Trip to Hamm, Germany
Between March 16 and 25 a delegation of twenty-five members of Chattanooga’s Sister City Association (SCA) traveled through the Federal Republic of Germany on a biennial adult exchange to Hamm, one of our five Sister Cities. They also visited the historic cities of Munster, Trier, Cologne, and Mainz.
Karen Claypool, Vice President of SCA organized the trip in celebration of the thirtyyear partnership between Chattanooga and Hamm. Ms Claypool is a teacher of German and English at the Center for Creative Arts in Chattanooga.
The Lord Mayor of Hamm, Thomas Hunsteger-Petermann, hosted a luncheon for the group at the castle Schloss Oberwerries. It came as a complete surprise to Ms Claypool when she was recognized for her vital contribution to the two cities’ on-going partnership.
The Chattanooga members gave the Lord Mayor a blue heron, an original creation by Ignis Glass of Chattanooga. And in recognition of the outstanding contribution that Annette Daelman continues to give in this on-going partnership, the group gave her a glass bowl hand blown by Prentice Hicks of Wauhatchie Glass Works in Chattanooga. Ms Daelman is the Hamm counterpart to Ms Claypool.
The Lord Mayor invited Constance Colding Jones from the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Dusseldorf, to the luncheon and she expressed admiration for the longevity and intensity of the Hamm-Chattanooga connection.
A radio reporter at the luncheon interviewed dignitaries and members. Many commented on the similarities between these two cities and their people. The following day the Hamm newspaper carried a photograph of the group on the steps of the Castle. Both cities were formerly industrial centers but during the past thirty years both have been transformed into service-based economies. Like Chattanooga, Hamm has revitalized its riverfront and created a beautiful park enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
Hamm’s Maximilian Park, once the site of a coal mine, is home to the Glass Elephant, the symbol of Hamm. After the mine closed, an imaginative architect conceived the idea of transforming one of the mine’s coal sorting and washing buildings into an elephant by adding a glass head and trunk. The resulting structure - part landmark, part reception hall, part terrarium - is now one of the most visited sites in Hamm.
At the Potluck Dinner honoring the thirty years of continued friendship, SCA President, Eleanor Cooper, gave Ms Daelman the International Friendship Award in recognition of her vital contribution to building the relationship between these two cities through both adult and high school exchanges.
The four days in Hamm included homestays and various activities organized by the Hamm members.
Please click here for photographs of the trip.About Us | Useful Sites | Latest News | Calendar | Membership | Donations