To learn more about how you can take part in and support this international partnership:
Please email us! Mainz Sister Cities Committee - [email protected]
Mainz Committee Chairs: Jordan Gabbard & John Krueger
Sister City Relationship
Though officially recognized in 1994, the Louisville-Mainz relationship began in 1976 as a student exchange program. The City of Mainz formed the Freundschaftskreis Mainz-Louisville (a Friendship Circle), which is the equivalent of the Louisville Mainz Committee. Over the years, partnerships have formed between choral groups, municipal organizations, doctors, students, athletes, and universities.
- Educational exchanges between the U of L Law School and the Gutenburg Law School have taken place since the Mainz-Louisville origins began. In addition, the Mainz Committee has organized several professional financial and banking internship exchanges, and connected the YMCA and the Rheinland-Pfalz Sports Program, from which several sports-oriented youth exchanges have developed.
- In the early 2000s, the University of Louisville and the Gutenburg Art Museum exchanged artifacts and art. Perhaps the most important artistic project for the committee was the organization of the Gutenberg 2002 Exhibit at the Louisville Free Public Library, in which a replica of the original Gutenberg printing press drew large crowds, attracting over 10,000 to the exhibit in the few months it was displayed.
- During the 2017 summer, the “Friendship Circle” celebrated its 25th Anniversary; the Louisville-Mainz Sister City relationship will mark 25 years in 2019.
Opportunity for Students!
If you are a University of Louisville student interested in studying in Mainz and would like information on scholarships, please contact us at
[email protected]!
Existing Partnerships & Links
Local
History & Culture
With over 200,000 inhabitants, Mainz boasts both a picturesque old city and a dynamic new city. Located at the juncture of the Rhine and Main rivers in the southwestern German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz has played a pivotal role in the economy, politics and culture of the region dating back to its roots in antiquity.
Mainz has been a busy trading center since Roman times. It is the capital of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and a university city. Mainz, the center of the Rhine wine trades, is the home city of Johann Gutenberg and its 12th century cathedral ranks one of the finest Romanesque architectural achievements. Mainz is also a hub of the German wine trade, and enjoys a more moderate climate than much of Germany.
Mainz is 2,000 years old and has seen many years of success and change. During Roman times Mainz was the political capital of Upper Germania. There are Roman ruins scattered throughout the city. One of the earliest periods of prosperity, following the collapse of the Rome and the end of the early Middle Age, saw a spiked increase in the Jewish population. Their cultural and historic influence, enhanced by the Enlightenment, has been maintained throughout the city. However, Mainz is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, and his world-changing invention, the movable-type printing press.
Today, Mainz can be divided into two parts, the old and the new city. The old city is home to Baroque Churches, half-timbered homes, and Augustiner Strasse, which is known for fine shops and restaurants. The city includes many former farm communities in the adjacent areas. Mainz is truly a city that celebrates its tradition and its future. Museums and historical sites fill the city while new business opportunities make Mainz one of the fastest developing cities in Germany.
Fast Facts
- City Founded in: 13/12 BC
- Population: 210,000
- Language: German
- Lord Mayor: Michael Ebling
National Holidays
- New Year’s Day (January 1st)
- Fasching (carnival period before Lent)
- Good Friday - Easter Sunday - Easter Monday
- Whit Monday (May 23rd)
- Corpus Christi (May 31st)
- Oktoberfest (Sept-Oct)
- Germany Unity Day (October 3rd)
- All Saints Day (November 1st)
- Christmas Day (December 25th)
- St. Stephens Day Day (December 26th)
