Wunderbar Together: The Impact and Potential of U.S.-German Sister City Collaboration in Climate Resilience
A common misconception is that international relations are defined only by national policy, overlooking the transformative influence of international collaboration on the city and community levels. Daily lives can be influenced just as, if not more strongly, by local policies and environments. International sister city partnerships, from joint projects to person-to-person exchange, therefore wield significant power in shaping individual perceptions of other countries. Sister city relationships can also fill key gaps in international relations by enabling local collab...
Wunderbar Together: Celebrating Columbia and Kaiserslautern’s Common Love for Creativity
The 20-year partnership between Columbia, South Carolina and Kaiserslautern, Germany is filled with flourishing art exchange and ultimately "a common love for creativity." Sister Cities International interviewed Dickson Monk, Executive Director of the Columbia World Affairs Council, on the cities' art exchange, shared historical remembrance, Wunderbar Together events, and lasting citizen diplomacy. A press release for the Columbia World Affairs Council's latest Wunderbar Together event, Heimat/Home: The 2019 Columbia–Kaiserslautern Artists Exchange, is available ...
Wunderbar Together: A Report on the Diverse and Thriving Cincinnati-Munich Relationship
Ute Päpke, President of the Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati, submitted a report on the strength and diversity of the Munich-Cincinnati relationship, including its numerous forms of exchange, commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the recent celebration of the partnership's 30th anniversary. The report provides an overview of the partnership and summarizes key events from January to November 2019.
For more information on the Munich-Cincinnati partnership:
Origin of the Munich-Cincinnati Partnership
The ...
A Natural Fit: SCI-Wunderbar Together Partnership Engages Spartanburg Event Attendees
As part of its partnership with Wunderbar Together, Sister Cities International convened regional U.S.-German Sister Cities members and German-American stakeholders at the regional “America and Germany: Friends in Business and Community” event on November 2 at the BMW Zentrum in Spartanburg, SC. At capacity, the event drew in attendees from Virginia and across the Carolinas. The event was a testament to the synergies and impact of Sister Cities’ partnership with Wunderbar Together, as attendees expressed heightened enthusiasm for the Sister Cities mission and for ...
Wunderbar Together: A Nashville-Magdeburg Partnership Sharing Celebrations, Historical Remembrance, and Solutions
The partnership between Nashville, TN and Magdeburg, Germany is ever-evolving and rich with cultural festivals, historical remembrance, collaboration in disaster relief and global challenges, and regular person-to-person exchange. The partnership and its role in advancing peace was recently featured on an episode of the Big Pond, a podcast published by the Goethe Institut. Sister Cities interviewed Joel Dark, Nashville-Magdeburg Partnership Chair at Sister Cities of Nashville, to learn more about the partnership and its impact.
On November 18, Sister Cities of Nashville ...
Wunderbar Together: Ways for U.S.-German Members to Get Involved
Sister Cities International has a wide array of engagement ideas, templates, and other resources available to strengthen existing sister city partnerships. As part of our partnership with Wunderbar Together, the following engagement strategies and resources are tailored to U.S.-German partnerships, but many are also broadly applicable. Members are welcome to contact Sister Cities with further ideas or questions.
Sample Ways to Get Involved
Join Our #SCIWunderbarTogether Communications Campaign: Use our #SCIWunderbarTogether hashtag, promote our Wunderbar Together ...
Wunderbar Together: St. Louis Welcomes a Delegation from Stuttgart
The following post was written by Susanne Evens, President of St. Louis - Stuttgart Sister Cities. In preparation for the 60th anniversary of the partnership, St. Louis hosted a week-long delegation from Stuttgart, rich with cultural exchange, meaningful collaboration, and new friendships.
For more information on the St. Louis - Stuttgart partnership:
It’s been a privilege and honor to be the president of St. Louis’ oldest Sister City of Stuttgart, Germany for the past 13 years. We continuously strive to welcome visitors and delegati...
Wunderbar Together: Brewing Business Diplomacy between Fort Worth and Trier
Increasingly, business partnerships between sister cities are strengthening international business ties and economic development. US-German sister cities Fort Worth and Trier have partnered on a Wild Acre Kraft Haus beer, combining elements from each culture, and are poised to advise other Fort Worth companies on how to establish global partnerships. Fort Worth Sister Cities' international business collaboration ultimately won the Innovation in Business and Trade Award from Sister Cities International at the 2019 Houston conference.
Beyond business ties, Fort Worth and ...
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 ...
Wunderbar Together: Building Lasting Bridges with the St. Charles – Ludwigsburg Partnership
From Maifest to 3,000-strong exchanges, St. Charles Sister Cities and Ludwigsburg are building vital bridges between the U.S. and Germany. Sister Cities interviewed Mary Johnson at St. Charles Sister Cities to learn more about the impact of the 25-year partnership.
Earlier this year, St. Charles Sister Cities had also partnered with Sister Cities International and Wunderbar Together on the annual Maifest celebration, where Sister Cities President and CEO Roger-Mark de Souza hosted a panel discussion on the history of our program, where we are today, and where we see the ...
