The Waverly-Eisenach Sister City partnership is a particularly successful and enduring example of municipal/collegiate cooperation. Formalized in 1992 by an agreement with Sister Cities International, the organization was established as a result of the diligent work of visionaries from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and Eisenach.

Their combined efforts provided the basis for a relationship that, twenty-six years on, flourishes and continues to bear fruit in new and surprising ways. The Waverly Chamber of Commerce has begun promoting economic projects not just with Eisenach, but also with the other cities with which Eisenach has partnered. High school exchanges between the cities have become routine, and are carefully monitored by members of the partnerships who volunteer their time and talents to assure that guest students in both cities have a deeply satisfying educational and cultural experience. Former high school exchange students from Eisenach have returned to Waverly to fulfill the teaching practica that are required for licensure in Germany. Thousands of Wartburg College students have visited the eponymous Castle, and have formed lifelong friendships with families in Eisenach. The college's Eisenach Immersion program provides a gateway abroad for a growing number of Wartburg students who wish to explore the possibility of educational or career opportunities in Europe. Other Wartburg College tours exploring Germany’s unique place in Lutheran history consider Eisenach a necessary port of call. Many Waverly residents attend weddings, graduations, and other social events in Eisenach. Our exchange is becoming so commonplace that we no longer welcome guests from Eisenach, but rather say, we weren’t aware that you had gone.

In March 2018 representatives from the City of Waverly and Wartburg College traveled to Eisenach to participate in their Sommergewinn celebration. Most recently, we welcomed travelers Jörg Tissat and Frank Lucas to Waverly in their epic trek across continental America in their fully restored 1957 Wartburg 311 Camping limousine. Waverly Sister City president Brian Pfaltzgraff accompanied them on the next leg of their tour through Nebraska and Colorado.

For more on Eisenach, visit https://www.eisenach.de/startseite/.

More on Waverly here.