Opening festival with music, dance and international exchange at Sandböhl
A successful kickoff for the Intercultural Weeks in Groß-Gerau: In sunny late summer weather, hundreds of visitors celebrated a colorful opening party at Sandböhl on Saturday. The program included live music, dance and rope-skipping performances, information booths, hands-on activities, and a wide selection of international food.
Mayor Jörg Rüddenklau opened the festival together with Wolfgang Prawitz from the Protestant deanery of Groß-Gerau/Rüsselsheim and reiterated the nationwide motto "For this!" "We are for people to meet, for no one to be excluded, and for seeing differences not as divisions but as strengths," the mayor said. Democracy, tolerance, and solidarity are a lived reality in Groß-Gerau.
Diversity in the program
Since 2005, the Intercultural Weeks have been an integral part of the city's cultural life. Around 30 events are coordinated by the city of Groß-Gerau and co-organized by the Protestant deanery. The program aims to foster encounters, strengthen peaceful coexistence, and highlight cultural and religious diversity.
Examples from the program:
- September 22, 2025, 6 p.m., Haus Raiss: Lecture by educationalist Benno Hafeneger and agah chairman Enis Gülegen on authoritarian temptations, populism, and fake news.
- September 27, 2025, 4 p.m., Anne Frank Youth Center: International barbecue, organized by the Coffee and Cocoa project.
- September 29, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Evangelical City Church: Abrahamic Forum on the topic of “Women in Religions.”
Mayor Rüddenklau praised the commitment of the Social and Integration Office as well as the sponsors, without whose support such a festival would not be possible in times of tight budgets.
Further information and the complete program can be found on the website of the city of Groß-Gerau
(Gross-Gerau-Red/PSGG)
Photos: The team from the Social and Integration Office, which was involved in the conception of IKW 2025 alongside the Evangelical Deanery of Groß-Gerau/Rüsselsheim, was delighted by the large number of visitors at this year's opening ceremony. (Photos: Groß-Gerau District City)
