Strengthening city ties with Dresden through cultural exchange

A Coventry children’s book author has made the trip to Dresden in Germany to promote his work and the project that has seen the two cities twinned.

 

Aaron Ashmore, author of books such as Lady Godiva’s Birthday Suit and Coventry: The Phoenix City, visited Dresden between 3rd and 6th September in partnership with CAIF (Coventry Association for International Friendship), where he visited a number of schools to talk about his books and gave the young people a virtual tour of Coventry.

 

Aaron said: “I have long been aware of the various cities around the world that Coventry is twinned with, so it has been a pleasure to visit the schools. Over the week, I was fortunate to be given tours around the fantastic city so I could learn even more about Dresden.”

 

Coventry and Dresden were officially twinned in 1959, becoming one of the first post-war twin city partnerships. The twinning was a symbol of reconciliation and peace between two cities heavily bombed during World War II, marking a commitment to healing and international friendship.

 

Franca Funke, a teacher at Hans Erlwein Gymnasium, said: “The talk went very well! You could see from the response of the audience that the students listened attentively, asked lots of questions, and Aaron got them thinking about the connection between Coventry and Dresden. Aaron was able to motivate the students and shared lots of information about the city and the way he works.”

 

Julius, 17, a pupil at the school, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Aaron! My friends and I were really impressed because he illustrated the culture of Coventry very well and explained his influence and love for the city very precisely. I am really looking forward to taking him to an SG Dynamo Dresden football game in the future!”

 

Nikolai Press, part of CAIF (Coventry Association for International Friendship) which supported Aaron’s trip said: "We are delighted that Aaron agreed to travel to Dresden - his passion for his city is infectious and we were hoping that he can pass some of that on to the pupils in Dresden - and he did not disappoint! Addressing and involving the young generation is one of CAIF's key aims and Aaron's visit to Dresden was a very important part if it.”

 

For more information on Coventry twin cities, visit www.caifonline.com and for more of Aaron’s work over at www.etchandpin.co.uk