Twin Towns

The municipality of Tîrgu-Mureş has developed twinning relationships with 10 cities: Bournemouth (United Kingdom of Great Britain), East Renfrewshire (United Kingdom of Great Britain), Ilmenau (Germany), Szeged, Kecskemet, Budapesta – 11th sector, Zalaegerszeg, Baja (Hungary), Chişinãu (Moldova), Guzelcamli (Turkey). There is a permanent cooperation within these partnerships in the economic, social, technical and cultural domains, consisting mainly in the transfer of know-how, cooperation among companies, joint projects. Bournemouth is 180 years old, its history dating back to the 18th century, when Bournemouth was a little fishing village in a sandy cutting that led to the sea. Compared to England’s centuries of conquest and living history, presently Bournemouth is a new town, one of the most pleasant and beautiful holiday resorts of the United Kingdom, counting 435,000 residents. Over 4 million tourists visit its fine beaches every year. Bournemouth benefits from the close proximity to the harbour and the industrial facilities of Poole as well as from the human resources at disposal. Bournemouth’s prosperity does not rely solely on the success of the tourism industry. Over the last decade a number of major economic changes have occurred throughout the South of England as further diversification within the service sector was developed. Bournemouth succeeded in consolidating its position as one of the most prosperous areas in the UK. Today, the local economy is characterized by a wide range of tourism and trade enterprises and a small, but strong, manufacturing sector. The town of Güzelcamli (“Beautiful Sight”) within the county of Aydin, the district of Kusadasi, is situated at 25 km South from Kusadasi, in the vicinity of the National Park of Dilek Peninsula. The history of Güzelcamli goes back as far as the 700 B.C. The stable population is of 7,000 inhabitants, but during the summer it may go up to 40,000, given the flock of tourists. Situated on the shore of the Aegean Sea, surrounded by the National Park, the town of Güzelcamli is a beautiful tourist resort. The tourism promoted here offers besides the nice beaches and bays, unlimited opportunities for surfing, windsurfing, water-skiing, fishing, yacht-tours. Short trips to the mountains of the National Park can be made, a real natural paradise with a wide variety of plants, animals, caves and canyons. The locality takes its resources from tourism and the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, being famous for its citric fruit and olives. The town has in its proximity historical sites – Ephesus, The Artemis Temple, Priene – an ancient Ionian town, Miletos – the main harbour of the Ionian league, Didyma, the most impressive monument on the Western coast of Ionia and Pamukkale, the white waterfall, formed by hot limestone springs. Kecskemét, seat of the largest county of Hungary, has 110,000 residents. It has no rivers and lacks mountain areas. In the period of religious wars, when the population of many regions was massacred, at Kecskemét several denominations used the only church left and they had helped each other in the construction of new churches. The name Kecskemét appears for the first time in written documents in 1353, in the memos of King Nagy Lajos. After 15 years it is defined as market-town. During the reign of queen Maria Theresa the town flourishes, it registers a population growth, thus becoming the third largest town in Hungary. Following an administrative restructuring in 1870, the town obtains the title of town of municipal rank. The urban development comes to a new stage during the mandate of mayor Lestár Péter, elected in 1880, who has the merit of providing the necessary conditions for promoting public education. The achievements of mayor Kada Elek may be compared to that of his friend dr. Bernády György, the mayor of Tîrgu-Mureş at that time. At the end of the 19th century, the sandy lands of Kecskemét were planted with fruit trees and vineyards. The deserted landscape was “tamed” with orchards, vineyards, and the residents of the town transformed the moving sands in “golden sands”. The economic power, the town development, the improvement of the living standards of the population in general are the basis for a massive local and foreign investment; banks and enterprisers, producers and service providers. The town of Katona József and Kodály Zoltán, together with its institutions of education and religion, art and culture, international creation workshops and research centres, theatres and representatives of the civil society represent the preserver and mediator of the Hungarian culture from all over the world. Located at the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Mureş and counting around 180,000 residents, Szeged is a real regional centre; its history goes back to almost two thousand years. During the migration époque, the peoples coming from Asia into Europe crossed its lands. Arrived towards the end of the 9th century, the Hungarian people built their first constructions on the ruins of Roman relics. The name Szeged appears for the first time in written documents in 1183. In 1247, when it becomes an important commercial and administrative centre, it is granted the rank of town. Fallen under the Turkish Empire occupation in 1526, the town is liberated by the Christian Army in 1686. Starting with that time a new era began for the town – that of peaceful development. Today Szeged is one of the richest and most prosperous towns in Hungary. The economy is based mainly on agriculture and trade. The traditional products are the paprika, tobacco, fish and embroidered slippers, a heritage from the Turkish occupation. In time the town had to struggle for survival with the Tisza River, as its lands were liable to inundation and they were flooded several times. In 1879 the Tisza River destroyed the old town, on the ruins of which the new town came into being, planned according to the latest town-planning system in Europe at that time. Szeged is considered to be the town of waters, not only for its rivers, but also for its thermal waters, extremely effective in the treatment of various diseases. Szeged is also an important religious centre. Even in the Middle Ages the majority of the residents belonged to the Roman Catholic denomination. As a consequence of some historical conditions, Calvinists, Lutherans, Orthodoxes and adherents to other denominations settled in the town. Szeged is also proud of its multinational structure of the population, made up of: Turks, Slavs, Germans, Armenians, Greeks and Romanians. Thanks