Germans seeing double in Wolfsburg

BERLIN, Sep 16 (Reuters) Hundreds of twins from around the world gathered in Wolfsburg at the largest meeting of its kind in Germany -- fittingly a two-day conference.

About 300 pairs of twins are expected at ''Wolfsburg meets Gemini'', said Kerstin Freier yesterday, the event's media coordinator. The aim of the festival is to give twins -- and their parents -- a better understanding of what makes them unique.

It will also give the twins a chance for a rich variety of ''2-for-1'' deals offered by local merchants in the northern German town better known as the worldwide headquarters of Volkswagen.

''This twins meeting differs from others in that the focus is on education and on the science behind the phenomenon,'' said Christina Waletzko, marketing coordinator for the event. Lectures will cover the current state of research into twins.

''We also wanted to give twins a chance to exchange experiences between themselves,'' she added of the conference that hopes to become an annual event.

A local mother of twins first proposed the idea to Wolfsburg's mayor, who is himself the father of twins.

But the meeting is not all science and lectures.

Today the town will put on a giant party for its guests, with performances from twin German pop musicians ''Gemini'' and flame-breathers Twin-Fire.

''Everyone is touched by twins,'' said Heidrun Kieslinger, a Wolfsburg gynaecologist, in an interview in the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, ahead of her lecture on issues about twins at the Wolfsburg conference.

''It's just wrong to belittle the issue. Naturally we have to recognise the unique value of pairs of twins but we also need to encourage the development of the individual twins,'' added Kieslinger, herself a twin and mother of twins.

If lecture fatigue sets in, twins can take advantage of discounts at Wolfsburg's main attractions with special 2-for-1 offers at the Planetarium, the art museum and local water park, as well as at a number of restaurants and cafes.

The number of twins born has increased in the last century, officials said. One German pregnancy in 60 now produces a pair of twins, whereas 100 years ago the incidence was one in 85.

This increase can be seen worldwide, a trend explained by researchers by the fact that women are giving birth later, often with the help of fertility drugs.

REUTERS PB ND0846