TWO CITIES FORM TRADE, CULTURAL TIES

JACKSON -- To foster an exchange of cultures and ideas between the Old World and the new, efforts are under way to establish a formal relationship between the city of Jackson and the oldest city in Denmark.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen agreed Monday to explore the possibility of becoming "sister cities" with Ribe, Denmark.

Though most residents are likely unaware, ties between the two are already forming.

Henning Bollerslev, a citizen of Denmark who recently moved to Jackson, believes his new hometown could benefit from a relationship with Ribe.

"I think Jackson can profit from having Ribe as a partner city," Bollerslev said. "There are a lot of small industries in Ribe just like in Jackson. They could have an important connection to sell and buy each other's products."

In addition to developing business ties, Bollerslev said cultural and sporting exchanges could help the two cities learn more about each other.

Denmark lies in northern Europe and comprises the Jutland Peninsula and adjacent islands. Ribe, a coastal town on the North Sea, is 50 miles north of Denmark's border with Germany.

The existing city of Ribe dates to the 1400s, but older towns and settlements had been located at the site as far back as the early part of the First Millennium.

Aside from being the oldest city in Denmark, Ribe's other claim to fame is that it was once home to Dagmar, a Viking queen. During Viking times, Ribe, a port city, was a center of trade in the Scandinavian region.

Even before moving to the Jackson area in May, Bollerslev has worked to build a relationship between the two regions.

In partnership with Dutch Meyer, the owner of Fruitland Dressed Meats, Bollerslev and his wife, Brigitte, have started a new company called Old Bavarian Sausage. The company produces authentic German sausage made from ingredients imported from Europe.

But business isn't the only tie between the two areas. After visiting the region over the past two-plus years, Bollerslev helped develop a relationship between Southeast Missouri State University and Ribe Handelskool, a college in the Danish city.

Dr. Peter Gordon, a marketing professor at Southeast, has visited Ribe twice this year.

"There is kind of a connection between the two," Gordon said of Ribe and Jackson, noting their similarities in size and population.

"The people I spoke to in Ribe are really fascinated and interested about Missouri," Gordon said. "There have been a number of stories in their local paper about this area."

During his first visit this past summer, Gordon accompanied 40 Southeast students as part of the university's International Business Study Program. The students spent three weeks in Europe studying systems of commerce on the continent.