Sister Cities: Nitra, Slovakia and Naperville, Illinois
A friendship born in the fall of the Iron Curtain
In 1989, with the fall of the Iron Curtain, a group of Naperville citizens began exploring the possibility of developing a Sister Cities relationship with one of the emerging democracies. With the support of the Naperville City Council, the Naperville-Nitra Sister Cities partnership was formalized on November 17, 1993.
Located 90 miles east of Vienna, Nitra is the fourth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 100,000 people. Nestled in a valley surrounded by seven rolling hills, the 6,000-year-old city and agricultural center is an archaeological paradise. Home to two universities — University of Constantine the Philosopher and Slovak University of Agriculture — Nitra is a youthful town with modern buildings, many parks, playgrounds, statues and sculptures all around town, as well as businesses and factories.
Though they are thousands of miles apart, Nitra and Naperville share many similarities. Both cities have evolved from agricultural economies to technical industries; they enjoy similar climates, and benefit from the presence of civic organizations like the YMCA and the Lions Club. The two college towns place a high value on education and enthusiastically support athletics, the arts, and family centered-activities.
In Naperville, the Slovak American community has been actively involved in promoting Nitra. The Nichols Library in Naperville has organized educational programs about Nitra, and more than 6,000 books, study materials, and movies in English have been sent to Nitra schools and universities. Likewise, books about Nitra have been distributed to Naperville Schools. Through the Rotary Club, high school students can participate in exchanges, and there is also an active cooperation between Christian youth groups and non-profit organizations in both cities.
In addition to educational exchanges, Naperville and Nitra have a dynamic musical cooperation. In June of last year, students from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville visited Slovakia and held a beautiful concert in the Nitra Municipality concert hall. Moreover, the Naperville Evangelical Church financially supported the construction of the Holy Spirit Church in Nitra where concerts of the Naperville Church Choir are held. This July, Nitra will welcome the Young Naperville Singers!
Next month, the Naperville Sister Cities Commission will visit Nitra in preparation for the celebration of their 25th Sister City anniversary. During the visit they will discuss future cooperation, including how to support exchanges for young students and athletes. Both cities look forward to strengthening their friendship in the many years to come.
This story is part of the #SisterCitySunday series on Medium. Each Sunday from October 2, 2016 to May 7, 2017, new stories from the 28 European Union Member States will be published. Stories will also be shared on social media using #SisterCitySunday.
To join the conversation on social media, make sure to use #SisterCitySunday and tag @EUintheUS and @SisterCitiesInt on Twitter and Instagram, and EUintheUS and SisterCitiesInternational on Facebook. Let us know about your experiences in twinned cities and share your partnership stories with us!
