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Pirna - a piece of Europe

Pirna is committed to promoting the concept of Europe and entrenching it in society. The town is the very embodiment of the European idea of unity in diversity. The town’s leaders have a vested interest in encouraging citizens to see themselves and their community as a part of Europe, to identify with the idea of Europe and to approach people from different cultures and religious backgrounds with open arms.

The town’s efforts are focussed on working together with its twin towns in Germany and abroad, cooperating with its European neighbours and, over and above this, creating connections with communes outside of the European Union.

The Council of Europe’s Europe Prize

The challenge of qualifying for the Europe Prize gets tougher and tougher each year, and so there are more and more initiatives and collaborations to further and support the open-minded town of Pirna. Every year, the government files a report with the Council of Europe detailing the numerous meetings and commitments Pirna has been involved in in the previous year.

There are four levels to the Council of Europe’s Europe Prize: the European Diploma, the Flag of Honour, the Plaque of Honour and the Europe Prize itself. Pirna was awarded the European Diploma in 2005, followed by the Flag of Honour in 2013 and in 2017, the town’s commitment was recognised with the Plaque of Honour.

The Europe Prize is the most high-ranking of the four awards. It was set up in 1955 and is still being awarded today for outstanding achievements in promoting the European idea of unity. Only one or two municipalities receive this special award each year, a fact which gives Pirna an incentive to do more for European unity.