‘Town Twinning’ or ‘Sister Cities’ (as known in the USA) is a concept whereby towns or cities in geographically and politically distinct areas are formally paired or linked, with the intention of fostering human contact, cultural exhange, mutual understanding, friendship and economic development.
The end of World War 2 saw a great emergence of twinning arrangements as the European populace saw benefits in facilitating a closer understanding of each other and promoting cross-border activities. An example of this would be Coventry’s (UK) twinning with Dresden (Germany): both cities having suffered heavy bombing during the war. The cultural and political sensitivities of this and other such twinning arrangements reinforced a sense of healing, of hope and a desire to educate future generations.
While the concept of town twinning may have originated in the post-World War II era, the practice has evolved and adapted over time to reflect changing social, political, and economic conditions. For example, many town twinning relationships have expanded beyond just cultural exchange to include economic partnerships, educational collaborations, and joint efforts to address global challenges such as climate change and social justice issues.
Overall, the practice of town twinning remains a valuable tool for promoting cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, and it continues to be relevant in today’s increasingly interconnected world. ‘Twin Town Tales’ is an ongoing project exploring juxtapositions between 11 distinct locations. Each of these places or ‘Link Towns’ are formally connected by association.
They are: Whitstable in UK, Alberstlund in Denmark, Borken in Germany, Dainville in France, Mölndal in Sweden, Rîcany in Czech Republic, Grabow in Eastern Germany, Bolkow in Poland, Lviv in Ukraine, East Renfrewshire in Scotland and Sisimiut in Greenland.
