2011 - Hünfeld

The Hünfeld townHünfeld is a town located in Hessen to the north-east of Frankfurt, a few miles from the former East German border, which has seen history unfold on its doorstep.  It is surrounded by the peaceful countryside of Rhön Nature Park.

The town inspired the poet Goethe, who wrote the poem, “Jahrmarkt zu Hünfeld”, in 1814 after having visited it.

Having been twinned with Landerneau in France (joint winner) for over 40 years, Hünfeld has also developed very active twinnings with Prószków (Poland) and Steinberg in Vogtland (Germany) and has friendship links with Geisa in Thuringia (Germany).  It has also developed a twinning with Bam in Burkina Faso, where many projects have been carried out: building of a school and a library, establishment of a food bank and installation of irrigation systems.

The awarding of the Europe Prize to Hünfeld also demonstrates that even small municipalities can win the prize.

More information