HELEN — As the City of Helen continues to plan for two major anniversaries, city leaders paused this week to celebrate some special international visitors.
Marcel Blankenburg, president of Fasching in Fussen, Bavaria, Germany, and his wife Uschi visited Helen to serve as grand marshals for last weekend’s Oktoberfest Parade.
The trip to Helen was the second for Marcel Blankenburg, but the first for his wife.
During Tuesday’s city commission meeting, Mayor Jeff Ash invited Helen merchant and former Mayor Judy Holloway to read and present a proclamation to Blankenburg.
In 1978 the City of Helen began discussions with the City of Fussen, Germany to become sister cities, with the actual culmination of that partnership occurring in 1983, according to the proclamation.
After presenting the Blankenburgs with a framed proclamation from the city, Holloway joined 19 other Helen area residents who visit Fussen as ambassadors for the city for group photographs.
Former Mayor Hue Rainey also spoke of the two cities’ long history of association, culminating in their current sister cities designation.
“In 1978, the idea of a sister city was dreamed up, most probably at a local bar,” Rainey said. “It involved a few people – some were involved with city government and some were just citizens. It took a lot of work, and it took a lot of people and a lot of trips before it came through.”
Following a trip to Belgium and Fussen in 1983, the needed relationships were formed to cement the sisterhood of the cities, Rainey said.
“After that, we needed to get things rolling on our end, and we did,” Rainey said. “And the people came together, and I can literally say there have been hundreds and hundreds of people who have given of themselves for this friendship. Unfortunately, a lot of the ones in the early years have passed on, but I’m sure the sister city friendship was a great part of their life.”
Rainey said in the early years as many as 50 or 55 people at a time would visit Fussen, or those from Fussen would visit Helen.
“As time went on, it dwindled down as things do, but I’m happy to say that after 40 years it’s alive,” Rainey told those gathered. “It’s a good thing. I know of several things being celebrated coming up, like the 50 years of [Alpine] Helen, the Festhalle, Oktoberfest, but this is another, because this marks 40 years.”
Following the meeting, Ash discussed the significance of the Helen/Fussen sisterhood.
“The people that were here this morning are the ones that need to be really recognized,” Ash told AccessWDUN. “It’s a thrill, it’s a treat for them to go over there once a year representing this town. You saw the turnout, you saw the enthusiasm, and the respect that they give us, and that’s quite meaningful.”
Ash recalled the early years after the relationship was formed with Fussen.
“I remember bringing their band over, their orchestra, and they played for two weeks at Oktoberfest a long time ago,” Ash said.
During 2019, Helen will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city’s conversion to a tourist-oriented destination as a Bavarian-style Alpine Village. Then, 2020 will be the 50th anniversary of the Helen Oktoberfest.
