Brixen/Bressanone

The then mayor of Brixen, Dr Zeno Giacomuzzi, and chief mayor Rudolf Schlichtinger signed the partnership document at a ceremony in the historical Imperial Hall in the Old Town Hall.

However, the links between the cities of Brixen and Regensburg began centuries earlier. The document that first mentions Brixen and proves the city to be the oldest in Tyrol, was issued in Regensburg. The document certifies the gift of the Prichsna court, which Louis the Child transferred to bishop Zachariah in 901 AD. The patronage of the Church of St. Cassiano also points to early links between the two cities. The church, which was first mentioned in a document in 885, bears the name of the patron saint of the diocese of Brixen/Säben.

In the year 1002, Henry II gave the bishop of Brixen a manor in Regensburg. The "Brixen Manor" (Brixener Hof), which still bears the coat of arms of the Brixen cathedral chapter today, served as a residence for the bishops during the state parliament sessions of the Bavarian duchy, which were held in Regensburg.

The links with Brixen continue into the present day. IAs South Tyrol's third-largest city (population around 21,700) and with numerous artistic monuments and valuable collections, Brixen has become a home away from home for many Regensburgers.

Among the testaments to Brixen's grand past are the magnificent cathedral, the cloister with its unique late Romanesque and early Gothic frescoes, the prince-bishop's Hofburg which now houses the Diocesan Museum, and the façades of the city’s two arcades. Brixen is a flourishing trade and service centre where tourism is an important economic factor. It is not without reason that Brixen is called the Gateway to the Sunny South. Today, the links between the people of Regensburg and the bishop's city of Brixen are now so numerous that this introduction only lists a few examples. Young people and athletes, Kolping Families and music groups, visual artists and members of Alpine and shooting clubs, are but a few of the alliances and groups that have been cultivating the wonderful relationship between the two cities for many years. Brixen even has a "Viale Ratisbona" or "Regensburg Avenue".

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the twin partnership in 2019, a new park on the site of the former Nibelungen barracks in Regensburg was named "Brixen Park" after its twin in South Tyrol. The grand opening was celebrated on 28 September 2019