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Falkirk
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Odenwald
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Odenwald Association Twinning History
In 1965 Larbert High School Scottish Country Dance Teams represented Stirling County Council at a folk dance festival organised by Kreis Erbach. Mrs Nancy McLaren, Teacher, and Miss Grace W McWhirter, County Youth Officer, were in charge of the party. Such was the success of this visit that dialogue between the two areas continued and a formal twinning agreement was signed on Whitsunday 1969 between Stirling County Council and Kreis Erbach.
Balfron Fire Station officers and staff were the first to take part in a twinning visit to Kreis Erbach.
In 1972 as a result of Local Government restructuring in Germany, Kreis Erbach merged with other Councils within its immediate area and became Odenwaldkreis.
In 1975 due to Local Government Reorganisation, Central Regional Council was formed and a revised twinning partnership was signed between the two ‘new’ authorities.
The Odenwald Association was formed in 1975 to promote twinning links between Central Region and the Odenwald.
The first Youth Exchange was hosted in Central Region in 1977 with a return visit to the Odenwald the following year.
In 1978 the Schottland Vereinigung (the sister organisation of the Odenwald Association) was formed in the Odenwald for the purpose of promoting twinning links from a German perspective. At this time the Associations started a programme of exchange visits, with visits to Scotland and the Odenwald occurring in alternate years.
In 1998 following the most recent Scottish Local Government Reorganisation, Falkirk Council decided to maintain the twinning partnership with the Odenwald.
In July 2008 the 10th anniversary of the Falkirk/Odenwald link was celebrated in Falkirk.
In June 2009 the Odenwald hosted the celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the original twinning agreement of 1969 between Kreis Erbach and Stirling County Council.
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