Heidelberg and Bautzen: 35 years of friendship with the deaf celebrated!

Heidelberg and Bautzen: 35 years of friendship with the deaf celebrated!

Deaf associations from Heidelberg and Bautzen recently celebrated a warm reunion. On August 29, 2025, as part of the long-standing city partnership between Heidelberg and Bautzen, Mayor Stefanie Jansen received the 22 visitors from Bautzen in the town hall. This partnership, which has existed since 1991, has a very special facet, because the Heidelberg Deaf Association and the Bautzen Deaf Association have been working closely together for almost 35 years.

The meeting from August 28th to 31st was not only an opportunity for exchange, but also an opportunity to reflect on the successes of the last few years. An outstanding joint project took place in April 2025. Young people from both cities addressed the question of how they can shape their city - a topic that generated many important ideas for the future. Such projects underline how important civil society relations are for cultural and social exchange.

Young people in focus

The regular participation of students from Bautzen in the International Summer Science School in Heidelberg shows that the town twinning not only has rich traditions, but also remains young and lively. These exchange programs enable young people to learn from each other and work together on solutions to social challenges.

But what actually makes town twinning so valuable? As the deutschland.de platform explicitly explains, over 6,500 German municipalities maintain partnerships, with more than 2,200 existing with cities in France alone. Town twinning offers a solid basis for international dialogue and promotes mutual understanding.

A network of cities

In Germany, Cologne is a remarkable example of celebrated partnerships. With currently 24 cities, it maintains the most town partnerships in the country. The relationships with places like Nördlingen in Bavaria and Wagga Wagga in Australia, which are over 16,000 kilometers apart, are particularly exciting. The Council of Municipalities of Europe, founded in 1951, plays an important role in supporting and promoting these relationships.

The town twinnings are not only important political relationships, but also an expression of the desire to build cultural bridges. Especially in times of turbulent social developments, these connections are of great importance in order to promote tolerance and understanding.

Overall, the example of Heidelberg and Bautzen shows how lively and sustainable city partnerships can be. They not only offer a space for dialogue and exchange, but also a significant contribution to social development and integration. Here it becomes clear that such activities are not just a thing of the past, but are actively practiced and involve new generations.