Leeds City Council celebrates its strong German partnerships following councillor's friendship award

The relationship between Leeds and its German partners goes back to the immediate post-war period of the 1950s.  In an effort to mitigate the threat of future hostilities through building peace, friendship, and understanding between the British and German peoples, towns and cities across Europe started twinning.  

Above: Deputy Leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, shows Christian Klose, Investor Support Manager - Economic Development Agency Dortmund, and the German Honorary Consul, Regina Rosenthal around Dortmund Square in Leeds during a visit to UK REiiF 2025. 

During the 1950s and 60s, Leeds City Council established a close relationship with Dortmund, a city with a similar economic base, which culminated in a formal twinning agreement in 1969.  The city’s relationship with Siegen originated with a youth exchange between Morley and Siegen in 1952, prior to Morley Town Council entering a formal partnership with the German city in 1966. Following the reorganisation of local government in the early 1970’s, which saw Morley absorbed into the newly created Leeds City Council, the existing partnership commitments were honoured, and Siegen became Leeds’s second German twin city in 1974.  

Over the decades, there have been many school and youth exchanges, trade missions and partnerships between arts organisations, sports teams, and community organisations. 

The partnership with Dortmund remains very active, with exchanges of best practice around regeneration, innovation and economic development and academics from our universities currently working together on the theme of sports tech. There are close links between the Anglo-German societies in each city, with Leeds residents benefiting from German classes offered by a Dortmund language school. 

Links between the two cities' football clubs, Leeds United (LUFC) and BVB Borussia Dortmund, are equally strong, with an exchange of expertise at UKREiiF 2025 surrounding the regeneration of sports stadia, following BVB’s redevelopment of the Signal Iduna Park stadium with its famous Yellow Wall.

In Morley, many schools were twinned with counterparts in Siegen and good community links were formed during the 1970s. Hundreds of young Leeds and Siegen people took part in youth exchanges led by former teacher and Lord Mayor of Leeds (2022-2023), Councillor Robert Gettings MBE JP and his wife Lesley.  The partnership with Siegen remains strongly community-led, promoting grassroots links between the two towns.  

Councillor Bob Gettings receives the German-British Friendship Award from the German Ambassador, Susanne Baumann.

In recognition of these strong city connections and the personal commitment to the Morley-Siegen partnership for over 60 years, Councillor Gettings was awarded the German British Friendship Award last month. The award was established by the German Embassy in London to honour those who show exceptional dedication to cultivating German-British relations and strengthening bonds of friendship between our two nations.

Deputy Leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, said: “The bilateral international relationships we have forged in Leeds are a great example of real cooperative working to build peace, friendship and understanding across Europe and beyond. 

“In the current challenging environment, city diplomacy has become even more important, and we must work hand in hand with our partners and communities at all levels to help build our vision for Leeds as a global city and drive further economic growth.

“Therefore, I am delighted that Councillor Gettings’ work of over 60 years to better our relationship has been recognised through this award by the German Embassy in London. It is a great honour for Councillor Gettings, but also an honour for Leeds as a whole, recognising the value of our work and relationships together.”

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Notes for editors

Headline Image (Credit - Leeds City Council): A wayfinding sign in Dortmund Square, Leeds, celebrating the history of the relationship between Leeds and Dortmund.