5 results for tag: Germany


Wunderbar Together: Stories of the Lasting Impact of US-German Exchange

Sister city partnerships create a lasting impact not only through their scope, but also through the depth of the person-to-person connections they foster. The impact of participating in a sister city partnership, whether as an exchange student or a city official, can last throughout one's lifetime and even across generations. As part of our Wunderbar Together blog series, we are highlighting testimonials of those involved in US-German sister city partnerships. Many testimonials describe how, through their experience traveling to Germany or hosting others, they gained completely new insight into the German culture. Many also expressed surprised at the ...

Find a German Sister City Partnership Near You!

Germany has the fourth most US sister cities in the world, with approximately 100 partnerships across 31 states (including marked Friendship Cities and Emeritus Cities). Looking to strengthen the transatlantic relationship through person-to-person connections, or know students who may benefit from US-German programs? Use this interactive map to find a US city with a German partner near you and then click on the German flag icon to find a link to the partnership's website. A full list of US-German sister city partnerships can also be found here. An overview of Sister Cities' partnership with Wunderbar Together and further ways to get involved ...

Wunderbar Together: A Waterloo-Porta Westfalica Connection Formed in Heritage and Music, Sustained in Exchange

With its official biennial visits, summer student exchanges, scholarships, and a 5,000-strong “Portafest,” Waterloo’s ever-growing portfolio of programs with its sister city of Porta Westfalica, Germany has netted it “Illinois Sister City of the Year” awards in 2008 and 2017. Given the diversity of its programs now sustaining US-German ties for 38 years, it is surprising to think back to the Sister Cities of Porta Loo’s origins simply in shared heritage and music diplomacy.

Wunderbar Together: A Norfolk-Wilhelmshaven Exchange Transcending Generations

Jennifer Priest of the Norfolk Sister City Association and her family have personally been impacted by the lasting German-American ties formed through this program. “My daughter participated in the 2001-02 exchange. We are still close with those German ‘kids’ who are now 30-somethings with their own families. They still come to us for holidays. Because of the age of our program, we have had second generation participants.”

Schaumburg Meets Schaumburg: A Sister Cities Gathering

Sister Cities programs connect distant populations with one another through various exchanges, delegations, and partnership projects. Last week the Schaumburg-Schaumburg relationship between Illinois and Germany enjoyed ten days together after a German delegation of six visited their U.S. counterparts. The trip coincides with the 35th anniversary of Schaumburg’s oldest Sister City relationship. The Illinois village became Sister Cities with the German county in order to connect U.S. residents with their ancestral history. Schaumburg County is located in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany and was the homeland for many of the original settlers ...