Welcome to the Bristol Hannover Council

Thank you for visiting our website and expressing an interest in the Bristol Hannover Council. As the recently-elected chairman of BHC, I am thrilled to be leading such an illustrious organisation at this momentous time for our two countries.

The link between Bristol and Hannover is one of the oldest twinnings between Britain and Germany. Set up in 1947, the Council has been facilitating exchanges of citizens every year, holds cultural and social events, welcomes and assists groups visiting Bristol from Hannover.  You can read more on the history of the twinning  or see our news page for a report on the recent visit made by a group from BHC to Hannover to renew contacts with our Hannover friends.

In 2022 we celebrated our 70^th Anniversary with a whole series of joint events culminating in a joint meeting of our respective organisations and the civic representatives of Bristol and Hannover at which we committed to work together in future to support the exchange of ideas and people between our two cities. For all the stories about the 70th anniversary celebrations, see the official anniversary website: https://bristolbordeauxhannover.wordpress.com/

A big emphasis of our work has been to encourage exchanges for young people in sport, music and culture. We have supported a wonderful series of youth exchanges across a wide array of interests: Young Bristol, Ariel Rowing Club, RISE Youth Dance, Bristol Choral Society and Circomedia to name just a few.

Every month we try to stage an event for our members: talks, visits to exhibitions, performances of films with a German angle, as well as social events like our Rosenmontag evening and Christmas Market lunch. We already have an exciting programme of events prepared for 2025.

In 2025 we will also host two important visits from Hannover to Bristol. In August we welcome our friends from the Hannover Bristol Gesellschaft as they join us in Bristol for their biennial visit. Later in September we will support a visit by the representatives of several Hannover based groups to make connections with their counterparts in Bristol as part of a ‘Multiplier’ group.

I hope this introduction has given you a flavour of what Bristol Hannover is about. Keep an eye on our website and social media for news of our events. Please contact us if you would like to take part in our activities, to learn a little more about Hannover or see what we have been up to. It is easy to become a member of the BHC using the form available on the membership page.  If you have any questions for the BHC about the twinning please contact us via https://bristolhannovercouncil.org.uk/contact/.

Ian Turner

Chairman, Bristol Hannover Council

** Bristol Hannover Council is a member of the Bristol International Twinnings Association.