Sir Richard and Lady Cripwell travelled to the town in southern Germany to represent the island at the annual Schutzenfest, Biberach’s most important civic celebration and one of Germany’s oldest traditional festivals.
It was the first time a Lt-Governor had represented the island there.
‘I think when you’re thinking about the sort of relationships like these, you need to go and see for yourself, and I was very conscious that no Lt-Governor had been to Biberach before,’ he said.
‘I was very aware of the very difficult history, but also very aware of the extraordinary efforts made by people to find a way towards reconciliation.’
During the Occupation, more than 1,000 Channel Island deportees were interned in Camp Lindele in Biberach. Since the 1990s a strong relationship has been developed between Guernsey and the town, and on Liberation Day last year a formal Framework of Friendship was signed by Biberach’s mayor and Guernsey’s chief minister.
‘You have to go there to see it – this is a town that sells bean jar through the winter, people are wearing Guernseys, they are hugely positive and enthusiastic about the relationship,’ said Sir Richard.
‘They are not blind to what happened in the past, and the work that they’ve done on the site of the old camp is very clear about what was done there. A number of men and women and children died in the camp, their graves are kept beautifully – it’s very special.
‘Our first visit, quite rightly, was to see the site of the camp and to see the memorial there and to see how they present that experience to others.
‘It was very poignant actually, seeing Guernsey faces and names from Guernsey in the photo boards and everything else.’
Gerd Magerle, the editor of local newspaper Schwabische Zeitung, said he believed the relationship between Biberach and Guernsey could be strengthened further with stronger travel links and engagement from younger generations.
‘I have the impression that relations between Guernsey and Biberach have been somewhat quiet in recent years. This is probably also because many of those on both Guernsey and in Biberach who were themselves deportees, or who had personal contact with the deportees in Biberach, are no longer alive,’ he said.
‘It would be highly desirable if younger people on both sides could breathe new life into this friendship and help carry it forward into the future.’
Highlights of Schutzenfest include historical pageantry, civic parades, traditional costumes, music and youth performances.
‘It is hundreds of years old and it’s a festival celebrating the deliverance from the Thirty Years War and other trauma in the history of Biberach.
‘It’s a hugely family event and the whole town is involved from the youngest children all the way through,’ he said.
‘It’s enormously happy and joyous and a huge affirmation of the community and they want other people to be part of it.’