Tiverton an der Exe
Tiverton is located around 25 kilometers north of the city of Exeter in the county of Devon and has a population of around 17,000. Contacts with Hofheim have existed since 1975, an official partnership since 1980.
At the two fords of the rivers Exe and Lowman, a small settlement was established in Celtic times, continued under the Roman Empire, later called "Twy-Ford-Town" (Tiverton) = "Two-Ford-Town". In 680 AD, Winfrith was born in Crediton (near Tiverton), who brought Christianity to the Germanic tribes under the name "Boniface". The first documented mention of Tiverton dates back to 899 AD. The ruins of a castle, built around 1105, and St. Peter's Church from the 14th century with the Romanesque door from 1073 are among the oldest architectural witnesses. From the 16th century onwards, the numerous donations made by wealthy cloth merchants enabled the development of charitable buildings (e.g. Blundell's School, poorhouse settlement).
In 1615, Tiverton became a "borough", i.e. a town with parliamentary representation. Today it is a district town, a school town and the center of the cattle markets.
Alongside agriculture, the textile industry is still the largest employer. Since the beginning of the partnership, there have been numerous and cordial contacts between associations in Hofheim and Tiverton, but also between individual families, which are intensively cultivated and promoted. Mutual visits are a matter of course.
Further information can be found on the homepage of the Hofheim Town Twinning Association (FHS):
Tiverton - Citizen meetings
People from Hofheim tell their stories about their experiences in Tiverton.
Am 06. September 2024 begrüßten Bürgermeister Christian Vogt, Stadtrat für Städtepartnerschaften Matthias Hees, sowie der Förderkreis Hofheimer Städtepartnerschaften, eine 21-köpfige Delegation aus Tiverton in Hofheim. Mit der englischen Gruppe kam auch der aktuell amtierende Bürgermeister Neal Davey mit seiner Frau Libby, der zum ersten Mal in Hofheim und auch zum ersten Mal in Deutschland überhaupt war.
Für die fünf Tage des Besuchs hatte die für Tiverton zuständige Referentin des FHS, Ursula Hees, ein abwechslungsreiches Programm ausgearbeitet. Nach der Begrüßung der Gäste in der Bembelschänke Birkenhof, klang der warme Spätsommertag auf der Mainwiese in der Uferbar in Okriftel mit lateinamerikanischer Musik aus. Erste Gelegenheit sich intensiv auszutauschen, die neu hinzugekommenen Gäste kennenzulernen und über die Ereignisse in beiden Städten seit dem letzten Treffen im Juli 2023 zu berichten.
Die erste Exkursion der Gäste mit ihren Gastgebern führte zur Grube Fortuna in Solms-Oberbiel bei Wetzlar. Die Einfahrt in die Grube und die Führung durch den Stollen in 150 Meter Tiefe war für alle ein besonderes Erlebnis.
Den Sonntag gestalteten die Gastgeber individuell mit ihren Gästen.
Am nächsten Tag führte die Gruppe nach Bad Schwalbach. Bekannt geworden ist die Stadt durch seine Brunnen und Heilquellen. Besonders interessant für unsere Gäste war, dass der Engländer Sir Francis Bond Head im Jahr 1833 ein Buch über die Heilquellen „The Bubbles from the Brunnen of Nassau” veröffentlichte. Danach kamen auch viele Engländer nach Bad Schwalbach und für sie hat man eine eigene anglikanische Kirche dort errichtet.
Und schon war der Abschiedsabend mit dem Farewell Dinner gekommen. Das Schlusswort sprach Ingrid Bender, die Vorsitzende des Förderkreises Hofheimer Städtepartnerschaften. Sie ließ es sich auch nicht nehmen mit dem Akkordeon im Duett mit Roland Augustin (Big Band Hofheim) an der Gitarre für die musikalische Unterhaltung zu sorgen.
Wie am Ende eines jeden Besuchs, riefen Gäste und Gastgeber sich zu „See you next year 2025 in Tiverton”.
For 40 citizens, it was a great pleasure to finally see each other again in Tiverton. After all, it had been four years since their last meeting due to coronavirus. The welcome on arrival on Thursday evening, July 13, 2023, was all the more warm. For many, it was a reunion with long-standing friends, for others the start of new friendships. The program prepared by the Twinning Association for the following five days gave us the opportunity to get to know Tiverton and the very attractive surroundings, but also to exchange ideas with our hosts.
At the reception hosted by Mayor Wally Burke in the town hall, Mayor Christian Vogt expressed his thanks for the invitation on behalf of the town of Hofheim.
First Councillor Wolfgang Exner was completely surprised when Wally Burke made him an honorary citizen of the town of Tiverton. According to the certificate presented to him, he can now call himself "The Honorary Citizen of the Town of Tiverton", the highest honor the town can bestow. Exner received congratulations from Councillor Bernhard Köppler and Councillor for Town Twinning Matthias Hees, who had also traveled with him. Our former mayor Gisela Stang congratulated him with the words "Welcome to the club". She also received the 2019 award for her many years of commitment to the partnership between Tiverton and Hofheim.
The Tiverton Twinning Association had put together an extensive program of activities for the visitors from Hofheim, most of whom were staying in private accommodation. There was a boat trip on the Exe estuary with cream tea, a tour of faithfully restored carriages, a demonstration of traditional Morris dancing and a visit to a farm, to name but a few of the activities. In addition, there were impressions and experiences of Tiverton and the charming landscape of the county of Devon, which the visitors were able to take away with them. Devon is the only county in England that has two completely separate coastlines. Both the north and south coasts are part of the British Heritage Coast. The two national parks Exmoor and Dartmoor are famous.
The food was also well catered for and there was plenty of opportunity to chat with the hosts. At the formal farewell dinner at Tiverton Golf Club with a view of the impressive golf course, Ingrid Bender, Chairwoman of the Hofheim Town Twinning Association, and Ursula Hees, the Tiverton representative, thanked the visitors in their joint speech for the excellent organization and the great hospitality they had experienced during their five-day stay.
The town twinning between Tiverton and Hofheim has now been in existence for 43 years. Regular meetings between citizens will continue to take place in the future. It is a particular concern of both towns to involve young people in the town twinning. Tiverton has been invited to Hofheim for the coming year.
For older reports, please contact the "Town Twinning" team or visit www.fhs-online.de.