Oxford celebrated the anniversary from June 15 to 19, 2022, with a Bonn Week. About 200 Bonn residents traveled to the twin city to participate in the festivities. Now the anniversary will also be honored in Bonn: From August 24 to 28, about 160 people from Oxford will come to Bonn for this purpose and celebrate with their partner groups and all those interested.
The festivities
The festivities will begin on Wednesday, August 24, in the Botanical Garden with a welcome reception for all guests from Oxford. The Lord Mayor of Oxford, James Fry, and the British Consul-General, Rafe Courage, are also expected to attend.
On Thursday, August 25, political representatives from both cities will hold an expert seminar on the topic of transport transition - a current challenge in both Bonn and Oxford. Afterwards, there will be a tour, among other things along Oxfordstraße. New signs will be erected there to indicate the twinning of the two cities. A professionally designed graffito showing the relationship between the cities will also be displayed.
Later in the day, the official delegation will visit two integrative projects in the districts of Auerberg and Graurheindorf. Sports enthusiasts of the Rosehill FC from Oxford will participate in a soccer tournament of the Rot-Weiß-Lessenich.
Representatives of all participating groups and guests will be welcomed at the Old Town Hall on Friday, August 26. Afterwards, the Oxford guests will take a short boat trip on the Rhine.
In the afternoon, the soccer tournament will continue at Lessenich, and in the evening there will be a musical program. Those interested can choose between folk music in Dottendorf and a classical concert in the auditorium of the Carl-von-Ossietzky-Gymnasium at Ückesdorf. The classical concert is a joint project of the Gymnasium and the East Oxford Community Choir.
Musical program
The traditional citizens' festival on Saturday, August 27, will present information booths and a varied stage program with contributions from Oxford and Bonn starting at 11 a.m. on Bottlerplatz. For the younger visitors there will be a bouncy castle and an equipment truck of the fire department. At 5 p.m., District Mayor Jochen Reeh-Schall and Lord Mayor James Fry will open the PoeTree exhibition at the Electoral Gardener's House. Afterwards, guests will be welcomed and entertained at the Oxford Club.
The Philharmonic Choir of the City of Bonn will celebrate the anniversary with two concerts of Charles Villiers' Stanford Requiem. The singers will perform both Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28, at 6 p.m. in the chapel of the Old Cemetery.
The Chamber Music Hall of the Beethovenhaus will open its doors for a matinee at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28. The Cathedral Singers of Christ Church will join in the Holy Mass at Bonn’s Minster at 12 noon, and they will present themselves once again at 6 p.m. with a traditional Even Song at Cologne’s Cathedral.
Exhibition in the City Hall
In the foyer of Bonn's Stadthaus, citizens are able to inform themselves about the past 75 years of twinning between Bonn and Oxford at an exhibition that has been on display since August 18.
All interested parties are invited to attend the public events (some of which are subject to a fee).
Basic information about the twinning can be found at www.bonn.de/oxford (opens in a new tab) (in German)