Joensuu
In Finland
In 1969 Hof entered into its second town twinning, which - quite incidentally - has long since become a town friendship. At that time, there was a lot of talk about European integration. So it was obvious to seek a connection with a city in Europe. It took a certain amount of courage on the part of the city council not to look to England, France or Italy, but to take an interest in a country that - at least at that time - was still a European fringe phenomenon. Although the distance between Hof and Joensuu, the capital of North Karelia, is quite long, a lively travel activity quickly developed among various groups of citizens. In the meantime, the people of Hof and Joensuu can be measured by the hundreds who return enthusiastically from their visit to the respective twin city. However, in terms of language, the people of Hof have always been the takers and the people of Joensuu the givers.
Events
Highlights of the city connection were the celebrations and events on the occasion of the tenth and twentieth anniversary of the partnership. In 1980, the city of Hof held a "Finnish Week" with no less than 19 events. The success was unexpectedly great. On the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the town connection, Joensuu organized a "Hof Week", for which one hundred citizens of Hof traveled to Finland on a special train.
Exchange
The past years were characterized by a lively cultural exchange: It was not least the German-Finnish Society Hof that repeatedly brought artists from Joensuu to Hof for performances. In 2010, the 40th anniversary of the partnership was celebrated in Finland - not only official representatives were present, but also a large group of citizens from Hof.
Today
Today, the city of 70,000 inhabitants, characterized by rich Karelian tradition, calls itself "The forest capital of Europe". This is not surprising, since Joensuu is not only located on the many Finnish lakes, but also encompasses an almost endless forest area. The timber industry is accordingly one of the strongest in Scandinavia. Especially for those who want to relax and get away from the hectic everyday life, Joensuu and its surroundings with the many "Mökkis" (wooden vacation homes) by the lake are always worth a trip.
