In the capital of the Belgian province of East Flanders, Ghent, a delegation from the Hessian state capital signed the partnership agreement on September 4, 1969.

The return visit took place on May 21, 1970 under the leadership of Mayor Emile Claeys. After a brief welcome by Mayor Schmitt at a reception in the ballroom of the town hall, the Belgian praised the cooperation between the two cities to date and hoped for further fruitful exchanges at both a political and social level in the future. As a sign of solidarity, the mayor and his companions then signed the city's Golden Book.