Twinning

Kettering is twinned with Lahnstein, Germany

The first contact between Kettering and Lahnstein was made in 1955, when staff and pupils from what was Kettering Grammar School took part in an exchange trip to the Staatliches Gymnasium Oberlahnstein. This turned into a more formal twinning partnership four years later, with Kettering Borough Council a driving force to the link-up.

The link-up has seen German and English families play host to one another in alternate years, while the Jim Collier bursary scheme offers the chance for young people from Kettering to travel to Lahnstein for work experience.

Lahnstein itself is a small town in mid-western Germany, close to the city of Koblenz and at the junction of the Rhine and Lahn rivers. Its strategic importance meant it was heavily fortified, and many of the mediaeval buildings, gates and towers survive to this day, including Lahneck Castle, which overlooks the town. Nowadays Lahnstein's position at the heart of the Rhine Valley wine-producing region has helped it become a thriving centre for tourism.

The Kettering-Lahnstein Twinning Association marks its 70th anniversary in 2025. Please visit their Facebook page for regular updates.

Other Links

Kettering has also enjoyed links with Ketttering, Ohio, in the USA. Kettering is near Dayton and was named after the inventor of the starter motor, Charles Kettering. The Sister City association there flourished for many years from the 1970s to the 2000s, but has since reduced. The Twinning Association above has inherited the links that still exist.

There are also links with Kettering, Jamaica, which partly build on the legacy of William Knibb and his anti slavery work in that country in the 19th century. Kettering Jamaica is part of the same municipality as the home town of sprinter Usain Bolt.