In Lviv, the mayor of the German twin city Freiburg im Breisgau, Martin Horn, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, by which Freiburg officially joined the international UNBROKEN Cities Network. Following this, the association now includes 19 member cities, as well as the city of Lviv as the initiator of the network.
During the meeting, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stressed that the partnership with Freiburg is an example of consistent support for Ukraine in wartime. On behalf of the Lviv community, he presented Martin Horn with the Iron Lion award and a commemorative postage stamp dedicated to the 770th anniversary of Lviv.
Martin Horn addressed the people of Lviv in Ukrainian, emphasising that solidarity must be expressed through concrete action. According to him, Freiburg plans to continue implementing joint projects with Lviv in the fields of education, the economy, business, culture and support for children, as well as to step up its involvement in UNBROKEN initiatives.
The Mayor of Freiburg noted that the friendship between the cities has lasted for more than 45 years and has become even stronger in wartime. He stated that the Freiburg community will continue to support Lviv and UNBROKEN projects, and he highly praised the speed of decision-making, innovation and resilience of Lviv residents.
The Freiburg delegation also included the daughter of the city’s former mayor Rolf Böhme — Hanna Böhme, Executive Director of the Association of Industrial Companies of Baden-Württemberg. She recalled that it was during her father’s term of office in 1989 that Lviv and Freiburg signed an agreement establishing a partnership. It was then that the Ukrainian flag was raised for the first time over Lviv City Hall.
Hanna Böhme said that she was in Lviv during those events at the age of 14, and that her family later visited the city many times. She stressed that the current visit is particularly symbolic for her, as it took place on her late father’s birthday.
The UNBROKEN Cities Network is an international initiative founded by Lviv, Manchester and Liverpool. It brings together cities that cooperate in the field of resilience, sharing experience of working in times of crisis and implementing joint educational projects. Freiburg is one of Lviv’s most active partners within this ecosystem.
Among the key joint initiatives of Lviv and Freiburg are: an allocation of 500,000 euros for the construction of one of the floors of the rehabilitation building of the UNBROKEN centre; the charity project “NaDiya — Hope and Action”, which raised 40,000 euros, with a further 60,000 euros contributed by Freiburg City Council; 100,000 euros for the restoration of Lviv Lyceum No. 5 after a Russian missile strike; annual summer camps in Freiburg for children from Lviv; funding of 1 million euros for the creation of the Unbroken Art Workshop for veterans and the wounded; and regular professional exchanges between educators and representatives of local self-government bodies.
Martin Horn has headed Freiburg im Breisgau since 2018, and in 2026 he was re-elected for a second term. He pays considerable attention to sustainable development, environmental protection and international cooperation, and describes the partnership with Lviv as one of the most important examples of European solidarity with Ukraine.