Montceau-les-Mines and Zory twinning anniversary

The French town of Montceau-les-Mines and the Polish town of Zory marked the 20th anniversary of their twinning agreement, which was established in September 2006 to connect the two cities through their shared industrial and mining histories.

Following the announcement of upcoming festivities, celebrations were held on October 3 and 4, 2026, at L’Embarcadère in Montceau-les-Mines. Led by President Christiane Duda, the event featured an immersion into Polish culture through traditional cuisine, such as Krakowska, Kabanos, Placek, and Paczki, as well as various crafts. The anniversary also included a literary presentation by author Wieslawa Pniewska regarding her novel ‘Le Passeur’.

During the festivities, Mayor Isabelle Louis received a delegation from Zory led by Vice-President Kamil Owczarek and Museum Director Lucyan Buchalik. The program included a musical performance titled ‘Les Déracinés,’ which examined the history of Polish and Italian immigration in the mining basin between 1920 and 1960. This performance specifically highlighted the arrival of Polish workers following World War I, their participation in the French Resistance during the Occupation, and the subsequent arrival of Italian laborers after the war.