Work

Project: "Sound workshop" This is an ESC teams project. . Week 1: Explore the Sachsenhausen Memorial and learn about the history of the former concentration camp. Week 2: Participate in a music and sound workshop (bring your own instrument or music tool) and visit the Ravensbrück Memorial, the former largest concentration camp for women. Week 3: Focus on Sachsenhausen’s time as a Soviet special camp, including a talk with a surviving witness __________ Study part: The history of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and the Soviet Special Camp are the focus of this part of the study. You will learn about the life stories of former prisoners who were interned here from all over Europe. Why were they persecuted? What was their daily life in the camp like and how did they try to survive? Visits to exhibitions, memorials and museums in Oranienburg and Berlin as well as discussions with experts are also part of the program. There will be a sound workshop so pleeae bring instruments with you. __________ Work part: Participants will perform maintenance and gardening work on the memorial grounds. No special skills are required for the simple physical work.

Partner

The Sachsenhausen Memorial was one of the largest concentration camps in Germany and was built in 1936 near Berlin. More than 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned here by the Nazi SS. The prisoners were forced to perform inhumane labor, and thousands died or were murdered. After the liberation in 1945, the Soviet secret service established Special Camp No.7/No.1 on the site for the internment of former Nazi functionaries and political opponents. Today the memorial is a place of remembrance, learning and research. More information: www.sachsenhausen-sbg.de/en/

Location

Area: Sachsenhausen is a part of Oranienburg, ca. 33 km to the north of Berlin. Sachsenhausen was one of the earliest concentration camps in Germany, built in 1936. For example, German people who were in opposition to Nazi policy, homosexuals, so-called asocials, criminals, Jews, and during the war especially people from occupied countries were imprisoned, forced to work and a lot of them were murdered. Between 1945 and 1950 a part of this area was used as a so-called Special Camp of the Soviet Secret Service Leisure: Volunteers have to be able to ride a bike, as several shorter and longer bike rides are planned. Bicycles are provided, but helmets are not required. In the free time it's possible to go to Berlin or Potsdam. The volunteers will find many forests and lakes to walk, cycle or just relax. However, the free time activities will mainly depend on participants' ideas.

Accomodation

Accomodation: You will be accommodated in a youth hostel. The building is on the grounds of historical Sachsenhausen concentration camp complex and was built in 1938 as the official residence of the Concentration Camp Inspector, 2 km away from the memorial centre. It is not necessary to bring a sleeping bag. Bed sheets and linen will be provided. You will sleep in shared rooms with a lot of space. It is possible to use the washing machine and the dryer for a small fee. More information: https://www.jugendherbergen-berlin-brandenburg.de/en/youth-hostels/sachsenhausen-686/portrait/ Food: In the hostel there is a big kitchen for the group. Please be prepared not only to cook there, but also to clean up afterwards ;) This will be done by the kitchen team of your group. Volunteers have to cook the meals for themselves. Please bring easy recipes from your home country.

Requirements

Studypart: - You should bring an interest in the history of Germany and Europe in the 1930s and 1940s and commemoration. - You should have a desire to discuss these topics in an international group. Project related: - You should be interested in drawing comics. In general: - You should be able to perform simple physical tasks. - A good knowledge of English is a prerequisite for participation. - Since many shorter and longer bike rides are planned, volunteers should also be able to ride a bike. Please be fully vaccinated (2 to 3 shots of one of the following vaccines: BioNtech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson&Johnson) or recovered (date of infection must be min. 28 days old and max. 90 days old).

Meeting point

With google you can easily find your way with the address of the youth hostel here: Bernauer Str. 162, 16515 Oranienburg

Notes:

We have a total of three projects at the Sachsenhausen Memorial, with a different additional project: – VJF 2.3 Sachsenhausen #1:ESC Photography (06. July. - 26. August 2025) – VJF 2.4 Sachsenhausen #2: Sound worksop (08.07.25 – 26.07.25) – VJF 2.5 Sachsenhausen #3: Comic workshop (11.08.25 – 23.08.25) For this Workcamp it is necessary to have very good English skills as we will get a lot of information about the time of Second World War! ____________________________________________ This project is composed of a volunteering team, supported by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union. Compared to the usual workcamp participation scheme, some main financial and administrative differences must be underlined: For Sending Organizations: “Due to high costs and the lack of additional funding, we are unable to cover a sending fee on top of the ESC travel allowance (lump sum based on travel distance) that can be allocated to the sending organization for its volunteers. Unfortunately, this is the only way we can continue to run ESC teams in the capital of Germany.” ATTENTION PLEASE: This project is open to all volunteers that fit the ESC criteria presented on the ESC webpage: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/mission_en - Volunteers do not have to pay any fee (no sending, nor participation fee) to attend the project - Volunteers need to enroll in the PASS, the European Solidarity Corps Portal; We will organize your matching in the portal with the volunteering project. - Volunteers will receive pocket money, calculated on basis of the rate of our country ------ For Sending Organizations: “Due to high costs and the lack of additional funding, we are unable to cover a sending fee on top of the ESC travel allowance (lump sum based on travel distance) that can be allocated to the sending organization for its volunteers. Unfortunately, this is the only way we can continue to run ESC teams in the capital of Germany.

