Marseille-Hamburg : A dynamic partnership between two “European” capital cities

In July 2008, on the 50^th anniversary of their twinning, Marseille and Hamburg decided to relaunch their partnership with the common purpose of closer links and the signature of a new cooperation agreement covering numerous sectors (culture, education, integration, urban development, economic development, tourism and sport, etc.).
Thus, the idea of new relations was born and has become reality over the last three years through numerous actions. Incidentally, it should be noted that these two large port cities have several issues in common such as a vast urban regeneration programme (Euroméditerranée here and Hafencity there), tourism sector growth with increasing numbers of cruise ships calling in to both ports, community integration through sport or culture and a keen interest in sustainable development, etc.   

The outcome since 2009 has been an increasing number of exchanges and meetings on different themes such as cruises in partnership with the Cruise Club and the GPMM, environmental issues with Marseille’s attendance at the first international conference of Mayors in Hamburg on climate change, inclusion/training with exchanges of youngsters from the Second Chance School in Marseille and young job-seekers from Hamburg. There has also been a range of trade missions, or even the joint participation in Gospel, a European programme for inclusion through sport.  
 

“In the partnership between Marseille and Hamburg, the cultural alliance, is very strong. It began in 2008 and is demonstrated by exchanges between young dancers from the Hamburg Hip Hop Academy and the Di6Danse Association in Marseille. Today, this trend is accelerating with Marseille-Provence 2013”, explains Angela Reverdin-Gabriel, Honorary Ambassador for Hamburg in Marseille.
As a result, the “Designxport on tour: Marseille” exhibition which opens at the Maison de l’artisanat et des métiers d’art (Arts and Crafts Centre) from the 27^th January to the 29^th February brings together designers from Hamburg and their counterparts from the Ecole Supérieure des Arts de Marseille-Méditerranée (ESAMM) with the intention to build some momentum into this sector.

Plans for 2013 are also being made to screen historic or recent films about Marseille and the Hamburg metropolitan area. Beginning in 2012, these will be followed in 2013 by films about Hamburg to be shown at the Maison des Cinématographies de la Méditerranée de La Buzine.

This cinematic project could also include exchanges between film producers and directors with a view to co-productions and a training element with the creation of French and German student pairings who would produce documentaries about the two cities.

All this is proof that beyond purely cultural activities, economic matters are also an important concern.