*Jolanta und Rimantas Balciauskiene, stellvertretende Bürgermeisterin Elisabeth Kroesen und Stasys und Anneliese Cirpus beim Empfang am Donnerstag*

*© Stadt Bocholt*

25. November 2022Europe/International

Akmen woodcarvers at the Advent market in the LWL-TextilWerk Bocholt

Deputy Mayor Elisabeth Kroesen receives guests from Lithuania

Rimantas and Jolanta Balciauskiene are at the Advent market at the LWL-TextilWerk Bocholt this week. They are selling their hand-carved woodwork in the weaving hall. This is the 11th time the couple from the Lithuanian twin town Akmene is represented at the market. The deputy mayor Elisabeth Kroesen now received the two Lithuanian guests. With them were Stasys and Anneliese Cirpus.

Stasys Cirpus is the co-founder of the German-Lithuanian town twinning between Bocholt and Akmene. Together with the German Red Cross, he has organized numerous aid transports to Lithuania since the beginning of the 1990s. On May 14, 2022, the mayor of Bocholt, Thomas Kerkhoff, and the mayor of Akmene, Vitalijus Mitrofanovas, signed the town twinning certificates at the European Town Festival in Bocholt.

Works of art made of local wood

The two Lithuanian woodcarvers sell hand-carved bowls, spoons and boxes as well as much more made of local woods at the market. Thus, they presented Elisabeth Kroesen with a bowl made of ash wood, a spoon made of maple and a spatula made of plum wood. The deputy mayor was happy about these gifts and about the reunion with the two Lithuanians. Due to Corona, the Advent market at the LWL-TextilWerk Bocholt could not take place in the past two years.

Art and tradition from Lithuania

The partnership representative Petra Taubach emphasized how important it is that the partnership contacts between Bocholt and Akmene with Lithuania are also filled with life in this way with the participation of the two wood carvers in the Advent market. At the same time it is a good opportunity to present and sell art and tradition from Lithuania in public. Rimantas Balciauskis is a high-ranking member of the Association of Lithuanian Folk Artists in Lithuania.

Opening of the Advent market until 27 November

The Advent market at the LWL-TextilWerk is open until Sunday, November 27 , from 10 am - 6 pm. The visit of the museum courtyard is free. For the stalls in the museum there is an entrance fee of 4 euros. Next year, the two Lithuanians plan to come to Bocholt again. Until then, they will eagerly carve new works of art from local woods.