City ambassador

It is not unusual for German cities to enter into partnerships with municipalities in Europe. But the fact that they exchange ambassadors to deepen their relationships is unique to the city of Osnabrück and its European twin towns. The City of Peace has been cultivating this particularly intensive form of cooperation since 1965. Back then, the first city ambassador travelled to Angers to cultivate Franco-German friendship. Haarlem in the Netherlands, Derby in England, Tver in Russia and Çanakkale in Turkey are now also linked to Osnabrück in this special way.

Every autumn, the new city ambassadors, who act as contact persons for all partnership activities, are introduced to the citizens of Osnabrück. They are in constant contact with their colleagues in the respective partner cities, they organise city trips and foster cultural exchange. For example, music groups from Angers or Çanakkale often visit the European Village during Osnabrück's city festival, the May Week. On the other hand, Osnabrück musicians have often utilised the contacts and had opportunities to perform in the twin towns.

Whether workshops, film screenings, charity events or culinary encounters, the city ambassadors ensure that the idea of twinning is actively lived and filled with content. To date, over 200 young men and women have taken advantage of this opportunity to work in a partner city for a year. Many ambassadors have stayed in the respective city or country for professional or personal reasons after completing their work contract.