Oxford’s leading civic figure traditionally travels in a premium automobile registered as FC1, though on this specific event a renovated Jeep was used instead.
Councillor Louise Upton was joined by Burgomaster Peter Heijkoop as they met with gathered onlookers in Leiden, Oxford’s partner city located in the Netherlands.
The event coincided with Liberation Day in the Netherlands, marking the country’s liberation at the end of the Second World War.
Upon their arrival, the Burgomaster kindled a flame utilizing a torch that runners had carried overnight from Wageningen, the site where German forces formally surrendered in 1945.
The previous day, Oxford’s Lord Mayor attended Dutch Remembrance Day, when the nation honors those who died during the conflict.
She laid a wreath at one memorial, then subsequent to a church ceremony held at Pieterskerk and taking part in a silent march extending one mile through the city, she placed another wreath at a second memorial.
Members of the Oxford-Leiden twinning association, celebrating 80 years in 2024, also traveled to the Netherlands for the commemorative events.
The anniversary observance has featured two musical presentations, traditional folk singing, and field hockey, with an art exhibit planned for later in the year.
The twinning began during a meeting convened by the Mayor, Alderman David Oliver, in his Parlour at Oxford Town Hall on March 26, 1946.
A Dutch representative called Albert Milhado traveled to Britain to establish various city partnerships as the Netherlands worked to rebuild international connections following the Second World War.
Oxford and Leiden were chosen as suitable partners because of their shared attributes, including institutions of higher learning, networks of canals, and comparable population figures.
Over the years, residents from both cities totaling in the thousands have taken part in athletic and cultural exchanges.
Oxford maintains seven twin city relationships – the additional connections being with Bonn in Germany, Leon in Nicaragua, Grenoble in France, Wroclaw in Poland, Ramallah in Palestine, and Padua in Italy. The Bonn partnership will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.
Municipal connections with Perm in Russia were suspended in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although the Oxford-Perm Association persists as an independent body.
The Oxford-Leon twinning, now in its 40th year, is arranging a fundraising swim at Hinksey outdoor pool on Friday, July 3, from 4pm to 7pm, to support clean water projects in Leon. Additional details can be obtained at jen_houston@hotmail.com.