A living bridge between Frederick and Germany.
For over four decades we have connected the people of Frederick with our sister communities of Schifferstadt and Mörzheim — through cultural exchange, friendship, and our shared heritage.
Our two sister cities
A friendship rooted in shared heritage
The Frederick Sister Cities Association has spent four decades nurturing the bonds between Frederick and its German sister cities.
Schifferstadt and Mörzheim — your gateway to Germany
To promote interaction and cultural exchange between our sister cities and Frederick, an ad hoc committee first formed in town. In 1990, founding members — supported by Mayor Paul Gordon — established the Frederick Sister Cities Association.
For more than three decades since, the FSCA has actively engaged Frederick with Mörzheim and Schifferstadt — through student exchanges, host families, delegations, and cultural celebrations that keep our shared roots alive.
The deeper history
How two German towns became part of Frederick’s story
Mörzheim · 1959
Frederick’s first sister-city tie
It began in 1959, when Frederick entered a sister-city agreement with Mörzheim — the home village of John Thomas Schley, one of Frederick’s earliest settlers, who arrived in 1745 and built the city’s first house. The Schley, Shriver, and Delaplaine families lent their personal ties to that first bond.
Schifferstadt · 1982
A name Frederick already knew
In 1982, with the encouragement of Mayor Ron Young, Frederick formed an alliance with Schifferstadt — hometown of the Brunner family, who in 1736 farmed a 303-acre tract they named after their German home. The stone house they built in 1758 still stands today as the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum.
“The relationships between Frederick and our two sister cities have been instrumental in the development of our respective cultures — an avenue through which we pass this legacy on to generations to come.”
“Nicht nur Städte sind befreundet, es sind vor allem die Menschen, die miteinander verbunden sind. Bei allem was Menschen unterscheidet gibt es doch viel mehr, was sie verbindet.”
Gather, celebrate, connect
From membership meetings to Maifest, our calendar is full of ways to take part in the friendship.
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There’s a place for you here
Become a member and help keep this friendship thriving across the Atlantic.
Join the Association
Membership is open to anyone interested in our work. Annual dues are just $20, payable each January, and your support directly funds exchanges and cultural programs.
- ✓Invitations to members’ events and meetings
- ✓Seasonal newsletter and annual report
- ✓A direct hand in our exchange programs
Four decades in pictures
Moments from exchanges, celebrations, and visits between our three cities.
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News from across the Atlantic
Read our seasonal newsletters — or subscribe to have each issue delivered to your inbox.
December 2025
Current IssueOur latest newsletter with event recaps and news from Schifferstadt and Mörzheim.
We’d love to hear from you
Questions about membership, hosting, or events? Send us a note.
Reach us
Meetings
Membership meets twice yearly — in April and October. The Board of Directors meets every other month. All members are welcome.