town and a number of interesting cultural establishments. The Voivodeship Office is situated in the second largest city, Gorzów Wlkp.
The Free State of Saxony has been working closely with the voivodeship as a result of 'Joint Declarations' dated 12 November 2002 and 19 November 2008. The co-operation at the Fürst Pückler Park in Bad Muskau, the only binational German-Polish UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, has achieved nationwide acclaim.
The Oder Partnership is an informal interregional network which has seen four of Germany's eastern states and four of Poland's western voivodeships work together on projects under the motto of 'Breaking down barriers - the Oder as a means of connection' since 2006. Participating partners of the Oder Partnership are the German federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony, and western Poland's voivodeships of Greater Poland, West Pomerania, Lower Silesia and Lubusz Land. The aim of the transnational initiative is to further the regions' political, economic, scientific, cultural and infrastructural ties.
The website of the Oder Partnership provides information on the partnership's flagship projects in the fields of transport, tourism and the economy. You can also stay up to date through latest news and events information, as well as the initiative's newsletter on the latest developments in transnational co-operations.
Czech Republic
© luzitanija / Fotolia
The Czech Republic and Saxony share an eventful history. Saxony began achieving wealth and prestige in the 12th century, particularly through silver mining, which expedited the settlement of Saxony and the Czech section of the Ore Mountains, known as Bohemia. In the early 17th century, Saxony then became a refuge for a number of Bohemians who were fleeing recatholicisation by the emperor at the time.
The Free State of Saxony and the Czech Republic today share a 454-km-long border and a very close partnership in many areas. Saxony also maintains co-operations with the neighbouring North Bohemian districts of Liberec, Usti nad Labem and Karlovy Vary.
The interregional partnership began in 1992 with the signing of a 'Joint Declaration' on co-operation. The Saxon-Czech work group, comprising representatives from Saxon and Czech ministries, and presided over by the Saxon State Chancellery and Czech Foreign Office, has been convening since 1993 in a bid to co-ordinate the co-operation. In that time, it has carried out a number of joint projects.
The co-operation with the district of Karlovy Vary was established through a 'Joint Declaration' on 23 May 2002.
The Karlovy Vary region is the westernmost region of the Czech Republic, and the country's second smallest after Liberec. It comprises three districts – Cheb, Karlovy Vary and Sokolov. Karlovy Vary, the largest municipality, is the headquarters of the regional administration.
Its mineral-water springs have meant the Karlovy Vary region is home to the largest concentration of health resorts in the Czech Republic. But the region boasts other attractive offerings for tourists too, such as the historic town centres of Cheb, Loket, Jachymov, Ostrov and Horní Slavkov, and numerous palaces and castles. Its mountains, particularly the Ore Mountains and Slavkov Forest, draw tourists all year round. The network of biking trails, which not only connects neighbouring towns but also links up to routes in Germany, has expanded significantly in recent years.
Saxony has maintained an official co-operation with the district of Liberec since the 'Joint Declaration' of 6 April 2006.
The Liberec region stretches across the north of the Czech Republic, covering four administrative districts – Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou, Semily and Česká Lípa. It is the country's smallest region. Its northern border doubles as the Czech Republic's national border with Poland and, in some sections, also Germany.
The region is predominantly mountainous – with the Česká kotlina in the north, the Jizerské hory (Jizera Mountains), the westerly Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) and their foothills, and the eastern section of the Lusatian Mountains. Its five nature reserves and a national park are veritable tourist magnets, and tourism consequently plays a major role in the regional economy. The attractive winter sports hubs of the Giant Mountains and Jizera Mountains are among the Czech Republic's most visited tourist areas. And the local health resort towns are also of great importance
The four-lane expressway connecting Liberec and Prague plays a similarly crucial role. Its extension towards Saxony enables it to link up to Germany's autobahn network.
On 20 February 2013, the Point of Single Contact for the Free State of Saxony (Landesdirektion Sachsen) renewed the 'Joint Declaration' on co-operation, which had been in force since 2007, with the Ústí region.
The Ústí region has a direct border with Saxony that runs for some 250 km. The areas encompassing the peaks of the Šluknov foothills and extending to the southwestern part of the Ore Mountains form a natural border.
The region has a centuries-old tradition of industrial and agricultural development, trade and the associated construction of transport routes. And, in addition to industrial development, tourism has also seen an upswing in recent years.
The Ústí region is rich in natural beauty, such as the Krušné hory, Lužické hory, Central Bohemian Highlands, the bizarre formations of the Tisá Rocks, Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland, the Elbe Valley and a number of palaces and castles. The mineral springs, including the spas of Teplice und Bílina, are well frequented, as are the thermal springs, such as those at the open-air baths of Ústí nad Labem and Děčín.
Worldwide partner regions
In addition to regional co-operations with direct neighbours, the Free State of Saxony also maintains ties with France, Great Britain, the United States of America, Russia, China, Hungary, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Austria, the Baltic states, Switzerland, Romania, Singapore and South Korea.
It similarly co-operates internationally with several regions, including Hubei (China), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Lazio (Italy), Quebec (Canada), Tartarstan and St Petersburg (Russia), and Lower and Upper Austria. These co-operations are characterised by a number of projects in various areas of politics, but predominantly the economy, science, culture and the environment.
