A partnership bridge between two cities - Nuremberg and Kharkiv

Friday afternoon in front of the Nuremberg Opera House. A van stands ready on Richard Wagner Square, loaded with generators, power stations, solar panels, toys and other relief supplies. People gather, talk to each other and get to work. A few minutes later, the truck will set off eastwards – destination: Nuremberg's twin city, Kharkiv.

What is beginning here is more than just a logistical operation. It is a visible sign of how town twinning can be lived in difficult times: practically, communally and supported by people who take responsibility.

Help that makes a difference

The transport is being organised by the Nuremberg–Kharkiv Twinning Association, supported by the City of Nuremberg and the City of Nuremberg's Office for International Relations. The relief supplies are intended for people who have remained in Kharkiv – a city that is only about 30 kilometres from the front line and yet is trying to maintain its daily routine.

A total of around 25,000 euros was mobilised for this transport through monetary donations and targeted investments in relief supplies. This was made possible by the support of numerous donors from Nuremberg and the surrounding region. ‘We are helping people who have remained in Kharkiv, who often have nothing left. In a partnership, you stick together. In good times and bad,’ emphasises Nuremberg's Lord Mayor Marcus König. Especially after years of war, it is important not only to live the partnership symbolically, but also to provide concrete support to people in the war zone.

The man behind the wheel

One person who literally gets this aid on its way is Alexander Schumski. He is the driver of the transporter – and much more than that. Schumski has been volunteering for years, is chairman of the board of the non-profit association Interbridge Nürnberg e. V. and knows Kharkiv from his own experience. He has a long journey ahead of him: with breaks, Schumski will be on the road for around 20 hours. Added to this is another unknown factor – there may be long waiting times at the borders. Schumski has been to the Ukrainian war zone many times. He sums up his experiences there as follows: "The children go to school, people go to work, the underground runs. And sometimes the rockets or drones come. Unfortunately, this has become a sad normality."

Commitment from within the company

NürnbergMesse is also participating in the relief effort – financially and through the commitment of its employees. For Peter Ottmann, CEO of NürnbergMesse, this is not a question of marketing, but of responsibility. ‘We are involved because Nuremberg is twinned with Kharkiv – and because one of our colleagues, Alexander Lissak, is vice-chairman of the twinning association,’ says Ottmann.

Specifically, NürnbergMesse employees collected money as part of an internal campaign by raffling off advertising materials that were no longer needed. This raised around €1,000. The company topped up the amount to €5,000. ‘If you have a good trade fair year, you can also share something,’ says Ottmann.

Ottmann illustrates how close the war actually is to the people of Kharkiv with a comparison: the distance from Kharkiv to the front line is roughly equivalent to the distance from Nuremberg to Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate. ‘And yet the people there are trying to maintain a normal life – that deserves our utmost respect.’

A partnership in action 

Special thanks go to the driver, who has often heard gunfire and bomb explosions during his journeys: ‘What he does involves risks – but the goods arrive,’ said Mayor König, adding: "I know this is an incredibly difficult time, but we are sticking together. Here in Nuremberg, we are praying for our friends in Kharkiv. And I hope that the children and everyone who is still in Ukraine will soon experience peace."

Finally, the van rolls away. What remains are many handshakes – and the feeling of being part of something important. Partnership does not end at the city limits. It begins where people take responsibility and fill it with charity.