[Kaffee und Kuchen – that’s coffee and cake being enjoyed at a gathering to mark the anniversary]
Our city has been celebrating 75 years since its initial contact with the German town of Brunswick.
At a recent gathering, members of the Bath-Braunschweig Twinning Association and the former Mayor of Bath, Cllr Michelle O’Doherty, welcomed some of the participants in the early exchanges with Brunswick to an afternoon tea party where they could talk about those formative experiences.
Bath’s link with Brunswick arose from a Foreign Office initiative aimed at fostering understanding and a spirit of reconciliation among the younger post-war generation, and by 1975, it was estimated that some 12,000 citizens had taken part in various exchanges (since when we have no up-to-date figures).
The exchanges covered many aspects of life in Bath; youth organisations, schools, sporting groups, theatre ensembles, musicians and artists, to name but a few, and many people in Bath, or their friends and families, will have been involved in these visits over the past years.
April 27th marked the 55th anniversary of the official twinning agreement, the first such agreement to be signed on behalf of the City of Bath. There will be a further celebration later in the year.
In June, representatives of Bath’s business, political, musical and social life will also visit Brunswick, and we look forward to strengthening our links with the many people who have become our friends there.
