Sixteen visitors from Germany were welcomed on Tuesday as Bethlehem celebrated the 20th anniversary of its sister city relationship with Schwaebisch Gmuend.
A new plaque was dedicated beneath the flag poles of Payrow Plaza as Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, and Reinhard Kuhnert, the leader of the Schwaebisch Gmuend delegation and president of its sister city organization, exchanged gifts.
Kuhnert also extended Callahan and Bethlehem citizens an invitation to visit Schwaebisch Gmuend next July when it celebrates its 850th anniversary. The German visitors will be in Bethlehem until Friday.
Schwaebisch Gmuend is a town of about 62,000 in southern Germany that is known for producing gold and silver handicrafts. It is one of three cities that Bethlehem has a sister city relationship with – the others being Tondabayashi, Japan and Murska Sobota, Slovenia.
