The friendship between Reading and Düsseldorf started almost immediately after the Second World War.  Düsseldorf suffered heavy bombing and was largely in ruins, and there were severe shortages of food and clothing.  

It was in the British occupation zone, and the Royal Berkshire Regiment was stationed there.  Major-General Robert John Collins told people in Berkshire about the needs of Düsseldorf.  

Mrs Phoebe Cusden, then Mayor of Reading, responded to this appeal.  She persuaded Lord Pakenham, the Minister for German Affairs, to support it, visited Düsseldorf, and invited six German teenagers to stay in Reading for a few months.

Mrs Phoebe Cusden

Gretel Wicke, then 12 years old, was picked from school in 1948, sent by train and ferry across a stormy Channel with the other young people - Eva-Maria, Erika, Erich, Hans and Edgar - to Reading.  They were greeted by ladies who gave each of the group a box:  "There were dates in the box, sweeter than sweet, damply gleaming, fragrant dates. "  Such a luxury was unknown to them.  

Gretel went to stay with June Coleman, a girl about the same age.  At first June half-expected a German girl to be a monster with horns and tail, but a few weeks of living together showed both of them that they were perfectly normal people who could get on well together - and more than 60 years later they are still good friends.

German young people arriving in Reading, 1948
Left to right - Hans Witte and Eva-Maria Scholz (sitting), Erich Pohl, Erika Hundhausen, Edgar Bös, Gretel Wicke.  At back, Mr and Mrs Cusden and Mrs Thomas

The exchange was such a success that groups of young people started to travel regularly between Reading and Düsseldorf.  Associations were set up in both places to support these exchanges, and they soon developed into a wide range of cultural links.  For many years there was no formal involvement of the Councils in each place, even though Mayors and Councillors have consistently taken a leading part; but we are now formally twinned.

The success of our links has resulted from the dedicated work of many people over the last 60 years.  Some of the most prominent have been Harold King, Paddy O'Neill and Martyn Allies in Reading, and Lotte Wicke and Heinz Hemming in Düsseldorf - but the full list would be much longer.

See also The Early Years.

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© Reading-Düsseldorf Association 2010

12 March 2010