MAYOR CARL WYCZAWSKI talks Monday morning with the mayor of Ulm, Germany to confirm a written invitation to both the Ulm and Neu Ulm mayor to join in the city’s Heritagefest in August. The Ulm mayor accepted the invitation for himself and the mayor of Neu Ulm. (Photo by ART HANSON)

The mayors of Ulm and Neu Ulm, Germany this morning in a long distance phone call accepted the invitation from city fathers to attend New Ulm’s Heritagefest next July.

Dr.Hans Lorenser, Lord Mayor of Ulm, took advantage of a new direct dial service of the Ulm phone system -to call Mayor Carl Wyczawski at 8:32 a.m. It was 3:32 p.m. in Ulm.

Wyczawski had received warning late last week that he would be getting the call and was at the city manager’s office in city hall to receive it.

Dr. Lorenser accepted on behalf of himself and Dr.Dietrich Lang,Lord Mayor of Neu Ulm. They will arrive in New Ulm July 22 and are expected to stay four or five days.While here they will visit the Sate Capitol and other places of interest.

“We are looking forward to meeting not only the mayor and City Council but all the fine citizens of New Ulm,” said Dr. Lorenser to Wyczawski. “We hope to promote and strengthen the good relationship between the two cities.”

THE EXCHANGE OF OFFICIALS between Ulm and New Ulm goes back to 1954 when New Ulm was celebrating its 100th anniversary and Ulm its 1100th anniversary, according to George Korenchen of Travel Fun Tours. Korenchen said Dr. T.R. Fritsche, former New Ulm mayor,Walter Mickelson of the New Ulm Journal, and Korenchen worked on organizing that original exchange.Dr. Fritsche has been to Ulm three times and has entertained many German groups visiting New Ulm, Korenchen said.

Nineteen people from New Ulm went to Ulm in 1954 as guests of Ulm, while Ulm sent three city councilmen to New Ulm’s celebration.

In 1962 Dr. Theodore Pfizer, Lord Mayor of Ulm, came to New Ulm’s Sioux Uprising observance as an honored guest.

Two years ago Travel Fun Tours took a group of New Ulm area businessmen and their wives on an Autumn in the Alps tour which stopped two nights Ulm. Dr. Lorens erentertained the entire group at a champagne reception at the Rathaus (city hall).

The New Ulm group was “highly impressed with the delightful personality of Mayor Lorenser,” Korenchen said.

Korenchen and Dr. Fritsche were present at the city manager’s office this morning for the 8-minute phone call and both spoke to Dr. Lorenser.

Korenchen said Ulm officials hope the visit this summer will revive the intercity interest which has been waning over the past few years.

New Ulm Daily Journal

March 1, 1976