35 years of friendship
From 24 to 27 July 2025, the city of Hof welcomed more than 100 guests from the friendly Hof municipalities of Hof bei Salzburg, Hof am Leithaberge (both Austria) and Hof im Westerwald (Rhineland-Palatinate). The occasion was the 35th anniversary of the friendship between the four municipalities. The delegation was accompanied by 50 musicians from the Trachtenmusikanten from Hof near Salzburg, an ensemble rich in tradition with over 100 years of history and an impressive diversity of ages - from teenagers to senior citizens. With around 20 performances a year and an active youth orchestra, the ensemble is in an excellent position and has no worries about recruiting new talent.
Mayor Eva Döhla: "Friendships are a valuable part of our community. We all know that moment when we haven't seen a friend for a long time, but when we meet up again, we immediately realise that we have something in common. Our town twinning programmes and our city friendships thrive precisely on such encounters and show that friendship and community can grow across borders and over the years."
The programme of visits got off to an atmospheric start with the folk festival parade on 25 July, where the traditional costume musicians from Hof bei Salzburg delighted the spectators and led the procession with their marching music. Chairman Alex Steindl: "Some of us have been here before, dressed up as Krampuses, but for many it's the first time. We like to play traditional marches at parades, even if our repertoire is otherwise more modern."
Mayor Jochen Becker from Hof in the Westerwald: "The first thing I noticed was the sparkle in the eyes of our friends Franz, Felix, Thomas and Angela. Our friendship can bring people together, give new impetus and inspire others."
Mayor Thomas Ließ from Hof bei Salzburg: "We were always welcomed with great friendliness, and we want to continue this warmth in the future. Our traditional musicians were particularly happy to come along, some of them already know Hof from the Christmas market."
Felix Medwenitsch, Mayor of Hof am Leithaberge: "This is our first visit to this beautiful town of Hof. Our friendship has deepened with every meeting. The meetings have never been compulsory, but have been characterised by cordiality, good conversations and joie de vivre. Friendships don't end at borders."
The highlight was undoubtedly the performances of the traditional musicians, who not only took part in the folk festival parade, but also gave stand concerts in Hof's old town centre on Saturday afternoon. The marching band played from St Mary's Church to the Kugelbrunnen and back to great applause and shouts of bravo.
In addition to the official programme items, the guests from the administrations of the Hof municipalities were given a guided tour of the Biedermeier quarter and the Hof Theresienstein, which provided a wealth of details about the city's history and architecture. The Trachtenmusikanten took the opportunity to relax with a game of adventure golf at Hof's Untreusee lake and then enjoy a meal together at the Wertschaft.
The visit of the Hof communities ended on Sunday with a joint church service in the marquee of the Hof folk festival and a warm farewell. The guests travelled back to their home towns with care packages, a donation from the Dennree company in Töpen - bringing with them many fond memories and the certainty that the friendship between the Hof communities remains strong.
