Whitworth is twinned with the town of Kandel in Germany. The towns became twinned in 1966; at a ceremony in Kandel on 6 August 1966, the Twinning Charter was formally signed by the Chairman of the Whitworth Urban District Council, Councillor Frank W Walker, and the Burgermeister of Kandel, Herr Oskar Böhm.
Kandel is situated in the Rhine Valley in the Pfälz region of South Western Germany, an area particularly well known for the production of German wine, Liebfraumilch and Hock being two of the most famous. Like Whitworth, Kandel has its own Town Council. It is part of the District Council Verbandsgemeinde Kandel, their equivalent of Rossendale Borough Council.
Whitworth Town Council is assisted in the maintenance of the twinning link by the Whitworth Town Twinning Committee. The Committee holds fundraising events to help in the provision of hospitality for visitors to Whitworth from Kandel. Every year, a delegation from one town visits the other, and the hospitality is reciprocated the following year. Over the years, other local groups, such as the Whitworth Swimming Club, have organised similar exchange visits.
New members of the Committee are always welcome; anyone interested in joining can contact Secretary/Treasurer, Steve Mitchell by emailing sjmitch2609@hotmail.co.uk.
You can find more information on Kandel at www.kandel.de.
60 Years of Town Twinning in Kandel
In 2026, Whitworth celebrated 60 years of Town Twinning in Kandel. Attached are photographs making the celebration, put together by Volker, chair of Kandel's Town Twinning delegation.
