Joop Daalmeijer studied theology in Nijmegen. In the sixties, this city was like Moscow on the Waal, filled with students taking over the roles of professors, leading lectures and seminars. It was challenging to focus on studying amidst the lively debates on various topics unrelated to his field. With limited finances, Joop had to push through, determined to graduate. Seeking a change from the chaotic revolutionairy climate in Nijmegen, Joop seized an opportunity to participate in an exchange program at the University of Tübingen in Germany, where he completed his studies and graduated.
Joop was a self-described progressive Catholic who felt drawn to the Labour Party, though never officially joining except for a brief period. He transitioned into journalism. His focus during this period was on events in Latin America, particularly the rise of liberation theology, and the progressive movements within the Catholic Church, which faced opposition from conservative authorities. While climate issues were not a prominent concern at the time, the Cold War context significantly influenced their worldview.
Joop’s father had been imprisoned during the war, after being captured in a raid (razzia) before 1944. However, the father managed to escape and return to the Netherlands. When the parents later traveled to Switzerland on holliday, they passed through Germany without hesitation, unlike others who avoided Germany by going through France. Despite his father's war experiences, he never conveyed any negativity towards Germans, especially evident during youth exchanges when he had no issues staying with German families, finding them on the whole to be kind people.
Joop was part of the youth circle within the Foundation Schiedam Community, where they discussed policies and plans for the city's youth. One day, the director of the community suggested he join a youth exchange program to Esslingen, Germany, as a group leader. Embracing the opportunity, he participated in the program. Group leaders were tasked with giving speeches, often centered around the idea of the new Europe and its significance for the youth. They emphasized moving beyond the shadow of World War II towards a future of unity and cooperation. The German organizers, primarily members of the SPD, were dedicated to overcoming the past and fostering European solidarity. Their speeches stressed the importance of being good Europeans, transcending their German national identity.
For some, going abroad wasn't financially feasible, but the opportunity arose by these exchanges. It was a chance to broaden horizons beyond their usual surroundings. Despite coming from a family with limited means, where vacations meant visiting relatives in Brabant, these exchanges provided the gateway for Joop to foreign lands. Such experiences shaped his worldview profoundly, fostering a deep sense of European identity. This perspective carried over into his career as a journalist, including his tenure as editor-in-chief at broadcaster Wereldomroep, where managing an international team required skills honed from those early days of international interaction during youth exchanges. It all began there, learning to navigate international relations and understanding the importance of unity and cooperation on a global scale.
Friends in a Cold Climate: After the Second World War a number of friendship ties were established between towns in Europe. Citizens, council-officials and church representatives were looking for peace and prosperity in a still fragmented Europe. After a visit of the Royal Mens Choir Schiedam to Esslingen in 1963, representatives of Esslingen asked Schiedam to take part in friendly exchanges involving citizens and officials. The connections expanded and in 1970, in Esslingen, a circle of friends was established tying the towns Esslingen, Schiedam, Udine (IT) Velenje (SL) Vienne (F) and Neath together. Each town of this so called “Verbund der Ringpartnerstädte” had to keep in touch with at least 2 towns within the wider network. Friends in a Cold Climate looks primarily through the eyes the citizen-participant. Their motivation for taking part may vary. For example, is there a certain engagement with the European project? Did parents instil in their children a a message of fraternisation stemming from their experiences in WWII? Or did the participants only see youth exchange only as an opportunity for a trip to a foreign country? This latter motivation of taking part for other than Euro-idealistic reasons should however not be regarded as tourist or consumer-led behaviour. Following Michel de Certeau, Friends in a Cold Climate regards citizen-participants as a producers rather than as a consumers. A participant may "put to use" the Town Twinning facilities of travel and activities in his or her own way, regardless of the programme.
Integration of West-Europe after the Second World War was driven by a broad movement aimed at peace, security and prosperity. Organised youth exchange between European cities formed an important part of that movement. This research focuses on young people who, from the 1960s onwards, participated in international exchanges organised by twinned towns, also called jumelage. Friends in a Cold Climate asks about the interactions between young people while taking into account the organisational structures on a municipal level, The project investigates the role of the ideology of a united West-Europe, individual desires for travel and freedom, the upcoming discourse about the Second World War and the influence of the prevalent “counterculture”.
