Bonn Square: knowledge and understanding

In 1947, just after the war, Bonn and Oxford became Partnerstadt - twin cities. It must have taken considerable understanding to promote peace and friendship with people who were so recently seen as 'the enemy'.

The memorial garden here was later renamed Bonn Square, and reopened after a controversial redevelopment in 2009, replacing its sycamore and homeless with smart benches and piles of books sculptured by Diana Bell entitled 'knowledge and understanding'.

Behind them is Oxford's first war memorial, though interestingly this is not related to either of the twentieth century's terrible conflicts between Britain and Germany. Rather, this was unveiled in 1900 to commemorate soldiers who died in the Tirah Expedition, an Indian frontier war in 1897-1898.

Perhaps we need a bit more knowledge and understanding of what happened then, and what is still happening there now, and should twin our city with Peshawar?