News & Events

We recently had a visit from Raimund Menges and Klaudia Dietewich, who are leading a very significant Art and Peace project, with an exhibition, which is to come to Bristol in February 2020. It has travelled around America and various countries of Europe, with Hannover as the lead city in Germany. Mayors for Peace was founded in 1982 by the Mayor of Hiroshima, Japan, and registered as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in 1991. The member cities are dedicated to preventing the global proliferation of nuclear weapons by carrying out activities and campaigns, ultimately calling for their total...

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The last week of October saw the second leg of the Erasmus+ funded project “Politik zum Anfassen” (Grasping Politics, as a loose translation?), where 20 young people aged 14-15 visited their partners in Bristol’s Youth Council, and had 3 days learning about the British political system. The Bristolians visited Hannover in May/June and learned about the German system, including the fact that in Germany, young people can vote in the local elections at 16 years old. This was the subject of one of two debates which rounded off the visit to Bristol, where in the Council Chamber of City Hall, this...

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On the weekend of 4-6th October, Bristol’s Ariel Rowing Club welcomed their partners since 1981 Linden Ruderverein of Hannover, and had an action-packed weekend. The weather was kind, and so the races they planned were a great success, with Ariel winning the Bristol-Hannover Challenge cup on this occasion. Saturday night saw the annual black tie dinner, and on Sunday more relaxed rowing in the sunshine, when BHC’s Chair, Ann Kennard and husband Tony were invited to the President’s lunch at the club’s boathouse.  The sunny weather meant that the visitors could be taken to Sand Point for a picnic...

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After a great deal of discussion and organisation – what a wonderful thing is email! – the weekend of 5/6th October saw the coming together of not two, but altogether four choirs from Bristol/Wells and Hannover!  On a request from our good friend and choir member, Benedikt Poensgen of Hannover City Council, Hannover’s Figuralchor came to Bristol as part of a UK tour, taking in Glasgow and Liverpool.  We managed to partner them with Bristol’s Bach Choir, whose conductor, Christopher Finch suggested the two choirs sing at Wells Cathedral School, alongside the School’s choir Choralia (winners...

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The Bristol Hannover Badminton Exchange has just had yet another very successful and busy weekend. On Friday the 6th September 10 players arrived at Bristol airport for a weekend packed with sport and entertainment.  We started slowly with a leisurely lunch and drinks at the Jubilee in Flax Bourton before a quick walk round some of the dock area.  Time was marching on, so we headed to Ashton Park sports centre to play lots of friendly games of badminton until 9pm. Unknown to our visitors, match results were being recorded so that a small prize could be present later on in the weekend. Quick change...

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Rosie McLay and Sledone, two of Bristol’s top young urban artists were chosen by UPFest and Hannover’s Kulturamt to take part in Hannover’s Urban Nature Festival last weekend. The artists were funded by Hannover City Council and spent several days in the city creating huge murals and then visiting some of the city’s well known urban art districts such as Linden and Nordstadt by bike.  They were able to network with other artists from Poznan, Hannover’s Polish twin city and local artists from the scene.  They also took part in a public talk with the artist ESKAER from Poznan and Tobi...

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Bristol Hannover Council chairperson Dr Ann Kennard recently received a message from the German Ambassador stating: “the President of the Federal Republic of Germany has decided to confer upon Dr Kennard the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.” This is a great honour for Ann and very much deserved given her tireless work on behalf of the twinning with Hannover and Anglo German relations in general. The award was made by Ambassador Peter Wittig at his residence in London on July 11th in the presence of 26 of Ann's family members and friends. The Ambassador gave...

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Two years in the planning, finally 20 young people arrived from Hannover, with six youth workers and artists, to visit Bristol for a programme of different activities, but especially to take part in 2 days of graffiti workshops with a local graffiti artist. This culminated in an exhibition at The Station, where they also stayed at the YMCA hostel. The visit, led by Marco Leitschuh from Hannover City Council, was coordinated by Alix Hughes, twinnings supremo at the International Office of Bristol City Council, and the programme was organised by Faye Keane of Young Bristol and Emma Rigby of the Creative...

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Well, our group of Hannover enthusiasts had an action-packed visit from 27th June to 2nd July this year! This weekend had been chosen in order that we could enjoy the world-famous ‘Schützenfest’, initiated in the 14th century, with its parade of Hannover’s different associations, shooting and otherwise, on the Sunday – 12,000 marchers! This was preceded by the uniquely named ‘Bruchmeisterverpflichtung’ at the Rathaus on Friday evening, where the Lord Mayor annually appoints the 4 ‘Bruchmeister’ who have been tasked for several centuries with ensuring the controlled and orderly...

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The People of Note Community choir (PON) enjoyed a very memorable visit from the amazingly talented Hannover choir Canta Nova. The People of Note International Touring Association (PONITA) are the social/event organising arm of the main community choir and we have taken enormous pleasure in organising and making this weekend possible. The visit has brought together two cities and two performances of exceptional quality and diversity-some welcome bonuses have been the creation of significant international friendships, and the cementing of community ties, both within and across, the two choirs. On...

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