Colchester and Wetzlar celebrate 50 years of European unity

It was first proposed by a German prisoner of war who had been captured in Colchester's famous Camp 186 during the Second World War.

Following the conflict the prisoner, Siggi Sachs, returned to his home country and became a school teacher in the historic German city.

But he retained a fondness for the town where he had been imprisoned and in 1969, when twinning societies were springing up across Western Europe, he suggested the towns join forces.

Mr Sachs actually liked Colchester so much he revisited more than 100 times once the towns' partnership, which is celebrating 50 years next month, was born.

Nigel Hildreth, chairman of Colchester Twinning Society, said: "It started off with formal meetings and school groups were involved in going across in both directions.

"There were also sports activities between the towns."

Since its creation the partnership has gone on to blossom, and the bond between the town is now closer than ever.

The towns join forces in a myriad of activities including concerts, art exhibitions and food festivals.

Mr Hildreth said: "Recently we took a group of young people in their 20s over the play in a music festival. We took a band out their to play three different venues.

"In July members of Colchester Photographic Society visited Wetzlar and took part in an exhibition with their German counterparts."

As part of their celebrations of the special anniversary, Colchester Twinning Society took over a collection of English language books for Wetzlar's library.

A copper beech tree was also planted in the German town's "Colchester Garden" during the special visit.

And next month Colchester Twinning Society has organised a banquet for around 100 guests, including a Wetlzar residents, dignitaries and even a German ambassador to the UK.

Mr Hildreth himself has visited the city he thinks more than 40 times throughout his involvement with the group.

"I have been visiting for more than 30 years but I have only been a member for five years," he said.

"I was still working before but since I retired I have been heavily involved. It really is like a second home to me now.

"I can walk down the street there and meet people I know going about their day."

Although Colchester is the larger of the two destinations both have plenty in common.

Both have historic links to the Roman Empire as well as industrial pasts.

Mr Hildreth said: "The big difference between them is that the twinning society here is run entirely by itself. We pay for everything through membership subscriptions and fundraising.

"In Germany there is a dedicated team who are linked with the town council. They are linked with considerably more towns over there.

"Wetzlar is a lovely medieval city which is full of lovely people.

"We go there and we distribute information about Colchester. We promote it to people and hopefully we bring in some more tourists.

"The most important thing is it widens peoples' perspectives and you can see how other people run things and how they live. The towns can learn from each other."

As the bond between the towns has grown, so has Colchester Twinning Society.

Our Roman town is now twinned with both Avignon in France and Imola in Italy's Bologna region.

But with the UK's future relationship with Europe uncertain at the moment, the B word, is one on many twinner's minds.

Mr Hildreth said: "The society has definitely grown. We have 100 members now and it is getting bigger all the time.

"We take everyone from all walks of life and you do not necessarily have to be a member to be involved in what we do.

"It is all about personal friendships and opening doors to further friendships between two towns.

"The Germans are incredibly sad we are leaving the EU.

"They see it in a very different way to us. We think of the EU as being about trade and economics, they see it as about peace and friendship.

"They are bemused by Brexit and residents ask us to explain it to them, which is not easy."