Middlesbrough and Oberhausen entered into a town twinning partnership in 1974, however close ties between the two areas have existed for over 50 years.  Those ties began with youth exchanges, the first of which was held in 1953 and this is a project which is still very popular today.

The city of Oberhausen is located in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany and is of a similar nature to Middlesbrough.  Oberhausen was a rural area until the 1860s, when the production of coal and steel began.  As a result, it was also faced with many of the same regeneration issues that have occurred in Middlesbrough following the decline of these industries.  Today Oberhausen has a population of 220,000 and is one of the largest cities in its region.

Twins 2010

Oberhausen and other authorities in the Ruhr region, through a bidding process, were successful in becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2010.  As part of this, they have launched Twins 2010 which aims to involve over 150 partner towns across Europe in a number of projects in 2010.  Middlesbrough Council is currently looking at ways to support the initiative.

To find out more about the initiative and how you can contribute your ideas to the process, please follow the link on ‘Twins 2010’ which can be found in the ‘External Links’ to the right of this page.

Oberhausen/Middlesbrough Partnerschaft Association

Partnerschaft was established by citizens in Middlesbrough and Oberhausen and has members who made friends over 40 years ago during youth exchanges.  Through Partnerschaft, members have developed long lasting relationships and over the years the organisation has seen new generations of the families participate in the Town Twinning relationship.

Annual exchange visits are an integral part of the twinning relationship for Partnerschaft.  During this time, members stay with host families to experience each other’s lifestyles and culture.