The idea of a twin city really took off after WW2, further growing in popularity with the formation of the EU, as a way to bring the world closer together. For Birmingham, this started with a partnership with France’s Lyon in 1951, but continues into the modern era—most recently, Birmingham and Changchun became sister cities in 2013. Birmingham has eleven sister cities in total, each as unique and varied as the UK’s Second City, so let’s take a deeper look at all of Brum’s twin cities.
Lyon
Birmingham’s longest-standing partner city, Lyon, started its relationship with the Second City in 1951. The third-largest city in France is often considered the country’s culinary capital and the birthplace of cinema (the world’s first motion picture was shot on the streets of Lyon).
Frankfurt
The relationship between Birmingham and Frankfurt is most celebrated during Christmastime. Brum’s huge, authentic German Christmas was gifted in 1997, but the two cities have been partners since 1966. Frankfurt is also Germany’s financial centre.
Zaporizhzhia
Birmingham first partnered with Zaporizhzhia in 1973, but in 2022, after the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Birmingham became a sanctuary for many of its residents, providing refuge to Ukrainian people and their families.
Milan
Fashion. Food. Football. Is there anything not to love about Milan? The Italian city became a sister city of Birmingham in 1975, and the pair hasn’t looked back since—with joint activities on fashion, design, education, social inclusion, entrepreneurship, and sustainable food systems.
Ulsan
Ulsan—South Korea’s industrial capital—became Birmingham’s ‘Innovation Twin’ in 1987. Home to the industry titans like Hyundai and SK Energy, Ulsan holds the world’s largest automobile assembly plant, the world’s largest shipyard, and the world’s third largest oil refinery. But the area also houses plenty of natural beauty thanks to its dramatic coastlines and alpine peaks.
Leipzig
Because one German city wasn’t enough, Birmingham and Leipzig became partner cities in 1992—focused on an exchange of good practice to support Leipzig with its economic regeneration after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Chicago
The Windy City started its relationship with the UK’s Second City in 1993. A youthful workforce and an industrial base, the two cities have more in common than you might first think. Chicago is also called the Second City in the US.
Johannesburg
After the end of apartheid, Johannesburg’s first-ever international partnership was with Birmingham in 1997. South Africa’s economic hub, globally famous for its gold mining history, is also home to the world’s largest man-made forest.
Guangzhou
The world-famous Cantonese cuisine originally comes from Guangzhou. But Birmingham became partners with the Chinese city in 2006, with the University of Birmingham even opening a full-time office in the sister city for academic link-ups.
Nanjing
Birmingham also became a sister city with another Chinese city in 2006. Nanjing is one of China’s ancient capitals, famous for its salted duck cuisine, the world’s longest circular city wall, and Dr Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum: The magnificent resting place of the founding father of the Republic of China, nestled at the foot of the scenic Purple Mountain
Changchun
Birmingham’s newest sister city, Changchun, is China’s ‘City of Automobiles’, as well as the ‘Cradle of Chinese Film’. The pair officially became sister cities in 2013, although this is 30 years after they began working together.
