Lord Mayor Johannes Bruns checks out artifacts Thursday, July 20, at the Saxonburg Museum. Saxonburg welcomed representatives from Mühlhausen, which is Saxonburg's “Sister City,” and the birthplace of city founders John Roebling and his brother, Carl Roebling. Justin Guido/Butler Eagle

SAXONBURG — Despite being more than 4,000 miles apart, separated not only by distance but also by language and culture, the town of Mühlhausen and the borough of Saxonburg are actually sisters.

And like many sisters who have not seen each other for an extended period of time, Saxonburg embraced the representatives of Mühlhausen with the type of enthusiasm often reserved for a loved one.

“When we walked down Main Street,” said Birte Freichs, a visiting Mühlhausen city official, “a lot of people seem to recognize us, or they knew we were coming. We feel very welcome here.”