Prelude to Partnership
Leningrad and Hamburg 1957
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The city partnership between Leningrad and Hamburg is noteworthy. Although Leningrad had suffered considerably at the hands of the German military, the Soviet Union recommended a partnership with Hamburg. The Hanseatic city was open to the idea. But this proposal met with fierce criticism from the West German government. Nonetheless, pragmatic cooperation got underway. It gave a boost to the policy of detente and brought the two port cities closer together.
(Osteuropa 8-9/2011, pp. 353–358)