Manchester (Great Britain)

Manchester is situated roughly 300 kilometres north-west of London. Today the cradle of the industrial revolution is an incredible cultural hotspot with a legendary live music scene, over 90 museums and art collections of international importance.

Two universities are based in the city, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the economic structure of the city changed. Trafford Park, the first purpose-built industrial estate in the world, was opened in 1910. Heavy industry and the textile industry, which once dominated, are today of scarcely any significance. The most important economic sector is services, in particular financial services, media and communications, and high tech.

The cityscape is shaped by buildings from diverse eras, representing styles from Victorian architecture through to modernism. Outside the city centre, former cotton factories have been preserved and are used today as apartments or offices. In 2003, Manchester received an EU award for the best structural change achieved by a major European city.

Manchester is also famous for its two football teams, which play in the English Premier League: Manchester City and Manchester United.

The city partnership between Chemnitz and Manchester provides the framework for exchanges in culture and sports as well as in social work with the elderly. There are especially close links between the industrial museums. Joint participation in EU projects is a lively element of the city partnership.

An updated version of the city-twinning agreement was signed in 2003.