Friends of Speyer - Chichester has a new twin town

A Friends of Speyer group has been established and is already very active. There have been various reciprocal visits, with many more planned; a website has been created, www.friendsofspeyer.org; and the first issue of a newsletter, Freundschaft, has recently been issued. Speyer has also established a Friends of Chichester group.

The city of Speyer is located on the left bank of the River Rhine, between Karlsruhe and Mannheim, and close to Worms and Frankfurt. With a population of 50,000, it is one of Germany’s oldest cities, dating from the Roman era. In the 11th-century cathedral are the tombs of Holy Roman Emperors and German royalty. In 1981 the cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is also famous for the 1529 Protestation at Speyer, following the Lutheran Reformation. Along with Mainz and Worms, Speyer was one of the most important Jewish communities in medieval northern Europe. The Jewish courtyard and subterranean baths, dating from 1104, are also UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The original Roman name for Speyer is Noviomagus (meaning ‘new market’), as it was for Chichester. Chichester and Speyer also share in common motor sport (Goodwood Racing Circuit and Hockenheimring), and the wine industry. Interestingly, Chichester and Speyer are both twinned with Chartres and Ravenna.

Aside from the reciprocal signing ceremonies, events in Speyer have already included performances by the University of Chichester’s Sleepy Lagoon Orchestra, and a residency and exhibition by local artist Laura Buckle. There have been Rotary Club exchanges, and many members of the Friends of Chichester will visit Speyer at the end of November.

Friends of Speyer aims to foster and promote links with Speyer and act as a conduit for activities and initiatives in the areas of Business, Education, Sport and culture, and Tourism (BEST). We welcome new members. You can join via the website here: www.friendsofspeyer.org/membership/, or contact the Membership Secretary, Richard New direct: [email protected]