English

RESOLUTION NO. 426/XXIV/2026 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF RYBNIK
of 13 April 2026
on granting Mr Alain Philibert the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Rybnik”
Pursuant to Article 18(2)(14) of the Act of 8 March 1990 on Municipal Self-Government (consolidated text, Journal of Laws of 2025, item 1153, as amended),
upon the motion of the Mayor of Rybnik, and after receiving the opinion of the Committee for Self-Government and Cooperation with Districts,
the City Council of Rybnik
resolves as follows:
§ 1.
Mr Alain Philibert is hereby granted the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Rybnik”.
§ 2.
The execution of this resolution is entrusted to the Mayor of the City.
§ 3.
This resolution shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Chairman of the City Council
Krzysztof Szafraniec

JUSTIFICATION

Alain Philibert has been the mayor of the French city of Saint-Vallier for 26 years, a city that has shared a 65-year partnership with Rybnik. As a true admirer of Polish culture, he has spent many years actively promoting it among the residents of Saint-Vallier, while ensuring the continuity and development of cooperation between our cities.
Alain Philibert was born on 3 January 1951 in Perrecy-les-Forges as the fourth and youngest child of a family of a mason, Émile, and Marie-Marcelle, a homemaker. His parents wanted him to receive an education, which led him to leave home early and live in a boarding school in order to continue his studies. It was also during this time that he began his sporting activity, becoming a rugby player for many years.
After completing his education, he worked as a technology teacher at the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry middle school in Montceau-les-Mines, where he met Rose, his future wife. In 1973, he began working in Saint-Vallier at the newly established Nicolas Copernicus middle school, where he remained until his retirement in 2011.
From an early age, he was involved in local public life. In 1989, at the age of 38, he became deputy mayor responsible for sports. In 2000, he won the municipal elections and became mayor, succeeding Marcel Bouteloup, who had held the position for 29 years (1971-2000).
Alain Philibert has been continuously active in the community of Saint-Vallier for 37 years, including 26 years as mayor. He is the third mayor with whom Rybnik has cooperated since the signing of the partnership agreement in 1961: Jean-Marie Chalot (1947-1971) and Marcel Bouteloup (1971-2000).
The awarding of the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Rybnik to Mr Alain Philibert is an expression of deep appreciation for a person whose work and commitment have significantly contributed to the history of friendship between our nations. The mayor of Saint-Vallier is not only an outstanding local government official but also a true friend of Poland and Rybnik.
His attachment to our city, which has been a partner of Saint-Vallier for 65 years, reflects the deep bond between our cultures. Alain Philibert proudly emphasizes that he grew up among many Polish families whose parents emigrated in the 1920s to France to work in the mines. He attended school with Polish children, formed friendships with them, taught many students with Polish names, and now lives among them, unable to imagine his city without their presence, traditions, and culture.
Thanks to his commitment, our two cities continue to develop their partnership. As he often says: “Rybnik is the oldest and most valuable friend of Saint-Vallier.” Rybnik and Saint-Vallier do not only exchange experiences and carry out joint projects, but also build bridges of friendship across borders.
Alain Philibert has often accompanied residents of Saint-Vallier during exchanges with students of the II Secondary School named after Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski in Rybnik. He finds great joy in contact with Rybnik’s youth. He is always present at the reception of delegations from Rybnik and personally oversees their stay.
Thanks to his commitment, hospitality and support, more than 700 students from Rybnik have taken part in these exchanges since 1989. For many of them, these experiences sparked a lasting interest in French culture and influenced their future educational and professional paths.
At the invitation of the mayor, students and teachers of the Karol and Antoni Szafranek State Music School, artists of the “Przygoda” educational and artistic ensemble, as well as young athletes and entrepreneurs from Rybnik, have also presented themselves in Saint-Vallier during various events.
Alain Philibert - a Frenchman fascinated by Rybnik and its inhabitants, a mayor who has made Saint-Vallier a place where Poland and France meet in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.
The result of his efforts is the promotion of Polish culture and Silesian traditions, as well as the dissemination of information about Rybnik and its residents in France.

