In former times, Bobigny was a small horticultural town which in 1964, became the capital of the Departements Seine-Saint-Denis. The partnership between Potsdam and this town to the north-east of Paris was established in 1974.
Bobigny was first mentioned in a document from the 7th century. Excavations led to the conclusion that there were already settlements here even in the 3rd and 4th centuries. After the great French revolution of 1789, Bobigny acquired the status of a municipality. When Bobigny was linked to the railway network at the end of the 19th century, it became a town for factory workers. Large residential estates arose there.
The town developed in accordance with the requirements of Paris, thus railway lines criss-crossed it, and a highway junction divided the town into separate areas. Industrial sites and railway facilities were built. Today, the town with its 44,019 inhabitants, is connected to the French metropolis via an underground line (Metro). The fact should also be mentioned that the rather small town of Bobigny, despite a surface area of only 6.77 square kilometers, still dedicates an area of several hundreds of hectares to accommodating the cemetery of the French capital.
The town's house of culture - Maison Culturelle, or simply MC 93 - is well-known far beyond the city limits, especially for its theater enactments. However, classical music, cabaret, jazz, and exhibits are presented here as well. The ‘Fête de la Ville,' a major public festival, takes place in Bobigny every year in connection with the French Music Festival.
Bobigny's economy is characterized by the metalworking industry, food production, and toy manufacturing. The University Paris XIII with its health, medicine, and human biology departments is also based in Potsdam's sister city. You'll find detailed information on Bobigny at www.bobigny.fr.
The Potsdam Espengrund grammar school has had a school partnership with the Jean Michel Lyceum in Bobigny for many years. Politically-active seniors also visited the French city several times. Anyone wishing to get in contact with Bobigny may send an email to the marketing office of the Potsdam municipal administration: marketing@rathaus.potsdam.de.
