- A new exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the city of Sheffield’s twinning partnership with the German city of Bochum is set to launch this week (19 July 2025)
- Created by a University of Sheffield languages student and Sheffield City Council through a special internship, the exhibition features artefacts and personal stories of people who have played a part in this friendship forged in the aftermath of war and the spirit of peace
- The exhibition showcases everyday experiences and long-lasting community memories of Sheffield and Bochum citizens learning from each other’s cultures, and trying each other’s cuisine
Stories of people who have helped the city of Sheffield and the German city of Bochum maintain a special 75-year friendship are set to be revealed in a new exhibition launching this week (19 July-18 August).
The exhibition, curated by Holly Satterly, a politics and modern languages student from the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with Sheffield City Council, will also feature materials uncovered from Sheffield City Archives that illustrate the friendship, many of which are being shown in public for the first time.
On display in Sheffield’s Central Library, the exhibition will highlight the key role that community groups in both cities have played in driving forward the partnership for over seven decades.
Artefacts on display will include:
- Declaration of peace between Sheffield and Bochum.
- Photo albums of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress from the 1950s -1980s with photos from civic delegation visits between Bochum and Sheffield.
- Community artifacts such as letters from residential exchanges between Bochum and Sheffield.
- Programmes from joint performances of the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus and the Philamonischer Chor of Bochum.
- Football kits and other artefacts from Wisewood Juniors and Adler Riemke’s long standing football exchange.
Holly Satterly, who is learning German as part of her degree at the University of Sheffield, curated the exhibition during an internship at Sheffield City Council. The internship was developed by Holly’s lecturer, Dr Seán Williams from the University’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies, in collaboration with Robert Swarbrick, International Officer at Sheffield City Council who also studied languages at the University.
Holly's language skills helped her undertake original research and engage with community stakeholders both in Sheffield and Germany to help bring the exhibition together.
Holly said: “This exhibition plays a key role in not only celebrating 75 years of partnership between Sheffield and Bochum but also highlighting the significance of the two cities on an international stage. The exhibition emphasises the importance of the partnership in not only ensuring joint success and prosperity but also its importance to community groups in enriching the lives of Sheffield and Bochum citizens and promoting a lasting friendship.
“One of the key aims of the exhibition is to showcase the importance of the work of community groups in furthering the success of the partnership and allow visitors to celebrate the work of these key organisations within the two cities.
“In my research, I uncovered documents from a longstanding adult exchange between Sheffield and Bochum. In this was a letter from a German participant complaining about the bland English food served to her by her host. This is definitely my favourite artifact on display as it adds a relatable human touch to the pomp and ceremony of this formal partnership. Unfamiliar food on a foreign exchange trip is certainly something I can relate to personally from my language exchanges in school.”
Robert Swarbrick, International Officer at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield twinned with Bochum in 1950 as a way of promoting peace, understanding and friendship in the aftermath of the war. Like Sheffield, Bochum has a proud industrial heritage, once renowned for steel production and coal mining. Today, Bochum is a thriving city of 372,000 residents and is home to over 15,000 companies, with sectoral strengths in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, cyber security, healthcare and IT.
“Sheffield City Council retains a strong, active relationship with Stadt Bochum which extends far beyond civic links. Both sides are committed to ongoing collaboration in respect of business, trade, investment, education, sustainability and more.
“To mark the 75th anniversary of the partnership, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield visited Bochum in May 2025 to sign a Reaffirmation of Twinning document, which sets out both sides’ commitment to strengthening the partnership long into the future.”
Dr Williams, Senior Lecturer in German and European Cultural History at the University of Sheffield, added: “German has long been at the heart of Sheffield life - in 1904-5 our Lord Mayor was German - and this exhibition is testament to how intercultural exchange was forged after the Second World War. Not only politically: we see how history also played out in the everyday, whether in a football match or a band. When we study German at Sheffield, we want to understand - and foster an appreciation for - what German has meant in daily life and even our own sense of place.”
