Preston Mayor visits Kalisz

In October 2024, The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Philip Crowe and Preston City Council's Chief Executive Adrian Phillips travelled to Kalisz, in Poland to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of Kalisz twinning with Preston and Kamianets Podilskyi in Ukraine.

Kalisz and Preston have twinned since 1989 making it Preston's most recent twinning partnership.

Preston twinned with Recklinghausen in Germany in 1956, Nimes in France in 1955 and Almelo in the Netherlands in 1948, making it its oldest twinning partnership.

Kalisz, the capital city of the Kalisz Region, is one of the oldest cities in Poland and the second largest city in the Greater Poland province, specialising in textile production and boasts a colourful and historical history. Kalisz sits on the Prosna river, and its history dates back to the Mesolithic Era.

The visit included a tour of Kalisz, and a visit to the Polish author Maria Dąbrowska's former home in Russów, giving them a deeper appreciation of Kalisz's rich literary culture. Maria Dabrowska wrote 'Nights and Days' and is internationally renowned.

In the evening, the Mayor and Chief Executive attended a presentation and dinner hosted at Kalisz City Hall, where the Mayor of Kalisz, Krystian Kinastowski spoke in-depth about the value of international partnerships in driving the growth of Kalisz, highlighting collaborative projects that have brought mutual benefits to Kalisz and its partners.

The Mayor also recognised the support that Preston has given to Ukraine.

The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Philip Crowe said:

It was an enlightening visit to Kalisz, it was an honour to meet the Mayor and leader of Kalisz and celebrate 35 years of twinning. We met delegates from other European cities who twin with Kalisz. It was humbling to receive recognition for the support we have given to Ukraine.

The visit provided a platform to strengthen existing ties and discuss future joint initiatives aimed at fostering cultural, educational, and economic development.