Town Twinning Bebra

KNARESBOROUGH-BEBRA

This account of Bebra and the two maps were prepared by Pat Tankard, photographs are by David Tankard except where stated.

Town twinning has been promoted throughout the world since the end of the Second World War as a means of promoting understanding and friendship between the peoples of different nations.

Knaresborough has been twinned with Bebra since 1969, when the twinning agreement was signed in October in Bebra, and then in June 1970 the agreement was signed in Knaresborough.

Bebra is a similar size to Knaresborough, and is situated right in the heart of Germany, although until 1989 it was close to the border of the former East Germany.

The town lies in a broad valley, surrounded by rolling wooded hills, with the River Fulda flowing to the west of the town. A farming settlement had existed there for over 1000 years, but Bebra developed as a town with the coming of the railways, becoming an important railway junction.

However, it still retains some of the working farms in the town centre.

Although much of the centre was destroyed during the war, resulting in many new buildings, there are still some attractive half-timbered houses. The administrative district of Bebra includes a number of the surrounding villages, which still remain proudly independent.

An old timbered house in the village of Breitenbach
Photograph by Hans-Jürgen Manns, Breitenbach.

Each year Bebrans have visited Knaresborough at the time of the Bed Race, and have entered teams almost every year. During the 1980's, the men's team won the race on a number of occasions.

In return, many Knaresborians visit Bebra on the first weekend in October for the Kirmes or Harvest Festival Celebrations. These annual festivities usually include a Grand Concert, with many local groups participating (with occasional contributions from Knaresborians), an Ecumenical Church Service, a children's torch-light procession, and a Grand Parade incorporating many bands, local clubs and village communities. The focus of the event is a huge marquee, with beer always on sale, and a variety of musical entertainment.

However, the strength of twinning between Knaresborough and Bebra is friendship at all levels, not just official visits, and many groups have forged links.

Students from King James' School and the Brüder Grimm Schule in Bebra exchange visits in alternate years, and celebrate 25 years of twinning in 1998. Knaresborough Town Football Club and F. V. Bebra have played football against each other at both senior and junior levels for around 20 years. Knaresborough Silver Band and TSV Musikzug have played music together for almost 20 years, regularly exchanging visits every two or three years. In the past, Young Farmers Clubs and the Fire Service have visited each other; the International Police Association visited Bebra in 1997, and the Jugendmusikgruppe has played many times in Knaresborough.

On all these visits we stay not in hotels, but in each other's houses, so that we become involved in each other's way of life. Over the years, close friendships have developed, so that many people visit independently of group exchanges. We have even had one "Town Twinning Marriage" in 1983, between Roland Hühn of Bebra and Knaresborough's Jenny Kirkbride. Probably several Knaresborians think of Bebra as their second home town. There are several concrete recognitions of twinning in the two towns. For example, Bebra has Knaresboroughplatz, where a friendship oak was planted in 1979, and in Knaresborough we have the Bebra Gardens.