Dependance Print

It was in December 1991 that the „Charlotte Oberserver“ published an article by D.G. Martin about his search for the German name giver of his American hometown Charlotte, North Carolina. Martin, a politician, professor and journalist in Charlotte, NC, gave the narrative of his journey in Germany leading him from Schwerin, Hamburg, Güstrow, Rostock, Bad Doberan, to Neustrelitz and finally Mirow. At the castle he met Gerd Zimmermann. Zimmermann, who lived at the castle and was responsible for the restauration of the Mirow Castle, told Martin about a recently founded „Residenzschlossverein“ in Mirow. Martin for his part reported about politicians, German entrepreneurs in Charlotte, and about a club that people with German roots joined in. These people  in Charlotte, NC, were looking for contact to the German birthplace of Queen Charlotte. Back in Charlotte, NC, Martin reported to his friend Dieter Radtke, then president of Philipp Holzmann AG, on his recent trip. That´s when the cooperation between the Residenzschlossverein in german Mirow and american Charlotte started. Responsible for the ongoing contacts was Otto Glameyer. In April 1993 a Mirow delegation took their first trip to Charlotte, NC. They were warmly welcomed by Park Helms, Chairman of County Council, Catherine Hansen and Dieter Radtke. These three together with D.G. Martin proofed themselves as reliable partners. After 1993 an exchange between Mirow and Charlotte started; Charlotte people travelled to Mirow and vice versa. Within a festive ceremony at the Neustrelitzer Theatre (Germany) Mecklenburg County and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern seald a cooperation on January 18, 1994.  A day after, on January 19, 1994, Park Helms and the then minister of education, Steffi Schnoor, signed The cooperation agreement at the Schweriner Schloss. The Charlotte delegation also visited Mirow and its castle. In 1994 while a Mirow delegation visited Charlotte the idea of a Charlotte Dependance in Mirow was born. On october 27, 1997, Mecklenburg County and the Mirow Residenzschlossverein decided to open a Dependance of Charlotte, NC, in Mirow. A year later the Dependance opened at the Mirow gatehouse.