Bolton and Paderborn last year celebrated their 25th anniversary of being twinned.
The two were both already partners with Le Mans in France. In fact Paderborn's twinning with Le Mans is the oldest in Europe. It dates back to 836AD, when the remains of St Liborius were transferred from Le Mans to Paderborn.
Paderborn now boasts 15,000 students at its university and has a thriving information technology industry, including large numbers employed by Nixdorf - now part of electrical giant Siemens.
Its population is 140,000 but it is the main city or a catchment area of around 500,000.
The city was part of the British zone in the wake of the Second World War and 10,000 British troops are still based nearby.
Paderborn's city symbol is three hares which feature in carvings on the cathedral.
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