to the Academy of Sciences and the well-known Universities, the Music Conservatory and the two theatres and museums, as well as to the cultural and artistic events organized, the role of a cultural centre of the town is certified. Zalaegerszeg, seat of the Zala county, is in the proximity of the Austrian-Slovenian- Hungarian border. Thanks to its international position, to its natural resources and economic structure, the town became ideal for the development of foreign trade and tourism. The administrative area of the town is 10,001 hectares large, of which 78% is without constructions. The agricultural areas, 1,400 hectares large, consists of orchards and vineyards. The population counts 62,000 residents, of which 41% work in industry, 52% in services, 4% in agriculture. The multilateral economic structure is based on the local traditions: the industry of ceramics, timber industry, meat industry, and dairy, milling industry. Mention should be made on the refurbishment of an industrial park with IT profile and the presence of several multinational companies. Zalaegerszeg is on also an important cultural centre, having a theatre, a concert hall, many museums, a culture house, bookshops and galleries. The most remarkable of these is the Village Museum (Gocsej). The 11th sector is the second biggest sector in Budapest, with an area of 33.47 m2. As for the number of inhabitants, around 150,000, it is said to be the fifth biggest town in Hungary, as well as the most populated. It may be called, by all rights “the western gate of the capital”, due to the fact that all railways and roads from Western Europe and over the Danube cross this sector, arriving to Pest, and from there to the Eastern and Central parts of the country. Of the seven bridges in Budapest, three connect the 11th sector to the other sectors of the capital: the Szabadság bridge, the Petõfi bridge and the Lágymányosi bridge. The 11th sector of Budapest, as well as the entire capital, has several beautiful and interesting sites, such as: Gellérthegy (Gellért Mountain), where one can find the Szent Iván cave and the Szikla chapel, that is said to have served as a shelter for the primitive people, then Lágymányos, Rupp-hegy (Mountain Rupp), Kamaraerdõ (Kamara Forest), Madár-hegy (Mountain Madár). All these names have been preserved since Medieval Ages. Ilmenau is situated at 40 km South from Erfurt, Thuringen‘s capital city, where the beautiful Thuringen Wald begins. In medieval times Ilmenau was known as “the Mining Town”. Glass and porcelain industries got recognition here in the 18th century and have ever since contributed to the economy of Ilmenau. The nowadays Ilmenau plays a double role: on the one hand, it is a well-known industrial centre with all the advantages of its own university and a strong tradition of skilled work; on the other hand, it is a real cultural centre. The town population counts 31,000 inhabitants. The town is destined to become a large region for technology. In this respect the Ilmenau Technical University has a major role. The Ilmenau Science and Technology Park is under construction around the University. Within small distances from the campus there are a number of research and development facilities and hi-tech businesses sites. The intensity of the work performed in Ilmenau is complemented in an ideal way by the pleasures of this market town and its position at the bottom of the lovely wooden hills of the Thuringen Wald. There are many alleys and tracks for winter sports. Thus, Ilmenau attracts many visitors who contribute to the prosperity of the local economy. This town is rich in music, art, schools and has many sport and leisure facilities. Blessed with its natural resources, the city of Baja represents a special attraction. Its romantic atmosphere enchants the visitors: the people live here in full harmony with the nature, which is quite rare for townsfolk. The Danube and its tributary, the Sugovica river, which cross the town centre attract the nautical sports fans and fishermen. Each year the famous Baja fish-soup and the wines specific to the region are enjoyed by thousands of people during the Baja Fish-Soup Festival. The town centre, with its Mediterranean atmosphere is often compared to the San Marco Plaza of Venice, due to the shape of the square and wonderful panorama to the Sugovica river. The fascinating landscape of the town is given by forty monuments and a number of important buildings. This city has been a peaceful home for 40,000 inhabitants; for many centuries Hungarians, Germans, Croatians and Serbians have peacefully cohabited. This cultural diversity will always be preserved through the local buildings and traditions. The Danube river played a crucial role in the history of Baja. It has been a main trade route and an important source of living. Today, Baja proudly bears the title of “Capital of the fish-soup”, a dish that became a symbol for Baja. An important date is 24th December 1969, when Baja was granted the status of town. The municipality of Chişinău is a political, administrative, economic, scientific and cultural centre of the Republic of Moldavia; it is one of the largest towns in Central and Eastern Europe, and it covers a surface of 161.2 km2 and it counts 662,000 inhabitants. From an administrative point of view, it is divided into five sectors. On its teritory and in the surroundings there are important natural resources and materials for construction: chalk, limestone, building stone, clay, sand, gravel. The underground water resources facilitate the partial supply of the town with drinkable water. The radical changes registered in the recent years, the focus on the historic truth call for the recovery of all the deeds to be aknowledged by posterity, because they were misrepresented by the soviet oficial historiography. In late '80s and early '90s, Chişinău becomes the stage of several antisoviet and anticommunism manifestations meant to defend the national dignity and culture. On the 27th August 1991, The Republic of Moldavia proclaims its state independence, and Chişinău becomes the capital of the country. East Renfrewshire is located to the South of Glasgow and covers an area of 18,000 hectares, 71% of which is agricultural land. The main centres of population are Barrhead and Neilston in the West and Newton Mearns, Giffnock, Clarkston, Thornliebank and Busby in the East. The majority of the built up area comprises suburban housing and there are a number of small villages within the area including Uplawmoor and Eaglesham. The population of East Renfrewshire is of 89,311 inhabitants.