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Anna visited Swansea University, Wales, a recently built institution. Photos of the visit were taken by a friend, not by her. The experience was unusual for them coming from a small city in Italy. They were intrigued by modern dances like the Twist, which she hadn't seen before. They were surprised also by boys with long hair.
While they were familiar with the Beatles, Italy had not yet seen young people organizing themselves into musical groups like we observed during our visit. In Italy, this type of musical band trend emerged later, perhaps a year or two after our visit to Swansea.
In 1966, there was a second exchange involving the Italian group. The Welsh family she stayed with owned a grocery shop. The living quarters were located on the first floor above the shop, situated on the street.
During her third exchange in Esslingen, they were taken to Stuttgart airport were they visited an airplane to explore its interior. This was Anna’s first time being inside an airplane, and everything about it was new and exciting for her.
For Anna, art and cultural experiences were more important than discussions about economy and work. However, the most important aspect of these exchanges wasn't the places they visited or the activities we did—it was the opportunity to be together with boys and girls from different nationalities. Building connections and sharing experiences with peers from diverse cultures, speaking different languages, was the most enjoyable and valuable part of the exchange for Anna.
50 years have passed, a long time, according to Anna. She has forgotten many facts but remembers feelings. Remembers the feeling of great fun. Anna remembers how surprised she was about many things different from what she had seen till that moment.
Friends in a Cold Climate: After the Second World War a number of friendship ties were established between towns in Europe. Citizens, council-officials and church representatives were looking for peace and prosperity in a still fragmented Europe. After a visit of the Royal Mens Choir Schiedam to Esslingen in 1963, representatives of Esslingen asked Schiedam to take part in friendly exchanges involving citizens and officials. The connections expanded and in 1970, in Esslingen, a circle of friends was established tying the towns Esslingen, Schiedam, Udine (IT) Velenje (SL) Vienne (F) and Neath together. Each town of this so called “Verbund der Ringpartnerstädte” had to keep in touch with at least 2 towns within the wider network. Friends in a Cold Climate looks primarily through the eyes the citizen-participant. Their motivation for taking part may vary. For example, is there a certain engagement with the European project? Did parents instil in their children a a message of fraternisation stemming from their experiences in WWII? Or did the participants only see youth exchange only as an opportunity for a trip to a foreign country? This latter motivation of taking part for other than Euro-idealistic reasons should however not be regarded as tourist or consumer-led behaviour. Following Michel de Certeau, Friends in a Cold Climate regards citizen-participants as a producers rather than as a consumers. A participant may "put to use" the Town Twinning facilities of travel and activities in his or her own way, regardless of the programme.
Integration of West-Europe after the Second World War was driven by a broad movement aimed at peace, security and prosperity. Organised youth exchange between European cities formed an important part of that movement. This research focuses on young people who, from the 1960s onwards, participated in international exchanges organised by twinned towns, also called jumelage. Friends in a Cold Climate asks about the interactions between young people while taking into account the organisational structures on a municipal level, The project investigates the role of the ideology of a united West-Europe, individual desires for travel and freedom, the upcoming discourse about the Second World War and the influence of the prevalent “counterculture” of that period, thus shedding a light on the formative years of European integration.
