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Ogden City Council members and Mayor Ben Nadolski recently had an opportunity to visit Hof, Germany, from July 29-Aug. 4, 2025. Hof has been Ogden's sister city since 1954.

Photo supplied, Brandon Garside

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Eva Döhla, lord mayor of Hof, Germany, left, speaks with Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski during the Ogden delegation's visit to the city in summer 2025.

Photo supplied, Brandon Garside

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Hannes Krug of Hof, Germany's, media office leads the Ogden delegation on a tour of Hof during the delegation's visit in the summer of 2025.

Photo supplied, Brandon Garside

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OGDEN — City officials are looking to strengthen ties with Ogden’s German sister city in light of a trip to experience the locale in person.

Last week, all seven members of the Ogden City Council along with Mayor Ben Nadolski undertook a trip to Hof, Germany, at the invitation of Hof’s leadership, where they had a chance to explore the city, meet with Hof leadership and attend the Hofer Volksfest.

The trip comes a year after a delegation of leaders from Hof visited Ogden.

“The folks in Hof were warm, welcoming and generous as we spent time with them,” Councilmember Dave Graf told the Standard-Examiner in an email. “We had a chance to tour their city, including their downtown and historic train station. We were also immersed in the culture of Bavaria while the community was celebrating Volks Fest. Traditional Bavarian food and drink, dress, dance and music along with a midway much like our County Fair. We were honored to tour their University and one of their local parks, which was designated as one of Germany’s most beautiful.”

He said he sees a lot of similarities between Ogden and Hof.

“Hof was once a thriving center of textile manufacture,” he said. “When the industry left for China, Hof took an economic hit. This struck me as similar to the decline of our railroad industry which supported Ogden economically. They face the challenges of aging infrastructure, historic preservation, economic development, and the cost of housing. Sound familiar? From these shared challenges comes ideas and possible solutions.”

Council Chair Marcia White told the Standard-Examiner there are many lessons that could be applied from Hof closer to home.

“One of my biggest takeaways from the trip to Hof was seeing how walkable, connected communities contribute directly to the quality of life,” she said. “Public spaces, like their downtown area, were thoughtfully designed and even repurposed to bring people together, and there was a clear commitment to creating environments that serve all ages. The outdoor seating areas and a large walkable downtown gathered people throughout the day. Events like the Hof Volksfest showcased the power of community so that young and old could come together to celebrate local culture, music, and tradition. It was a reminder that investing in places where people can gather, connect, and participate builds stronger, more resilient cities. These are lessons we can carry forward as we shape Ogden’s future.”

While the relationship between Hof and Ogden — which goes back to 1954 when the two were first paired as sister cities — has largely been handled by the City Council over the last decade, the board asked Nadolski to come along on the trip, which lasted from July 29-Aug. 4.

Nadolski told the Standard-Examiner the opportunity served as a reminder that Ogden is set to be an international-facing city in the coming decade thanks to events such as the 2034 Winter Olympics, adding that there’s a need to be ready for that role sooner rather than later.

“We don’t have until 2034 to be ready,” he said. “We’re preparing to welcome the world for the World Curling Championships at the end of March next year, and we need to be a city that’s ready and accustomed to welcoming international visitors, different delegations including higher-up officials, cultural sensitivities and differences, and also to capitalize on opportunities with international relations.”

He said that he felt a lot of knowledge on dealing with international affairs could be gained by engaing in one of the city’s oldest international relationships.

“With that pressure and timeline on my horizon and as I’ve prepared my administration to become more engaging in international affairs, I think it was important when the council asked for my help that we start with the relationship that we’ve had the longest,” he said. “Hof is our only sister city — it’s a 71-year relationship.”

This wasn’t the first visit to Hof for some on the City Council.

“I have a unique perspective because I had the opportunity to experience our sister city and the benefits of our relationship when I was a teenager and I had the opportunity to visit Hof as part of a Ogden-Hof sister city soccer exchange,” Councilmember Bart Blair told the Standard-Examiner. “It was a wonderful opportunity for me and my teammates to be able to experience a different country and a different culture.”

And there’s a plethora of opportunities for future engagement, he added.

“Each time we are able to interact with our friends from Hof, our excitement and commitment levels grow and we each find new ways to strengthen our relationship,” he said. “I believe there are endless possibilities with our friends from Hof. I hope that there are others who will have the opportunity to visit Hof, through sports exchanges, student exchanges, business exchanges and interest exchanges. I believe we have opportunities to create more awareness here in Ogden about Hof and find even more ways to link us together.”

Nadolski said that after researching the relationship, he noticed it’s been a very inconsistent on Ogden’s end.

“What I learned from this trip is that they have invested a ton in us,” he said. “Officials from Hof have invested a ton in Ogden. There have been times that we have invested back, but on the whole, we have not matched their level of engagement and contribution to this relationship, especially in recent years.”

He said it was noted to him that Hof has sent around 2,500 of its residents to Ogden over the years and it’s likely that far fewer Ogden residents have made the trip to Hof.

“Hof officials asked us — and asked me — if I would redouble our efforts and reengage in this relationship,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing, and it’s part and parcel to our broader international engagement strategy for welcoming the world to our city.”

Nadolski said it is a goal of the city’s to do more direct exchanges in the future while not costing the city’s taxpayers anything to do so.

“I went on this trip to support the council and help the council in developing a more sustainable way of managing this relationship moving forward,” he said. “What I learned before I left — and it was reinforced while I was there — is that in recent years, we have not kept up and done our part in this relationship, and I don’t think it’s OK … to leave this to inconsistent engagement over the years. This needs to transcend me and transcend administrations and elected officials and it needs to become a community-driven effort that is self-sustaining financially, and I think that I came away with a lot of ideas for helping to make that happen.”

Councilmember Ken Richey said he’d like to see some of those exchange opportunities made available to people outside of local government.

“I believe this relationship will continue well into the future, offering many chances for collaboration and shared learning,” he said. “I would especially like to see us create opportunities for cultural exchange to our youth — particularly students at Ben Lomond and Ogden High School.”

Nadolski said he plans to meet with the City Council leadership about introducing a joint resolution reaffirming the relationship between Ogden and Hof and outlining steps for moving forward in a sustainable way without relying on taxpayer dollars.