Eutin Sister Cities Timeline - 2020-present
2020
March 2020
The high school exchange and KU Summer Language Institute normally taking place in June were canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
March 27, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article about the Covid Pandemic’s effect on Lawrence. The article was written collaboratively by Achim Krauskopf, an Eutin reporter, and Dr. Andrea Meyertholen, a University of Kansas German professor who has led the KU Summer Language Institute in recent years. Ralph Gage, retired general manager of the Lawrence Journal-World, and active member of Sister Cities Lawrence, was also quoted. The article was titled “Lawrence: Plötzlich brach die Hölle los”, which roughly translates “Lawrence: suddenly all hell broke loose”. Read the article in German.
September 21, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published a second article by Dr. Andrea Meyertholen, titled “Kansas-Uni startet Lehrbetrieb”, which roughly translates “The University of Kansas semester begins”.
October 10, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Dr. Bill Keel, retired University of Kansas German professor and current chair of Sister Cities Lawrence. The article was titled “Austausch per Videokonferenz”, which translates to “Exchange by video-conference”.
October 2020
October 24, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Bob Moody, former Lawrence mayor and active member of Sister Cities Lawrence and translated to German by Arne Scholz.. The article was titled “Corona and elections in Lawrence”., which translates to “Corona und the Wahlen in Lawrence”
December 2020
December 9, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Bob Schumm, Lawrence businessman, former mayor, and longtime member of Sister Cities Lawrence; the translator was Arne Scholz. The article was titled “The Phoenix rises again”; its German title was “Lawrence: den Phönix im Wappen”.
December 24, 2020
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Ralph Gage, Ralph Gage, retired general manager of the Lawrence Journal-World, and active member of Sister Cities Lawrence. Translators were Arne Scholz and Bill Keel. The article in English, “Christmas will be a bit different in Lawrence”; its German title was “Santa Claus wird diesmal nicht gerettet”.
January 2021
All exchanges and group travel were canceled for the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
March 2021
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Dr. Diana Carlin, retired professor and university administrator, and Judge Joe Pierron, a couple who is actively involved in Sister Cities Lawrence. Translators were Arne Scholz and Bill Keel. The article in English was “A Pandemic Retirement”; the German title was “Die Kekse warten in der Gefriertruhe ”.
May 2021
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Dr. Nancy Albrecht, professor of Education at Emporia State Universtiy, longtime member of Sister Cities Lawrence and the first teacher (at Lawrence High School) to escort students to Eutin. Translators were Arne Scholz and Bill Keel. The article in English was “Exceptional Teachers at the Center of Pandemic Education;” the German version was “Menschliche Verbindung nicht zu ersetzen”.
July 2021
At the afternoon session of Sister Cities International Annual Conference on July 16, 2021, an Innovation in Arts and Culture Award was presented to Sister Cities Lawrence. This award is presented to cities with population 25,000 - 100,000 annually for projects that “show originality and impact, challenging preconceived ideas about what is possible.” The award recognized newspaper articles written for our sister city’s newspaper.
In lieu of canceled exchanges, a series of news articles have been authored by Lawrencians for the Eutin newspaper Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger. Begun in March 2020, six articles were published by the end of the year; three have been added in 2021. See entries above and below.
August 23, 2021
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Vice Mayor Courtney Shipley. Translators were Arne Scholz and Bill Keel. The article in English was “The Sacred Stone, Iⁿ ‘zhúje ‘waxóbe” the German version was “Ein Schritt der Vergangenheitsbewältigung".”
August 2021
Dr. Robert Walzel, Dean of the Kansas University School of Music, performed in Eutin, Germany as clarinet soloist with the Kammerphilharmonie Lübeck on Friday, 8/27/21. The “Swinging Classics” concert was part of the Eutiner Festspiele, a 2-month summer music festival. Read more.
As the year ended plans were made to reinstate the high school exchanges in 2022.
2022
February
Announcements were made at high schools across the Lawrence signaling the reinstatement of Eutin student exchanges this year. Homestays and partnerships may be arranged for up to a dozen students.
May 2022
The Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger (OHA), Eutin’s daily paper, published an article by Sister Cities Lawrence member and website editor, Phyllis Farrar. The article in English was titled “New Sport Enthusiast”. This was the tenth “Covid-era” article written by an SCL member to be shared in Eutin.
June 2022
Once again Eutin’s Burgermeister Behnk invited Lawrence exchange students and their chaperone, Avery Miller (seated) along with hosting students and their families, to a reception at city hall. All the guests from Lawrence signed the “Golden Book”, a cherished tradition.
Friends of Lawrence chairman Stephan Klein, led a day trip for the high school students and leaders beginning with a lake cruise and a hike through Plön. The day concluded with a visit and private tour of the Plön castle which now is used for a major optometry school.
September 2022
Lawrence Families Welcome a Dozen Eutin Students
After two years without student exchanges because of COVID travel limitations, everyone involved - students, their families, Friends of Eutin and Sister Cities Lawrence, and city commissioners - were happy to once again welcome ten students and their chaperone to Lawrence. Read the article.
2022
October 13, 2022
The 11th article in the award-winning series written by Lawrence members of Sister Cities Lawrence was translated to German and published in the Ostholsteinischer Anzeiger in Eutin, Germany. Read the article either in English or German.
2023
June 2023
Six high school students from Lawrence traveled to Eutin for a three week stay, accompanied by LHS German teacher Stephen Arbeau. Excursions included Berlin, Hamburg, and Plön. Students included R. Beard, C. Hardie, C. Jorkthongkam, R. Liljestrom, G. McDaneld, and A. Rojas-Bouhouch.
September 2023
Lawrence families were recruited anew to host 12 students from Eutin to complete this year’s two-way exchange. Read more here.
2024
June 2024
Six high school exchange students from Lawrence traveled to Eutin for home-stays accompanied by LHS German teacher Stephen Arbeau. Excursions included Berlin, Luneburg, Wismar, and Rostock. Participants were C. Hardie, N. Johnson, E. Mann, C. Rayome, E. Tucker, and F. Tholen (not shown).
June 2024
Delegates from Lawrence traveled to Eutin to celebrate the 35th year of this Sister City agreement. The delegation enjoyed a busy week including the music festival opening and events with host families. Back row, l to r: Bob Schumm, Stephen Arbeau, Arne Schulz, Amber Sellers, Ken Albrecht, Nancy Albrecht, Bill Keel. Front row: Sandy Schumm, Kelly Schulz, Courtney Shipley Patty Moody, Bob Moody, Nancy Keel.
Each 5-year anniversary serves as a special occasion. This year’s ‘gift’ to Eutin took the form of a recital organized by retired KU Professor Frank Baron, a founding member of Friends of Eutin.
Here is an article written for an Eutin newspaper announcing the recital by professional musicians, all of whom have connections to the University of Kansas School of Music.
October 2024
This year’s high school exchange students from Eutin were hosted for three weeks by families across Lawrence and had a full agenda. In addition to attending high school classes, the nine students attended a Chief’s game, KU’s Late Night opener to the basketball season, an official’s welcome at Lawrence City Commission meeting, and a pizza party that followed. Pictured at right, the teacher accompanying the Eutin students addressed the City Commission before each student introduced themself. .
Delegates from Eutin spent a week celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Sister City Agreement with a whirlwind of activities: meeting city commissioners and Mayor Littlejohn at city hall; visiting Kansas City’s National WWI Museum and Memorial and the Jazz Museum; visiting Council Grove and the Kiowa Nation’s Allegawaho Park, new home of “The Sacred Stone, Iⁿ ‘zhúje ‘waxóbe”; and the National Tallgrass Preserve.