EULOGY

Alain Philibert has been the mayor of the French city of Saint-Vallier for 26 years, a city that has shared a 65-year partnership with Rybnik. As a true admirer of Polish culture, he has spent many years actively promoting it among the residents of Saint-Vallier, while ensuring the continuity and development of cooperation between our cities.
Alain Philibert was born on 3 January 1951 in Perrecy-les-Forges as the fourth and youngest child of a mason, Émile, and Marie-Marcelle, a homemaker. His parents wanted him to receive an education, which led him to leave home early and live in a boarding school. It was also during this time that he began his sporting career in rugby.
After completing his education, he worked as a technology teacher at Antoine de Saint-Exupéry middle school in Montceau-les-Mines, where he met Rose, his future wife. In 1973, he began working in Saint-Vallier at the newly established Nicolas Copernic middle school, where he remained until his retirement in 2011.
From an early age, he engaged in local public life. In 1989, at the age of 38, he became deputy mayor responsible for sports. In 2000, he won the municipal elections and became mayor, succeeding Marcel Bouteloup, who had held the position for 29 years (1971–2000).
Alain Philibert has been continuously active in the community of Saint-Vallier for 37 years, including 26 years as mayor. He is the third mayor with whom Rybnik has cooperated since the signing of the partnership agreement in 1961: Jean-Marie Chalot (1947–1971) and Marcel Bouteloup (1971–2000).
The awarding of the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Rybnik to Mr Alain Philibert is an expression of deep recognition for a person whose work and commitment have written an important chapter of friendship between our nations. The mayor of Saint-Vallier is not only an outstanding local government official but also a true friend of Poland and Rybnik.
His attachment to our city reflects the deep bond between our cultures. Alain Philibert proudly emphasizes that he grew up among many Polish families whose parents emigrated in the 1920s to France to work in the mines. He attended school with Polish children, formed friendships with them, taught many students with Polish names, and lives among them today.
Thanks to his commitment, our cities continue to develop their partnership. As he often says: “Rybnik is the oldest and most valuable friend of Saint-Vallier.”
Alain Philibert has accompanied residents of Saint-Vallier during exchanges with students from the II Secondary School in Rybnik. Contact with youth brings him great joy. He is always present at receptions for delegations from Rybnik and personally organizes their stay.
Thanks to his support, more than 700 students from Rybnik have taken part in these exchanges since 1989.
At the invitation of the mayor, students from the Szafranek Music School, artists of the “Przygoda” ensemble, young athletes and entrepreneurs from Rybnik have also presented themselves in Saint-Vallier.
Alain Philibert – a Frenchman fascinated by Rybnik and its inhabitants, a mayor who has made Saint-Vallier a place where Poland and France meet in friendship.
The result of his work is the promotion of Polish culture and Silesian traditions.
Finally, it should be noted that in March this year he was re-elected in the first round with 65.42% of the vote, securing his fifth term.
To conclude, I would like to quote Aristotle: “Dignity does not consist in possessing honours, but in deserving them.”
Mr Mayor, you have earned the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Rybnik. Congratulations.
P.S. Alain Philibert once said that after retirement he would move to Rybnik.

It all started in Aix-les-Bains, where on 24 April 1957 the World Federation of Twin Cities was established. The Federation’s congresses were held in various European cities, including Warsaw in 1964 under the title “The Problem of Spontaneous Urbanisation”. The congress brought together 550 cities from 17 countries. From that time, Rybnik and Saint-Vallier became part of the group of cities cooperating within the Federation.
The initiator of the contacts was the mayor of Saint-Vallier, Jean Chalot, who had already taken part in the first Federation congress in Aix-les-Bains in 1957. There, within a language commission, he met a representative from Wrocław, and together they searched for a partner city in Poland. Rybnik was proposed as a city with a similar economic and social profile.
The first concrete contacts took place in 1959 during the International Congress of Miners’ Trade Unions in Katowice, where representatives of Saint-Vallier and Rybnik met. Shortly afterwards, the French side officially invited Rybnik to cooperate, and the invitation was accepted.
In June 1961, a French delegation visited Rybnik, marking an important step in the development of relations. Despite political and organisational difficulties in Europe, including visa issues and restrictions in 1962–1963, the contacts were maintained.
Finally, thanks to the commitment of both sides and the personal intervention of Mayor Jean Chalot, a reciprocal visit took place in 1963, consolidating the cooperation.
This is how the partnership between Rybnik and Saint-Vallier began — based on the initiative of local authorities, but above all on human contacts and a shared will to cooperate across the divisions of that time.

