CULTURE OF DIALOUGE
The state capital of Düsseldorf is twinned with eight other cities around the world. These partnerships are brought to life through various projects that encourage cultural and personal exchanges between its citizens.
In September 2024, Mayor Stephan Keller welcomed students from Chongqing who were participating in an exchange programme to the Jan Wellem Hall.
Düsseldorf has a wide range of international relations. These include town twinning partnerships, which are coordinated by the Office for International and European Affairs. The city provides financial and organisational support for projects in education, youth, culture, and sport. ‘We network administrations, establish international contacts, organise meetings, welcome delegations, and help to overcome language and cultural barriers,’ explains Jessica Breitkopf, Head of the Department for International and European Affairs. Düsseldorf's town twinning partners include Reading (UK), Haifa (Israel), Chiba (Japan), Warsaw (Poland), Chemnitz, Chongqing (China), Chernivtsi (Ukraine) and Palermo (Italy). At the beginning of an official partnership, the city exercises great caution, taking into account cultural and economic considerations, among other things. ‘If this results in a lasting interest in closer cooperation, a formal partnership is discussed and decided upon at the political level,’ Breitkopf continues.
Two of Düsseldorf's eight twin cities are located in the Far East: Chiba is one of Japan's most populous prefectures, with around 6.3 million inhabitants. The state capital also has a town twinning arrangement with the Chinese megacity of Chongqing. With 32 million inhabitants, it is one of the country's most important trade centres and one of the world's largest urban regions. It also has a 3,000-year history and a diverse culture. ‘Civic exchange is a central component of many of Düsseldorf's city partnerships. It takes place in a variety of forms, such as school and youth exchanges, club cooperation, sports competitions, art and cultural projects, and joint events,’ says Jessica Breitkopf.
When artist Bao Lei from Chongqing arrived in Düsseldorf, she processed her impressions in her art and painted objects and signs that were foreign to her.
A key aspect of cultural dialogue is the artist exchange programme organised by the City of Düsseldorf's Cultural Office in collaboration with four partner cities. A partnership with the Chinese city of Chongqing has existed since 2008 in collaboration with the local Organhaus Art Space. Since then, 48 artists from Düsseldorf and Chongqing have seized the opportunity to live and work in their respective partner cities for two months, culminating in a public exhibition at the end of their stay. One of the first artists to come to Düsseldorf from Chongqing was Bao Lei, whose husband Jan Kucharzik, a German national who has lived in China since 2000, also took part in the exchange. Photographers Corina Gertz and her husband Kris Scholz also have a deep connection to the Chinese metropolis and to many of the artists who have participated in the exchange programme. They have also made a documentary film on the subject for the Cultural Office. ‘We built up relationships with many people at the time. I think that happens to most artists who take part in the exchange – lifelong friendships develop,’ enthuses Corina Gertz.
In Düsseldorf, the guest artists live and work in the Golzheim artists' colony. All Düsseldorf-based artists can apply for an open call, and candidates are selected by the directors of the Organhaus, Yang Shu and Ni Kun. In Düsseldorf, the selection is made by an advisory board, which last year included Corina Gertz. ‘The most important criterion is, of course, quality, but we also pay attention to diversity, and to whether the artists are sociable and will find their way around Chongqing,’ says Corina Gertz. ‘In China, there are no city maps or traffic signs in English, which makes it incredibly difficult,’ adds Jan Kucharzki. Bao Lei was also overwhelmed when she first arrived in Düsseldorf. She decided to process her impressions through art. ‘I painted small pictures capturing things that were foreign to me: signs, objects, and machines whose meaning was lost on me,’ she says. Photographer Bernard Langerock visited Chongqing as part of an artist exchange programme, which sparked his fascination with the country and its people. Living in an artist's apartment there for two months was a completely different experience to travelling through the country as a tourist. ‘Everything is different in China, but the people are very open, even though the system they live in does not stand for openness,’ he observes.
„I think that happens to most artists who take part in the exchange – lifelong friendships develop“
A tennis team from Chongqing took part in this year's DFC, including two U14 champions from the Chinese metropolitan region.
School students in Düsseldorf who participate in exchange programmes with educational institutions in partner cities, including Chongqing and Chiba, are open to meeting peers from other cities. These include the Cecilien- and Humboldt-Gymnasium secondary schools, as well as the Heinrich-Hertz-Berufskolleg vocational college. The latter welcomes students from Kisarazu Technical College in Chiba every year and sends its own students there. The Tennis Friendship Cup (DFC) also takes place in Düsseldorf once a year. It is part of an intensive exchange programme run by the city of Düsseldorf with its twin towns in various sports for junior athletes. Children and young people under the age of 14 are eligible to participate, and Gerd Schidlewski and Michael Giele organise the tournament week. These two volunteers ensure that the competitions, held at the TC Rot-Weiß Düsseldorf e.V. tennis club, run smoothly. “We were very pleased to welcome players from Chemnitz, Warsaw and Chongqing this year,” says Gerd Schidlewski. As well as the sporting activities, the programme includes cultural events to help the young players get to know each other. ‘The young people spend a week together and always form friendships,’ says Gerd Schidlewski happily. The absence of teams from Ukraine and Israel from the DFC this year is probably due to foreign and security policy developments that unfortunately always affect town twinning schemes. 'Immediately after Russia's attack on Ukraine, Düsseldorf put its town twinning with Moscow on hold. At the same time, Düsseldorf declared its solidarity with Ukraine and quickly established a formal twinning relationship with Chernivtsi,’ explains Jessica Breitkopf. However, it is the citizens, rather than the city, who keep the relationships between the people of the various twin towns alive, despite all the political problems. •
Words: Katja Vaders
Pictures: Bernard Langerock, Ingo Lammert, Bao Lei, Michael Gielen