This piece accompanies our earlier article on the life of Irmgard Rode, whose commitment to peace and reconciliation helped build lasting links between Meschede and Coventry. Here, her daughter Angelika Rode looks back at how that friendship began after the Second World War and how it developed through youth exchanges, family hospitality and a shared belief in international understanding. Her account combines the wider history of the relationship with warm personal memories of travelling to Coventry as a young person.
How it all began
I was asked to tell something about the beginning of the friendship between Coventry and Meschede. But first I want to say, that I am very happy to be here again in Coventry, where I spent so many exciting holidays when I was young. And I find it very delightful to meet so many pleasant people, who – in spite of egoistic and “fence off”-trends now in global politics – are still working for peace and international understanding!
But now let’s have a short look back to the roots of our friendship. It all began just after the end of World War II. In 1949 the British administration in North Rhine-Westphalia sent a selected group of German local politicians to Coventry. These five men and one single woman (who actually was my mother), spent three weeks in Coventry, hosted by English families, studying the English system of local government. The example of Coventry should help them establish a real democratic administration at home.
But it wasn’t just about democracy; in Coventry, the German delegates were also confronted with the horrible destruction of the city caused by German bombs – a deeply shameful experience. And it made an even deeper impression on the group from Germany that they were met not with hatred and a desire for revenge, but with a readiness for forgiveness and friendship.
That is how a personal friendship began between my mother, Irmgard Rode, and Coventry’s Children’s Officer, Miss Mary Barnes. Both were active in youth work in their respective cities and wished to see young people meet across national borders.
And indeed – initiated by these two strong women – a lively exchange developed during the 1960s. Already in 1950 Miss Barnes came on her first visit to Meschede. And soon the exchange was established: one year, a group from Coventry would come to Meschede; the following year, a group from Meschede would travel to Coventry. These trips were carefully prepared. The young people would learn songs and dances to perform in their host country and excursions and sightseeing tours were organized for the guests. Unfortunately, the Meschede City Council was never able to agree to an official city partnership (twinning) but both cities underscored the importance of these encounters by hosting official receptions. During their first visit to Meschede in 1961, the group from Coventry brought a stone from Coventry Cathedral to Münster Cathedral, where it has found its place. The Münster newspaper reported on this visit in great detail, including photos; I brought this old newspaper with me, so you can take a look at it.
In 1963 the newly formed Coventry Committee for International Understanding (CCIU) took responsibility for the exchange in Coventry, then in 1968, our association “Freunde der Völkerbegegnung” (FdV) was founded by Irmgard Rode and Konrad Hengsbach in Meschede, taking over the organization of these trips on the German side. Our association also built and maintained ties with many other cities, such as Montebourg and Vannes in France, Petrozavodsk in Russia and Coventry/Rhode Island. In addition, our association, FdV, also took care of people who came to Meschede from other countries to work here or to find safety from their persecutors.
In the 1960s one of the main tasks of these newly created associations in Coventry and Meschede was to find enough beds for the guests. Accommodation in private homes or hostels (for example in the Kennedy House in Coventry) meant that even young people with limited means could participate. I find it remarkable that the organizers in both cities always managed to find enough families willing to host so many people from abroad. If there was ever a shortage of sleeping space in Meschede, I remember we would simply lay air mattresses on the floor at our house, or I would give up my bed and sleep at a friend’s place for a while – that’s never been a problem for me.
When I was twelve years old, I was finally allowed to go along. I remember the never ending train journey, the ferry crossing – during which we sang for hours to keep seasickness away – the White Cliffs of Dover, the long lines at passport control, and finally, the warm welcome at our destination. We paid with six pence and a half crown [editor’s note: current decimal equivalent value 12½p (£0.125)], tried porridge, ham and eggs for breakfast and we loved to ride on top of the double-decker bus. Singing German and English songs together with our English friends was always a special pleasure.
Two distinct impressions defined all my trips to Coventry: on the one hand, there was the reflective look at the past in face of the ruins of the cathedral. Yet at the same time, the cathedral symbolized reconciliation, human connection, and a fresh start towards a better future. We were grateful for the hospitality shown to us. We loved to be in the land of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones; we shared an exciting youth culture with our English friends, along with the conviction that we would never ever participate in any war.
Later, we were able to witness Europe truly growing together. Traveling across Europe – and even the world – has become much easier; today, it is second nature for young people to have friends abroad and to study or work in foreign countries. Even though there are some troubling setbacks, I think a great deal has been achieved since 1949!
Angelika Rode
