Berlin Sister Cities

Our team worked since 2007 on behalf of the State of Berlin to design cultural programmes marking major anniversaries in Berlin’s many official international sister-city partnerships. Whether the focus was on music, fashion, film, art or history, each different format and genre inspired participants to embark on a journey of cultural discovery and forge even greater links to citizens in their sister cities. At the same time, the projects and gatherings served to foster and strengthen transnational exchange among cultural and creative professionals in Berlin and its partner cities. Among the events were a joint exhibition and “Berlin Festival in Istanbul”, a series of fashion and dance workshops in Warsaw designed to foster exchange among German and Polish youth, an exhibition focusing on the “History of Moscow in Photographs” set up on Berlin’s Unter den Linden Boulevard and a joint design and fashion exhibition in Paris and Berlin. Each one of these events conveyed the diversity and vibrancy of the relationship between the German capital and its international partner cities.

The multifaceted cultural, economic and political ties between Berlin and Wrocław (Breslau) date back to the 18th century. Especially since the fall of the Iron Curtain, these connections have enabled the significant strengthening of a positive relationship between the two neighbouring cities. The special project we co-coordinated shed a spotlight on this alliance in the realm of culture. Exhibitions, dance festivals, music festivals, concerts, films, youth camps and club nights provided a myriad of opportunities for exchange and dialogue. One of the most unique and long-lasting elements of the project was the “Culture Train” that travelled between the two European metropolises of Berlin and Wrocław; it was so popular that it was extended until 2020.

Berlin has long since become a hotspot for creative individuals from all over the world. This trend applies to the start-up scene, with its innovative products and business ideas, just as much as to the city’s cultural landscape, with its enormous diversity ranging from mainstream to niche. “Pop into Berlin” was an initiative we co-organised with visitBerlin and beBerlin that transported Berlin’s creative energy to three European cities. From October to December 2017, a pop-up store and a pop-up club were set up in Warsaw, Madrid and Zürich for two weeks each.