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Bearing the Fruit of an International Bond: The tale of two sister cities
An undeniable sense of heritage and tradition can be felt within the city of Cullman - whether by first-time visitors or lifelong citizens. It is a legacy 145 years in the making. Cullman’s Germanic roots run deep with strides being continuously taken by city officials to ensure that Colonel John G. Cullmann’s vision for “Die Deutsche Kolonie Von Nord Alabama” (The German Colony of North Alabama) is maintained and its roots continue to dig deeper.
One of the most influential steps in ensuring that Cullman would continue to keep true to its roots was establishing and cementing an international Sister City relationship with the birthplace of Colonel John G. Cullman - the beautiful Riesling wine village of Frankweiler, German, nestled in the region of Rheinland-Pfalz. The exact village from where Colonel Cullmann drew his inspiration when creating his vision for the newly established German refugee colony.
So, how does a Sister City relationship of international proportions come about and why does a relationship of this type hold such a large weight of importance for a city like Cullman?
It took close to a decade to come to fruition; however, the wheels began to turn a century after cullmanoktoberfestival.com | 27 Cullman’s establishment. Throughout the initial planning of Cullman’s centennial birthday in 1973, citizens and local officials looked to the city’s founding legacy for inspiration in celebrating the German town’s one hundredth birthday. The Cullman Friends of Frankweiler Facebook page describes this celebration as when the seeds were planted for a relationship with Col. Cullmann’s hometown.
It is told by members of Cullman Friends of Frankweiler that at that time in 1973, Hans Krause - representative of Lufthansa Airline of Germany - presented Cullman’s Mayor, W.J. Nesmith, with a book compiled by the airline containing information about John Cullmann and included greetings from the Burgermeister of Frankweiler. By 1975, the seeds that were planted just two years prior were beginning to bear fruit, and later that year Cullman saw the visit of five visitors from Frankweiler - including past Burgermeister Friedrich Fliehmann, that year’s current Burgermeister Theodor Pfaffmann and members of their families. Their visit centered around the dedication of the Colonel Cullmann house - home of the Cullman County Museum. Visits from officials of Frankweiler continued in 1985 when John Cullmann’s great-great granddaughter, Ellen van der Linden of Konigstein, Germany, was located and invited to join distant relatives local to Cullman for a formal meeting.
Not long after these initial visits, Gunter Stiess - Burgermeister of Frankeweiler at the time - extended an invitation to Cullman Mayor Jack Sides to attend a special ceremony in John Cullmann’s birthplace of Frankweiler. The ceremony was created to honor Colonel Cullmann’s contribution as the City of Cullman’s founder. In May of 1987, a delegation of 19 Cullman citizens, led by Mayor Jack Sides and his wife, Ruth, attended the celebration marking a permanent partnership between the two cities. During the twinning ceremony, Cullman Mayor Jack Sides and Frankweiler Burgermeister Gunter Stiess made a toast with a glass of Frankweiler wine signifying that Cullman and Frankweiler were Sister Cities.
The following year saw a group of 47 visitors from Frankweiler to Cullman - thus beginning a tradition of exchanging visits between the Sister Cities every two years. Members of the local group, Cullman Friends of Frankweiler, relish in this special relationship and the fond memories that come from the experience. They truly believe that the strong bond between Cullman and Frankweiler started with these initial trips taken by citizens of the two cities and only continues to strengthen through the years. The Cullman Friends of Frankweiler group meets quarterly and continues to plan trips and ceremonies alongside the Frankweiler, Germany group.
Those looking to learn more about the twinning ceremony between Cullman and Frankweiler are encouraged to visit the Cullman County Museum where photos and relics of John Cullmann’s family, as well as the ancestral Cullmann home in Frankweiler, Germany, are all on display. Located on the mantle within the replica of John Cullmann’s home is the exact wine goblet used during the twinning ceremony that declared Cullman and Frankweiler as Sister Cities. A photo of Cullman Mayor Jack Sides and Frankweiler Burgermeister Gunter Stiess at the ceremony memorializes the celebration alongside the goblet. The Cullman Friends of Frankweiler group is also an excellent resource for learning more about the Sister City relationship and how one can become involved in the continued relationship between Cullman and Frankweiler.
