Saarbrücken: How foreign languages ​​shape the cross-border city

Saarbrücken: How foreign languages ​​shape the cross-border city

Saarland is known for its close connection to France and is considered the most French state in Germany. Saarbrücken is currently striving to develop into the German-French capital, which is also reflected in the everyday experiences of its citizens. This is reflected not only in the cultural activities, but also in the increasing cross-border cooperation at the administrative level. The city of Saarbrücken is home to several German-French cultural associations and has the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF) joined.

The Saarbrücken Citizens' Office offers support in French, which is particularly important for the numerous cross-border commuters. Around 42,000 French and 1,500 German workers commute across the border every day, making the region a shared living and working space. In this context, a framework agreement for Franco-German placement services between employment services was signed in 2013, which has since helped 12,000 job seekers, of which 6,000 were able to find a job. In December 2024, the successful cooperation will be extended again after more than a decade in order to further promote cross-border mobility.

Foreign language skills in public administrations

In the town halls of border towns such as Saarbrücken, Strasbourg and Aachen, knowledge of foreign languages ​​plays a central role. While knowledge of German is particularly important for certain departments in the Strasbourg town hall, which has a high proportion of multilingual employees, the linguistic demand in Aachen varies. However, no statistical records are carried out here on employees' foreign language skills. English is very important in Aachen, while French and Dutch are less popular. The mayor of Aachen speaks French and some Dutch well, but there are no regular language training courses.

In Strasbourg, however, most official documents are translated into German or English to ensure smooth exchange. The International Relations Directorate also employs multilingual staff and professional translators are brought in when necessary. The mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, is fluent in both German and English. However, the city's website is only available in French, while other municipal websites provide multilingual content, including English and German.

Cross-border challenges

Despite the many advantages of cross-border cooperation, the population and administration also face challenges. Legal information in Aachen is only provided in German, which can be a hurdle for many cross-border commuters. However, the city of Aachen's website offers a translation tool to make access to information easier.

The lively communication and exchange across the border shows how important linguistic and cultural integration is for the people in this region. It remains to be seen how cross-border cooperation will develop in the future and what role foreign languages ​​will play in contributing to even closer understanding and cooperation.