Civic leaders travelled to Salzgitter to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the twinning arrangement, which was established in 1975 and remains Swindon’s longest-running international partnership.
Swindon Mayor Councillor Fay Howard, Council Leader Councillor Jim Robbins, and Town Twinning Network members Councillors Kevin Small and Jake Chandler attended a formal reception in Salzgitter’s Council Chamber.
During the event, Councillor Howard presented Salzgitter Oberbürgermeister Frank Kilingbiel with a specially made gift from Swindon’s BMW MINI factory.
The item was produced using Salzgitter steel that is used at the Swindon plant, symbolising the shared industrial heritage between the two towns.
In return, the Swindon mayor received a miner’s lamp created especially to mark the anniversary.
The delegation also visited Salzgitter’s local steelworks, where new electric arc furnaces are being built to support more sustainable metal production.
A tour of the Bosch electronics plant was also included in the visit programme.
The Salzgitter link was the first of Swindon’s international partnerships and has been maintained for five decades through civic, cultural and community exchanges.
Councillors said the anniversary celebrations highlighted the value of long-term international relationships built on shared history and mutual understanding.
The milestone comes as Swindon’s Town Twinning Committee considers whether to expand its international links beyond Europe.
In recent weeks, councillors heard from members of Swindon Welcomes Ukraine, a volunteer-led group supporting Ukrainians who have settled in the town since 2022.
That discussion has moved proposals for a formal twinning arrangement with a Ukrainian town into the next stage of council consideration.
Representatives outlined the importance of cultural connection and shared civic support, recommending two potential partner towns in Ukraine.
The proposals will now be reviewed by a working group before a full recommendation is brought to Cabinet in February.
Swindon’s existing civic links also include a twinning with Ocotal in Nicaragua and a friendship and co-operation agreement with Toruń in Poland.
As Swindon reflects on fifty years of partnership with Germany, councillors are now considering what the next chapter of international friendship could look like.
