Town twinning and international relations

At home in Europe

The success story of "Europe" in the city of Bocholt begins after the Second World War with the founding of the town twinning arrangements with Great Britain (Rossendale) and Belgium (Belgian Bocholt) as well as the growing contacts with the people in the neighbouring Netherlands.

In 1958 Bocholt became a founding member of EUREGIO and continued to develop its European relations. In 1972 the French town of Aurillac joins the partnership family. In the same year, the city is awarded the European flag of the European Council and the title "Municipality of Europe" for its cross-border activities.

European Active Municipality

Many school partnerships as well as contacts through associations and groups lead to Bocholt receiving the highest European award at municipal level - the Europe Prize - from the European Council for its European activities in 1993. This was followed in 2014 by the award as a "European Active Municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia".