Davenport, USA

Kaiserslautern’s oldest sister city of Davenport is located in Eastern Iowa, the United States of America’s 29 th state, at the west bank of the Mississippi river, half way between Chicago and Des Moines, at the border to Illinois.

With approximately 100,000 inhabitants Davenport is the county seat and the largest city in Scott County. Together with Moline, East Moline, Rock Island (Illinois) and Bettendorf (Iowa) it forms the “Quad Cities”, a city alliance following the “multiple nuclei” model and uniting the region’s five principal cities, combining resources in the fields of economy, science, culture and society.

Davenport is the most important city and the center of the Quad Cities with a relatively equal repartition between the sectors of wholesale and retail, service and manufacturing. Major fields of economic activity are: Information technology, mechanical engineering, health, the lumber and timber industry, the electronic and chemical business sectors and nutrition production.

Colleges and two Universities offer a wide range of study programs.

Moreover the city on the Mississippi distinguishes itself by a multifaceted cultural environment: Different museums, theatres, music halls, a casino, Viking river cruises and many further opportunities invite you to explore the city enjoying its contemporary orientation and learning about its traditional roots.

Nature lovers will like the vast numerous parks offering a particular atmosphere for active urban recreation.

Soccer, Footgolf and baseball are highlights practiced in the field of sports.

In 1994 the German American Heritage Center was founded in Davenport. They work on both the German American heritage and contemporary German American subjects. Examples of their activities are: The annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival remembering the very talented and famous son of German immigrants, Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke, and offering sophisticated American jazz musicians an annual platform in Davenport as well as the museum, presenting a permanent exhibition on Davenport’s German immigration history.

The partner city looks back to an eventful past and numerous times was the setting of American immigration history. Around 1900 Davenport was called the most German city in America. This was due to the immigration of many German citizens in the late 1850s who had fled their home country.

It was named Davenport on May 14, 1836.

It owes this name in particular to two men: Antoine leClaire and George Davenport who had been lifelong friends.

The sister city relationship traces back to the “people-to-people” program initiated by Dwight D. Eisenhower in the late 1950s

Maurice R. Lemon, at that time U.S.A.F. commander at Ramstein Airbase in the role of an envoy of the mayor of Davenport incumbent at that time, Don A. Petrocelli, submitted his mayor’s suggestion to conclude a sister city relationship to Dr. Walter Sommer, mayor of Kaiserslautern in those days.

Kaiserslautern had been chosen due to its similarities concerning the structure of economy, science and society.

The sister city contract dates back to July 13, 1960.

Link to the city’s Website: http://www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/

Link to the city’s history: http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-and-history/local-history-info/