Sister Cities News

Magdeburger of the Year 2005

The German-American Dialog Center Magdeburg has nominated Bob Bogen Magdeburger of the Year 2005.

Bob Bogen is one of the “spiritual fathers” of the Magdeburg-Nashville Sister Cities relationship. When he was a Nashville city councilman, the now 79 year old introduced the resolution to enter a Sister Cities relationship with Magdeburg to the Nashville city council on October 15, 2002.

Bob Bogen has been coming to Magdeburg regularly since 2002. He decided to live and work in his sister city in2005. He studied for two semesters at Magdeburg’s Otto von Guericke University and taught English courses for students at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences and at Magdeburg’s adult education center.

Bob Bogen is an active ambassador with much commitment and heart, promoting the Magdeburg-Nashville Sister Cities relationship wherever he goes. In Nashville, he looked after the young men from Magdeburg performing their alternative service there. After the Magdeburg city council resolved to name a street “Nashvillepromenade”, Bob Bogen actively campaigned for a street in Nashville’s Germantown to be named for Magdeburg.

In addition, he was actively involved in the theater project “das treffen – the other side”. His sincerity and warm-heartedness make him a guarantor of the Sister Cities relationship between Magdeburg and Nashville. His endearing motto “Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch” will never be forgotten by the many Magdeburg residents who have gotten to know him.

Bob Bogen is an avowed fan of Magdeburg who is closely linked to his Sister City Magdeburg on which he as Magdeburg ambassador has always kept an eye despite the distance across the Atlantic and will continue to do so in the future. His involvement was fundamental to the transatlantic bridge that has bestowed this special friendship and internationality on us residents of Magdeburg. This bridge is being supported and further developed by many individuals on both sides of the Atlantic who are shaping this Sister Cities relationship with their personal involvement and daily filling it with life. Bob Bogen is one of these “bridge builders”.