Rennes (France)

Agreement signed: 4 April 1998
Range of cooperation: International trade; sharing experiences on city management; school, university and cultural exchanges; contact between citizens of both cities, the European Union affairs.
Population: 210 thousand inhabitants
Location: In the north west of France, on the river Vilaine.
Information about the city:
Rennes has a history stretching back one thousand years. It is a city where tradition and modernity come together. The capital of the region of Brittany and the department of Ille - et - Vilaine, the city is a transport hub where many trainlines and roads meet. An important business, financial and scientific centre Rennes contains industries such as electronics, food processing and Citroën cars. The city also has a University which was founded in 1461 and many colleges. Rennes is the headquarters of the biggest regional newspaper "Ouest France"
Effects of cooperation:

  • Honorary French Consulate in Poznan
  • Honorary Polish Consulate in Rennes
  • 'Dom Bretanii' - the home of Breton and French culture in Poznan
  • French - Polish postgraduate management studies in Poznan
  • The Centre of European Political Studies in Poznan
  • Cooperation between the cities in the ECOS - PHARE program to reduce the amount of energy used by public transport
  • A summer school in Rennes for staff from the city hall and French teachers from Wielkopolska.
  • Cultural Events: Brittany Days, Days of French Culture, Celtic Music Festival, Student Festival of French Language Theatre, Intrenational Swietojanski Fair, Festival of Poland in Brittany, International week of Children's Rights in Rennes.
  • Common organisation of the "European Cooperation Forum, Poznań - Hannover - Rennes" in June 2007 and signing Poznań Declaration concerning the role of cities in the European Union

Many interest groups have been established in France by people who love Poland!