The University of Sheffield did a study on Middlesbrough’s town twinning history. This is the first academic look at how things changed and stayed the same in Middlesbrough’s twinning with Oberhausen, Germany, Dunkirk, France, and other places in Poland and Zimbabwe.

The study talked to important people in town twinning, like old mayors and council directors, and used stuff from Middlesbrough Libraries and Teesside Archives, including diaries and a report from a 1953 trip to Middlesbrough by the Oberhausen Education Department.

Twin success

The study looks at the history of town twinning, what worked, and what didn’t. It also got info from Middlesbrough Council, showing a big drop in activity due to local and national changes and the pandemic. Middlesbrough Council didn’t spend any money on twinning, and there were no events or exchanges from March 2020 to the end of the financial year in 2021/2022.

But now things seem to be picking up. There’s news about Deputy Mayor Philippa Storey welcoming a German visit in July 2023, and she says the relationship has “stood the test of time.” The paper talks about the challenges with Brexit and town twinning but says Middlesbrough is making an effort to keep its ties with Europe strong.

“The research provides some new insights into the origins and development of Middlesbrough’s relationship with our European friends and the broader cultural and economic benefits this brings for the area.,” the researchers conclude.

“Following the Brexit vote, which posed a perceived threat to twinning relationships, the interviews and responses from key stakeholders highlight their determination to ensure that we continue to learn and engage with our partners on the continent despite the challenges posed by Brexit, the pandemic and the implications of local government austerity.”