partnership with Münster

The first contacts with Fresno were made in the early 1980s through the Federal Republic's Consulate General in San Francisco. In July 1986, the partnership was officially sealed in Münster's town hall. The original idea of promoting youth exchanges with this town twinning has been maintained to this day.

The Münster-Fresno partnership association, together with the "Sister Cities Committee" in Fresno, organizes regular student exchanges and citizen trips. In addition, there are contacts between the universities and meetings in the areas of music and sport. Since 2015, there has been a cooperation between the 1. AFC Münster Mammuts eV and the Bulluard Knights - the American football team of the Bullard High School in Fresno. The "Touchdown in Fresno" program promotes the exchange of youth players and coaches.

The two city administrations maintain a close relationship, supported by the UDE participation in 2022-2023. They enable exchanges of experts and visits by specialist delegations in various areas of the public service and the regional economy.  

From Twin Town to Twin Town

In terms of their development, the two cities differ significantly from one another. While Münster celebrated its 1200th anniversary in 1993, Fresno is a very young city at just over 100 years old. Fresno has developed quickly in its short history and, with over 500,000 residents, is already significantly larger than Münster.

In terms of infrastructure, Münster and Fresno in California are surprisingly similar. Fresno is also an administrative, commercial and service center with only a few industrial companies. The surrounding area is also mainly used for agriculture, although other crops thrive in Fresno due to the warmer climate: cotton fields, vineyards, walnut and almond groves, plum and peach plantations surround the city.