News

Remembrance Day was on Saturday 11 November. Aaron Sims met British and German rowers whose cities have been twinned since 1947. In 1981 links were founded between the cities’ two rowing clubs as part of a friendly sporting exchange, and since then athletes have travelled over to compete with their rivals every other year. This year it was Ruderverein Linden’s turn to visit and, back in October, they joined rowers from Bristol Ariel Rowing Club, racing a testing 3km course along a beautiful twisting stretch from Hanham to St Anne’s.

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A project behind plans to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the twinning of Bristol and Hannover received a huge surprise when former EastEnders and Holby City star Don Gilet, revealed to the group that they are to receive a £6,800 National Lottery grant. Millions of viewers will witness the exciting moment which is being broadcast as part of the National Lottery Awards show on BBC One on Wednesday 27 September at 10.45pm. In Someone Else’s Shoes, Myers-Insole Local Learning CIC will use the funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a touring exhibition celebrating the links...

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Over thirty of Bristol-Hannover Council members and friends took part in a visit to Hannover to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the twinning. All participants covered their own costs and were hosted by the Hannover-Bristol Gesellschaft and Hannover City Council. The visit coincided with Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees’ official visit to Hannover. The Bristol Mayor undertook a gruelling programme of two 12 hour days with business meetings and a series of five key speeches including one at the Trade Fair grounds celebrating their 70th anniversary (founded by the British Army in 1947 with Hannover...

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18 of our friends from the Hannover-Bristol Association visited Bristol as part of our regular citizens’ exchanges, but this time it was a very special occasion: central to this visit was the great Zoo party to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the twinning, alongside the same anniversary of the link with Bordeaux – and both groups were accompanied by their respective Mayors Schostok and Juppé with their entourages.               Oberbürgermeister Schostok speaks at the Zoo, Mayors Rees and Juppé accompany.  The Hannoverians...

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Sporting exchanges have been an integral part of the relationship between Bristol and Hannover, and this anniversary year is no exception. All the events below are being supported financially by Bristol-Hannover Council. July 29th – Hannover Roller ‘Derby Dolls’ coming to Bristol! The return match (bout) (Bristol Roller Derby went to Hannover in 2014) between Hannover (http://dolls.rollerderby-hannover.de/)  and Bristol's B team (http://www.bristolrollerderby.com/) will now take place on Saturday 29th July at the Centre for Sport at the University of the West of England. This will...

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An exhibition of photographs documenting the history since 1947 of the city partnership between Bristol and Hannover is now on show at the Café at the CREATE Centre on Smeaton Road, BS1 6XN. It shows personalities and events from the very first visit by 5 Bristolians to Hannover, who went to help out when the message came to Bristol that in the terrible winter of 1947 the children of Hannover were unable to go to school because they did not have any shoes. Subsequent decades show great gatherings and events demonstrating the growing friendship between the two cities. The celebrations to date in this...

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Over 100 delegates from all over the UK and from counterpart cities in Germany packed into City Hall in Bristol to take part in the British German Association’s conference on twinning with Germany. Mayor Marvin Rees welcomed the delegates and spoke passionately about Bristol’s commitment to internationalism and in particular its links with Hannover. Mayor Herman from Hannover also spoke as part of a panel discussion on the evolving nature of twinning within the BREXIT context. Robert Nicholls chairman of the Hannover Bristol Gesellschaft also spoke and took part in workshops with other delegations....

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Following the Bristol team’s successful visit to Hannover, the return match or "bout" as it is called between Hannover’s roller derby team the Demolition Dolls (http:?//dolls.?rollerderby-hannover.?de/?) and Bristol's B team (http:?//www.?bristolrollerderby.?com/) will take place on Saturday 29th July at the Centre for Sport at the University of the West of England. This will be an afternoon event, the exact time is yet to be confirmed. More details in May but pencil it in your diaries!

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Dr Ann Kennard has been awarded the Lord Mayor’s International Medal for her many years work to strengthen the twinning with Hannover. Ann has been the chairperson of the Bristol Hannover Council (BHC) for over fifteen years and her dedicated and tireless efforts have played a vital role in developing the relationship. The ceremony took place at the Mansion House hosted by Lord Mayor Jeff Lovell and was part of a larger event where over 30 local people received Lord Mayor’s Medals for their outstanding contributions to their community and the city itself. Ann was accompanied by her husband...

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Christian Heppner, an archivist from the City of Hannover, gave us a fascinating insight into how the Hannover’s precious historical documents were preserved during the Second World War. Christian told us that proper cataloguing of Hannover’s history started with the first full-time archivist in 1889, when the archives were kept in the Kestner Museum. In 1940 when the first bombs fell near the museum, the archives were moved to Marienburg Castle, where they were kept for 2 years in a wine cellar and the kitchen, where they suffered from mould and mice! They were then moved to Soeder Castle,...

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