Mayor Donald Sheets voices approval of a framed declaration calling for citizen-to-citizen exchanges between Dixon and Herzberg, Germany. Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk (left) presented the document to Sheets at Tuesday evening's reception at Lowell Park on behalf of the 11-member Herzberg Sister Cities delegation currently visiting Dixon.

Over 300 meet German visitors at Lowell Park

"The last 50 hours have been the happiest of my life, exceeded only by my wedding and the birth of my children," Herzberg Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk told a public reception Tuesday evening.

The 11 residents of Herzberg, Germany are in Dixon for a 10-day Sister City visit. Tuesday evening over 300 Dixon residents attended a barbecue at Lowell Park to welcome the visitors

Oecknigk told the group Herzberg has lived through dictatorship and communism but the feeling of freedom is felt very much here in Dixon.

The Herzberg community has three sister cities in Germany and Poland. Oecknigk said he is hoping to add Dixon to that group. When Germany won its freedom from communism, Oecknigk said the city was able to communicate the feeling of freedom on to its Sister City in Poland.

"But the feeling of real freedom is what we found here (in Dixon), today and yesterday," Oecknigk said, speaking through an interpreter.

Oecknigk presented Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets with a document from Herzberg. The document proposed exchanges of contact in the areas of culture, sports, construction, ecology, industry, agriculture, youth and family plus various clubs.

The document also expressed the hope for regular meetings between the two cities to celebrate the Sister City relationship between the two communities.

The document was signed by Oecknigk and Gustav Ulrich, the president of the 18-member Herzberg parliamentary assembly.

"On behalf of the Sister City partnership with you and mostly the beautiful citizens of Dixon, Illinois, I happily accept this wonderful document coming from Herzberg, Germany," Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets responded.

"May it make a lasting relationship between Herzberg, Germany and Dixon, Illinois."

The mayor then presented Oecknigk with a key to the city and an Illinois state flag which had flown over the Springfield capitol building.

Oecknigk said he hopes the expressions of friendship he has received Monday and Tuesday remain a very long time with Dixon and Herzberg residents. He ended by inviting all those in attendance to visit Herzberg.

Today the Herzberg delegation attended breakfast with the Dixon Kiwanis Club, toured Dixon High School, Reagan Middle School, WIXN Radio, KSB Hospital and the Charles Nusbaum farm.

On Thursday the group will tour the John Deere combine factory in the Quad Cities.