Pasewalk’s mayor Danny Rodewald (independent) has returned from his trip to Brazil with new contacts, ideas and plans. “It was very informative. More meetings will follow,” he said on Monday when asked. Among other things, the topic was housing investors. He would reveal more details when certain projects are ready to be discussed.
He had spent a week in South America as part of a 75-strong delegation from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, representing politicians, businesspeople and scientists. In addition to making business and political acquaintances, his goal was to promote Pasewalk and the Uecker-Randow region. “I was also interested in marketing the region. We need to be seen.”
Advertising for Uecker-Randow
MV’s Prime Minister and President of the Federal Council Manuela Schwesig (SPD), also taking part, will soon receive a business delegation from Brazil. He wants to use the opportunity to get the guests from overseas excited about Pasewalk. “I have offered to introduce the minister to our town and the surrounding area.”
After a stopover in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, his group flew to the country’s largest city, São Paulo, and then continued on to Curitiba by bus. “I didn’t feel like flying anymore.” He experienced Brazil as “an incredibly large country.” The traffic on the streets was unimaginable. On the way, someone jokingly said that MV was probably as big as a single street in São Paulo. He could confirm that impression.
Escort for the Germans
Roads were closed for the guests from Germany. “Without an escort we wouldn’t have been able to get through, and we wouldn’t have been able to make the appointments.” There were plenty of them too – around 20. In the evenings they often sat together, reflected on what they had experienced and made further plans.
Vorpommern-Greifswald’s district administrator Michael Sack (CDU), Blumenau’s mayor Mario Hildebrandt (Podemos) and Vorpommern’s state secretary Heiko Miraß (SPD) also signed a cooperation agreement. The Brazilian city with around 300,000 inhabitants is considered a small piece of Germany. In the future, they want to work more closely together.
Michael Sack, Blumenau’s mayor Mario Hildebrandt and Vorpommern State Secretary Heiko Miraß (from left) celebrate a cooperation agreement signed by the city of Blumenau and the Vorpommern-Greifswald district. (Photo: Carsten Korfmacher)
The now renewed deepened ties between Western Pomerania and southern Brazil have existed for a long time. For example, more than 15 years ago, Torgelow’s then mayor Ralf Gottschalk (1992 – 2018) first put out feelers to America. And seven years ago, the Torgelow energy company Mele landed the multi-million dollar contract to build biogas plants in Brazil, for which a symbolic foundation stone has now been laid.
With dirndl and lederhosen
Despite all the enthusiasm and VIP treatment – “the Brazilians had organized everything brilliantly” – the trip, packed with appointments, flights, journeys and all sorts of hotel changes, was also “very, very exhausting,” explained Danny Rodewald. But something like that doesn’t faze Pasewalk’s mayor.
After a nearly twelve-hour return flight, the delegation from MV landed in Berlin on Saturday at around 12 noon. An afternoon nap was enough for him to get fit again, said the 45-year-old. The time difference played into his hands. “I had the advantage that Germany is five hours ahead of Brazil.” In the evening, he and his wife Christin – he in lederhosen, she in a dirndl – danced again at the Oktoberfest in the Pasewalker Lokschuppen.
