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The origin of the relationship between Aix-en-Othe and Neresheim, a small town of Baden-Württemberg, located on the border of Bavaria, in the Swabian Jura, about 50 km north of Ulm and 700 km from Aix -en-Othe, dates back to the 80's.
That's when the "Collège d'Othe et Vanne" started to forge friendly ties with its counterpart, the Härtsfeldschule Neresheim on the occasion of linguistic exchange. This match was very successful and has become an institution. In the Pays d'Othe, it is likely that several hundred young people (now grown) were able to take advantage of the Franco-German rapprochement. To see that all these efforts to fruition, it appeared certain that it was time to institutionalize, as adults, what young people had so successfully built.
The creation of a Twinning Committee in Aix-en-Othe has taken place in 1994. His first action was to formalize these relationships with the signing of a charter between the mayors of both municipalities. The charter was signed Saturday, June 15, 1996.
A few years later, this twinning committee was transformed into a Twinning Committee of the Pays d'Othe, which allowed him to host the villages of Berulle, Estissac, Maraye-en-Othe, Neuville-sur-Vanne , Nogent-en-Othe, Paisy-Cosdon, Palis, Planty, Rigny-le-Ferron, Saint-Benoist-sur-Vanne, Saint-Mard-en-Othe, Villemaur-sur-Vanne, Villemoiron and Vulaines.
Initially, the role of the Committee was to connect the French and German associations and promote their meetings, helping them to solve problems in general due to the distance. It has expanded since then, other links have been established : at first with Bagnacavallo, Neresheim twin Italian city, then with Strzyzow, Poland, during a school project and finally with Stone, England, which maintains a cooperative relationship with our Italian friends.
By a beautiful summer evening, somewhere under the skies of France, only two tourists, a Belgian Flemish, and a French Othéen, discovered their affinities, like being member of a musical.
The « fanfare royale de Ingooigem » and the « harmonie Music en othe »
The first concert combining the two formations took place in Estissac in 2001, under the direction of Joos Creteur and Eric Broquet,
A second one in 200, in Belgium.
Of the twinning musical pairing between communities, there was only one step, one not easily taken in 2007, a first contact with representatives of the Commonwealth of Anzegem and the Community of the Portes du Pays d'Othe ,
to mark the centenary of the Royal Ingooigem fanfare.
Centenary together again the two teams totaling 70 players.
On September 26, 2009, the Community of Belgium Anzegem, the "Communauté des Portes du Pays d’Othe" and Estissac signed the twinning.
That event was highlighted by a musical parade, the planting of the tree of friendship, a meal, and a concert of Music in harmony Othe, reinforced with elements of the Belgian harmony;
a group co-led by Joos Creteur, Eric Broquet & Celine Deturche.
It was also an opportunity for a full exchange between our Belgian counterparts
and the twinning committee of the "syndicat d’initiative intercommunal Vanne Pays d’Othe", chaired by Joëlle Lemoine.
A committee that has worked hard to articulate the festive aspect of this event: warm, convivial meals, guided tours of our region.
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