Statements

Bill Purcell

By Bill Purcell

It is my great pleasure to spend time again this week in Magdeburg – a city that has so much in common with its Sister City, Nashville.

Just consider: Both Magdeburg and Nashville are capital cities; both are situated on rivers; both are university towns. And in the 1990s, when discussions began about forming a Sister City relationship, both cities were in the process of transformation – Magdeburg was shaking off 40 years of Communist rule, and Nashville was shedding its reputation as a sleepy Southern city.

After years of discussions and exchanges, Nashville and Magdeburg made it official: In May 2003, Mayor Lutz Trümper led a delegation from Magdeburg to Nashville to sign the Sister City agreement. Four months later, my daughter Jesse and I traveled to Magdeburg with a delegation of Nashvillians to meet our new allies.

That first visit set the tone for a friendship that has enhanced both cities. The people of Magdeburg richly embraced our delegation. I was reminded on that trip that people share common experiences even if they don’t share a language.

Our Sister City relationship has been so successful that we politicians would love to take credit for it. The credit, however, goes to citizens in both cities. In Nashville, Doug Berry, now president of Sister Cities of Nashville, and former Metro Councilman Bob Bogen traveled to Magdeburg frequently in the 1990s and advocated vigorously for an alliance between our cities. How blessed we all are that they and their counterparts in Magdeburg succeeded.

Since becoming Sister Cities, Nashville and Magdeburg have done what all dear friends do – we have celebrated each other’s lives. In 2005 a delegation of Nashvillians was proud to travel to your city to celebrate Magdeburg’s 1200th birthday. Last year, the favor was returned when Magdeburg celebrated Nashville’s 200th birthday. The German-American Dialogue center gave Nashville an oak tree, which we planted in a neighborhood called Germantown, in a city park that is now named Magdeburg Greenway.

In September 2005 in an astounding innovation, the Theater Magdeburg and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre presented the simulcast world premiere of “das treffen – the other side.” That production featured actors and audience members from both Magdeburg and Nashville who shared real-life stories, the type of stories that remind us that we all have much in common.

Because of the Web site sponsored by the German-American Dialogue Center, www.magdeburg-nashville.com, citizens of Nashville and Magdeburg can learn about one another even if they cannot travel. Still, the best way to assure that our special relationship flourishes is to continue our frequent visits between our cities.

Nashville has hosted a Magdeburg Cultural Week; The Magdeburg Municipal Library has hosted a Nashville Day; A girls choir from Nashville has performed in Magdeburg; the Magdeburg Puppetheater has performed in Nashville. We’ve exchanged students; We’ve learned from one another; we’ve lifted each other up.

I am leaving office next month, but I have no doubt that for all the years to come, the future mayors and the people of Nashville will be just as delighted as I have been to embrace Magdeburg and its citizens, and to be embraced by them in return.