In the Middle Ages, Braunschweig was a flourishing town and an important member of the European Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns, for more than three centuries. This tradition of an open-minded city with its worldwide relationships is still being kept up in modern times – the twinning partnerships with Bandung, Nîmes, Bath, Sousse, Kiryat Tivon, Magdeburg, Zhuhai, Kazan and Omaha demonstrate this.

Cultural encounters and student and youth exchanges are an important part of international partnerships. In addition to the encounters between the civil societies, the exchange of knowledge, international networking and economic development are also gaining in importance. The exchange of experiences between administration, science and business is therefore an integral part of the partnership cooperation between cities. Besides, the international associations with their voluntary members, who initiate and help shape numerous projects, make a significant contribution to town twinnings.

Due to regular contacts between citizens, intensive cultural exchange, the promotion of economic relations, professional cooperation and the exchange of school and youth groups, twinnings still contribute to good relations between cities, and above all to lively relationships between people in a globalized world.