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05.09.2025
Delegation from Kassel visited Zhytomyr: from agreement to a living partnership
In May, Zhytomyr and the German city of Kassel signed a solidarity partnership agreement in Brussels. And already in August, a delegation led by Mayor Sven Schoeller arrived in Zhytomyr to take the next step – turning the agreement into real cooperation.
The partnership became possible thanks to the Cities4Cities initiative within the “International Municipal Cooperation” sphere of the Polaris programme “Supporting Multi-Level Governance in Ukraine.” The delegation included heads of Kassel’s key departments responsible for the city’s strategic decision-making.
The guests visited the Transparent Office, the Resilience Center, the construction site of social housing for internally displaced persons, the biomass-fueled CHP plant, and a kindergarten operating on renewable energy sources. The commemoration of Heroes at the military cemetery deeply moved the German delegation.
“We saw the graves of young people who gave their lives for freedom. If anyone in Europe still doubts whether it is worth helping Ukraine, I would advise them to visit a Ukrainian military cemetery – after that, no doubts remain,” said Dr. Sven Schoeller, Mayor of Kassel.
The partners agreed on concrete steps for cooperation, including:
- joint youth projects;
- digital exchanges between schools;
- cultural exchanges between museums (including with the Brothers Grimm Museum in Kassel);
- short visits of children of war veterans to Kassel.
The partnership between Zhytomyr and Kassel officially began on May 15 in Brussels, where the cities signed a cooperation agreement during the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine event. Thanks to the Cities4Cities initiative within the “International Municipal Cooperation” sphere of the Polaris Programme and the support of the SKEW program, this agreement immediately went beyond formalities and became the basis for a genuine dialogue.
Zhytomyr and Kassel agreed to work together in the areas of energy efficiency and sustainability, as well as to exchange experiences between schools, entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations.