“I like Mendelssohn. Let’s do it.”

With these enthusiastic words by then Mayor Bob Lanier, the sister city relationship between Houston and Leipzig was officially established back in 1993 aiming to promote international understanding and friendship across borders.

Having no port or oil to brag about, Leipzig was able to attract the Mayor’s immediate attention at the mention of legendary classical composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy who is renowned for reviving the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and significantly shaping musical life in Leipzig and worldwide.

Houston’s sister city combines 1,000 years of tradition with a young heart. Hardly any other city can claim as rich a musical heritage as Leipzig which has been home to many famous composers and world-class ensembles such as the Gewandhausorchester and the St. Thomas Boys’ Choir.

For those unfamiliar with Leipzig, it is the second largest city in Eastern Germany behind Berlin, with more than 500,000 residents. While it doesn’t sit on a port like Houston, it has been an important source of trade and commerce in Europe for over 800 years. In the inner city, visitors can stroll through arcades and passageways reminiscent of former fair activities. Leipzig also has one of the oldest colleges in Germany, Leipzig University, which was founded in 1409.

This year, we celebrate 25 years of this strong and ongoing partnership between Houston and Leipzig. The unique relationship between the two cities is reflected in numerous cultural, scientific, entrepreneurial and educational exchanges.

Due to Germany’s Lutheran heritage, there are close ties between St. Thomas Church in Leipzig and Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston. In 2009, the Peace Window in St. Thomas Church was made possible with the support from the Leipzig-Houston Sister Association and the Rotarians in the District of Houston to mark the 20th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution in Germany. After Houston was flooded by Hurricane Harvey, Leipzig held a benefit concert at  St. Thomas to raise money for relief efforts in October 2017.

The active partnership between Houston and Leipzig will take center stage through­out 2018. Over the course of the year, the two cities will honor their partnership with many celebrations including three blogger trips from Houston to Leipzig, a one-week cultural festival “Houston Week” in Leipzig this October and similar events in Houston in spring 2019. The Houston events include a performance from the Leipzig Ballet and a photo exhibition “Portraits from Hous­ton and Leipzig” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Do not miss the chance to win a 5 day trip to Leipzig for 2 on the occasion of the 25th twinning anniversary of Leipzig and Houston! Visit www.leipzig.travel/houston25 to take part!

You can also follow the celebrations on Social Media via #leipzighouston and find out more about the sister city partnership on www.houstonleipzig.org