One club, two nations, one shared friendship. Paderborn is celebrating 60 years of Anglo-German ties
The Anglo-German Club Paderborn is celebrating a special anniversary this year: 60 years of German-British relations, marked by encounters, mutual exchange, culture and traditions. Since its foundation in 1965, the club has been committed to fostering closer ties between Germans and Britons. Establisehd in December 1965 by Germans and Britons in Paderborn, the Anglo-German Club (AGC) formed part of a wider movement aiming to foster institutional German-British understanding in the aftermath of the Second World War.
As early as March 1949, a group led by Lilo Milchsack had met in Düsseldorf to put relations with Great Britain on a permanent footing – an approach that was also taken up in Paderborn.
Fostering German-British relations
Since 1965, the Anglo-German Club has not only organised events for club members and has manned the Pimm’s stand at the Rhine Army Summer Show in Bad Lippspringe since 1982. During this Whitsun event, several hundred kilograms of fruit and, of course, cucumbers were consumed. Club members who volunteered their time cut, prepared and sold he Pimm’s. A large portion of the proceeds was donated to charities.
The end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany in 1990 not only meant the end of the legendary Rhine Army Summer Show, which took place for the last time in 2002. It also led to the partial withdrawal of the British forces from 2015 onwards.
From 2017, the exhibition ‘Britons in Westphalia’ presented an impressive documentation of German-British relations in Paderborn and beyond. The exhibition traced 70 years of German-British relations. It was not only on display in Paderborn, but also in the state parliament in Düsseldorf from 2019. Club members played a key role in organising this exhibition.
Ultimately, the changed world situation led to the British base in Sennelager, Paderborn, being retained. While British forces withdrew from other regions of Germany, the garrison in Paderborn remained – an exception that highlights the ongoing relevance of the Anglo-German Club’s role in fostering connections between civil society and the military presence relevant.
Alongside its contacts with the British military, maintaining relations with the twin town of Bolton is another important pillar of the club’s work. In the spring and summer of this year, the Anglo-German Club celebrated the 50th anniversary of this town twinning.
Anniversary celebration in the historic town hall
The December 2025 celebration in the historic town hall was a sign of the AGC’s social roots in Paderborn. Representatives of the City of Paderborn, the British Embassy and the Normandy Barracks were in attendance. The event featured music from a woodwind quintet from the Royal Air Force Regiment band.
Mayor Stefan Strate praised the club’s contribution, saying that it ‘has brought people together, built bridges and forged friendships that often last a lifetime’. The club is ‘a symbol of European friendship’.
Kieran Drake, Deputy Ambassador at the British Embassy in Berlin, conveyed warm congratulations on behalf of British Ambassador Andrew Mitchell. Mr Drake highlighted the activities organised by the DEC, which bring German-British relations to life and make them tangible. These include, for example, the book club, the Anglo-German reading competition for schools, as well as joint activities such as archery and hiking. Susan Speller, Her Majesty’s Consul-General for North Rhine-Westphalia in Paderborn, was among those offering their congratulations.
As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, the club said goodbye to Colonel Mike Foster-Brown, the former commander of the British military garrison at Normandy Barracks in Sennelager, and thanked him warmly for his support. The new commander, Colonel Tom Jefford, who has taken over the British patronage of the Anglo-German Club in Paderborn, was given an equally warm welcome.
In her speech, Prof. Dr. Ilka Mindt, chair of the AGC since the beginning of 2025, emphasised the importance of the association’s work: “We are independent, non-partisan and voluntary. Our work is not just a nostalgia project, but an active commitment to understanding each other, getting to know one other and sharing experiences, whether that‘s strolling through Libori, enjoying aChristmas dinner together, or singing German Adventslieder and English Christmas Carols in the cathedral or in the pedestrian zone.”
Other partnership associations offer their congratulations
However, the German-English Club did not celebrate alone. ‘In Paderborn, it is customary,’ said Chairwoman Ilka Mindt, ‘for the partnership associations to maintain good relations with each other.’ Representatives of the German-American Friendship Association Paderborn-Belville, the Friendship Association Paderborn-Przemysl, the German-French Society, the German-Hungarian Friendship Association and the German-Spanish Society were also present at the celebration. “All of you, as well as the more than 100 club members present, are sending a strong signal that the interest and camaraderie between Germans and Britons remains unbroken, as does Paderborn’s interest in Great Britain, Bolton, the British military, and the people we meet here in Paderborn and elsewhere. The support and the clear commitment to cooperation that this demonstrates are a very valuable asset that we will continue to cherish and nurture,” she concluded.
The German-English Club welcomes anyone who is interested, regardless of their age, origin or language skills. To find out more about the club’s activities or to join, please visit www.dec-paderborn.de or Instagram on dec_paderborn.