Birmingham and Frankfurt will mark 60 years of sisterhood with a digital portal this week. The two sister cities will be linked by a large digital screen inside a freight crate, meaning Brummies can chat with German citizens without leaving the West Midlands.
Located in Southside’s Hippodrome Square, the digital portal will go live on Friday, October 23, and host a range of interactive sessions until Wednesday, November 4. This is part of Frankfurt’s Sister Cities Dialogue project to link with twin cities in real time—and also includes Krakow in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine.
“Birmingham’s friendship with Frankfurt has grown over 60 years through educational exchanges and cultural encounters,” said Councillor Deborah Harries, Cabinet Member for Culture. “The Sister Cities Dialogue project will help bring citizens in both cities closer through conversation, engagement and understanding.”
Sister cities
Birmingham has been twinned with Frankfurt since 1966—this year marks 60 years of friendship between the two cities—but the relationship is best known for the gifting of the Frankfurt Christmas Market in 2001. This festive fixture of 26 years follows shortly after, returning Thursday, November 5, to Thursday, December 24.
Digital portal
“Our partnership with Birmingham has been part of Frankfurt’s international identity for six decades, and it has never depended on official agreements alone, but on people,” said Eileen O’Sullivan, Deputy Mayor for International Affairs of Frankfurt. “It is cities and their citizens who hold Europe together, and by linking Frankfurt with Birmingham, it gives our citizens a direct way to talk and listen to each other.”
A special launch event will take place in Hippodrome Square from 3.30pm on Friday, October 23, where the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Zaker Choudhry, will officially open the portal. It will then be open Monday to Friday, between 10am and 8pm, often with no registration required—just stop by!
From free, open talks to discussions on yoga, music, politics, and so much more, you can see a full list of sessions by heading here.