Located in western Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk has been Rybnik’s partner city since 2001 and is considered one of the most remarkable gems of the region. It is a city with a rich multicultural past, impressive both in its history and its modern character.
Founded in 1661 by the Polish magnate Andrzej Potocki as Stanisławów, it initially served as a fortress town. A year later, it was granted Magdeburg rights, which is considered its official founding date. For nearly three centuries, it bore the name of the founder’s son, Stanisław Potocki. It was only in 1962 that it was renamed Ivano-Frankivsk, in honour of the Ukrainian writer, poet and political activist Ivan Franko.
The city has always been a crossroads of cultures, nationalities and languages. Jewish and Armenian communities left a strong mark on its development, but the Polish community played a key role in shaping the city. A symbol of this shared history is its oldest monument - the bronze statue of Adam Mickiewicz, erected in 1898. Miraculously preserved during World War II, it was partially dismantled by German forces, but fragments were saved by a Polish scrap worker, preventing its destruction.
The city’s history also includes the so-called “marmalade fire” of 1868, caused by a household accident. The fire spread rapidly, destroying more than 260 buildings, including the town hall and other important structures. This disaster led to the modern reconstruction of the city in brick and stone and the creation of a professional fire service.
Ivano-Frankivsk has often been ahead of its time: it is home to Ukraine’s first pedestrian avenue, one of the oldest functioning bathhouses in the country, and a historic railway. Among its landmarks is the Gartenberg Palace, featuring a metal roof structure designed by Gustave Eiffel’s company.
The city’s most recognizable symbol is its town hall - one of the youngest in Europe and the only one in the world built in a modernist style. Its golden dome is one of the city’s defining landmarks.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ivano-Frankivsk has become a key humanitarian hub in Ukraine. The city has hosted around 40,000-42,000 internally displaced persons, providing housing, social support and integration opportunities. At the same time, it serves as a logistics center for humanitarian aid while also being periodically targeted by missile and drone strikes.

Eurasburg is easy to overlook on a map of Germany. This small municipality in Upper Bavaria, located about 40 kilometres south of Munich, has a population of around 4,400 residents. Although it is nearly thirty times smaller than Rybnik, it was this very community that provided significant support for Poland came during the difficult years of the 1980s and the early 1990s. In times of crisis, the people of this small Bavarian community showed that solidarity knows no borders.
The history of mutual relations dates back to 1981. That year, Rosemarie Tröscher, inspired by an appeal from Gerhard Kubatz, a great friend of Rybnik, became involved in organising aid for Silesia. After moving to Bavaria, she gathered people of goodwill around her, who supported Poland through fundraising efforts and aid shipments. An important partner in these activities was the Burgmann company, which for many years supported not only material assistance but also cultural cooperation and youth exchanges.
Between 1983 and 1993, the “Aid for Poland” campaign was carried out, bringing shipments of donations and equipment to Rybnik. For many families and institutions, this support was not only practical but also symbolic, demonstrating that there were people on the other side of Europe who were not indifferent to Poland’s fate.
As Poland’s economic situation improved, this assistance evolved into a lasting partnership based on friendship, cultural exchange and personal contacts. This led to the creation of the “Youth and Cultural Exchange” initiative, which culminated in the signing of an agreement in 2001 between the International Cooperation Association “RYBNIK-EUROPA” and the association “German-Polish Youth and Cultural Exchange” in Eurasburg.
The greatest asset of Eurasburg, however, is its people. The history of cooperation with Rybnik shows that even a small community can have a big heart and make a lasting impact on the lives of others. In 2008, representatives of Rybnik and Eurasburg jointly planted an “Oak of Friendship” on the Rybnik Campus. It continues to grow to this day and remains a symbol of this unique relationship.