City councillors from Bocholt and Aalten (NL) exchange ideas

On 12 February, the regular meeting of council members from Bocholt and Aalten took place in the neighbouring Dutch village of Bredevoort. The exchange serves to promote cross-border cooperation. The event is supported by the INTERREG Germany-Netherlands programme and co-financed by the European Union.

Following the last meeting between the two councils in Bocholt in April 2024, the return visit has now taken place. At the joint council meeting in Bredevoort, more than 50 council members discussed cross-border issues.

Agenda with visits and presentations

As host, Aalten's mayor Anton Stapelkamp particularly welcomed Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff and the members of the administrative boards and Bocholt councillors who had travelled along. From t'Grachthuis Bredevoort, the German and Dutch councillors took part in guided tours in mixed-nation groups. The programme included a visit to the Koppelkerk, the "Stadsbrouwerij" and the historic mill, as well as a guided tour of historic Bredevoort.

Bredevoort beckons with tourist attractions

Visitors were able to lend a hand during some of these tours. For example, they helped the miller turn the blades in the wind and pull a sack of flour upwards. In the "Stadsboruwerij", they learnt about the conversion of a former school into a catering business. The former Koppelkerk now functions as a multifunctional space for exhibitions and concerts. The city tour in Bredevoort familiarised the German guests with the special significance of the former fortress and present-day book town.

Exchange and understanding

The Bocholt councillors got to know the town and its history better through these tours and got talking. Gertjan Sikking from the municipality of Aalten presented the new project management of the municipality of Aalten in the lecture section. He has been in charge of the project office since 2023, where projects of the municipality of Aalten are categorised according to their importance. A projects, for example, relate to urban development due to their importance and financial scope. Cross-border projects such as the redesign of the Hellweg/Heelweg and the planned joint fire station in Suderwick and Dinxperlo ("Crossfire") are categorised as A projects.

Quiz about Bocholt and Aalten

Mayor Anton Stapelkamp asked how much the individual councillors knew about the neighbouring town. A quiz with cross-border topics lightened the mood before the councillors parted after a joint dinner.

These annual council meetings between the two municipalities will continue next year. "We have once again experienced what it means to live in the heart of Europe: A region where borders have long ceased to be barriers - neither on the road nor in people's minds", said Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff.

Funding

The event is supported by the INTERREG programme Germany-Nederland and co-financed by the European Union.