Čakovec

Schramberg's most recent official partnership has existed since 1989. This development did not begin in an official way. People from the Croatian city found their way to Schramberg as former Yugoslavian guest workers from 1970 onwards in order to find work and bread here. "Father" of the friendship was Ivan Strukelj, for many years chairman of the association "Croatian Home". The new workers came not only from Čakovec itself, but also from the surrounding region of Medimurje.

In the 1990s, the civil war in former Yugoslavia cast its shadow on the relationship between the two towns. When Croatia won its independence, the town witnessed these bloody conflicts - at times, several thousand refugees stayed in and near Čakovec. Schamberg and also the Belgian twin town of Charleroi spontaneously sent relief supplies. Again, it was mainly the Croatian Home and its chairman Ivan Strukelj who worked for his hometown for many months. In 1994, the twin town took on new contours. As Čakovec had changed a lot due to the political upheaval, Mayor Dr. Herbert Zinell and Mayoress Marija Ruzic signed a new friendship treaty.

Čakovec is located in the triangle of Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary - between the rivers Drava and Mura. Therefore, the region of which Čakovec is the capital is also called Medimurje, "between the rivers". The city has about 34,000 inhabitants.