Work

Project: "Sound workshop" . Week 1: Explore the Sachsenhausen Memorial and learn about the history of the former concentration camp. Week 2: Participate in a music and sound workshop (bring your own instrument or music tool) and visit the Ravensbrück Memorial, the former largest concentration camp for women. Week 3: Focus on Sachsenhausen’s time as a Soviet special camp, including a talk with a surviving witness __________ Study part: The history of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and the Soviet Special Camp are the focus of this part of the study. You will learn about the life stories of former prisoners who were interned here from all over Europe. Why were they persecuted? What was their daily life in the camp like and how did they try to survive? Visits to exhibitions, memorials and museums in Oranienburg and Berlin as well as discussions with experts are also part of the program. There will be a sound workshop so pleeae bring instruments with you. __________ Work part: Participants will perform maintenance and gardening work on the memorial grounds. No special skills are required for the simple physical work.

Partner

The Sachsenhausen Memorial was one of the largest concentration camps in Germany and was built in 1936 near Berlin. More than 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned here by the Nazi SS. The prisoners were forced to perform inhumane labor, and thousands died or were murdered. After the liberation in 1945, the Soviet secret service established Special Camp No.7/No.1 on the site for the internment of former Nazi functionaries and political opponents. Today the memorial is a place of remembrance, learning and research. More information: www.sachsenhausen-sbg.de/en/

Location

Area: Sachsenhausen is a part of Oranienburg, ca. 33 km to the north of Berlin. Sachsenhausen was one of the earliest concentration camps in Germany, built in 1936. For example, German people who were in opposition to Nazi policy, homosexuals, so-called asocials, criminals, Jews, and during the war especially people from occupied countries were imprisoned, forced to work and a lot of them were murdered. Between 1945 and 1950 a part of this area was used as a so-called Special Camp of the Soviet Secret Service Leisure: Volunteers have to be able to ride a bike, as several shorter and longer bike rides are planned. Bicycles are provided, but helmets are not required. In the free time it's possible to go to Berlin or Potsdam. The volunteers will find many forests and lakes to walk, cycle or just relax. However, the free time activities will mainly depend on participants' ideas.

Accomodation

Accomodation: You will be accommodated in a youth hostel. The building is on the grounds of historical Sachsenhausen concentration camp complex and was built in 1938 as the official residence of the Concentration Camp Inspector, 2 km away from the memorial centre. It is not necessary to bring a sleeping bag. Bed sheets and linen will be provided. You will sleep in shared rooms with a lot of space. It is possible to use the washing machine and the dryer for a small fee. More information: https://www.jugendherbergen-berlin-brandenburg.de/en/youth-hostels/sachsenhausen-686/portrait/ Food: In the hostel there is a big kitchen for the group. Please be prepared not only to cook there, but also to clean up afterwards ;) This will be done by the kitchen team of your group. Volunteers have to cook the meals for themselves. Please bring easy recipes from your home country.

Requirements

Studypart: - You should bring an interest in the history of Germany and Europe in the 1930s and 1940s and commemoration. - You should have a desire to discuss these topics in an international group. Project related: - You should be interested in drawing comics. In general: - You should be able to perform simple physical tasks. - A good knowledge of English is a prerequisite for participation. - Since many shorter and longer bike rides are planned, volunteers should also be able to ride a bike.

Meeting point

With google you can easily find your way with the address of the youth hostel here: Bernauer Str. 162, 16515 Oranienburg

Notes:

We have a total of three projects at the Sachsenhausen Memorial, with a different additional project: – VJF 2.3 Sachsenhausen #1:ESC Photography (06. July. - 26. August 2025) – VJF 2.4 Sachsenhausen #2: Sound worksop (08.07.25 – 26.07.25) – VJF 2.5 Sachsenhausen #3: Comic workshop (11.08.25 – 23.08.25) For this Workcamp it is necessary to have very good English skills as we will get a lot of information about the time of Second World War! ____________________________________________ This project is composed of a volunteering team, supported by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union. Compared to the usual workcamp participation scheme, some main financial and administrative differences must be underlined: For Sending Organizations: “Due to high costs and the lack of additional funding, we are unable to cover a sending fee on top of the ESC travel allowance (lump sum based on travel distance) that can be allocated to the sending organization for its volunteers. Unfortunately, this is the only way we can continue to run ESC teams in the capital of Germany.” ATTENTION PLEASE: This project is open to all volunteers that fit the ESC criteria presented on the ESC webpage: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/mission_en - Volunteers do not have to pay any fee (no sending, nor participation fee) to attend the project - Volunteers need to enroll in the PASS, the European Solidarity Corps Portal; We will organize your matching in the portal with the volunteering project. - Volunteers will receive pocket money, calculated on basis of the rate of our country ------ For Sending Organizations: “Due to high costs and the lack of additional funding, we are unable to cover a sending fee on top of the ESC travel allowance (lump sum based on travel distance) that can be allocated to the sending organization for its volunteers. Unfortunately, this is the only way we can continue to run ESC teams in the capital of Germany.

Work

Come and volunteer in a summer village for different (age) groups! Over 2 weeks of various activities await you while you assist in a summer camp for children, teenagers and young families near Cologne! The summer village officially opens on the 13th of July. Prior to that, the local team has already built up the infrastructure of the area. All the tents, sanitary facilities and common areas are mostly set up on your arrival the day before the official opening. You might be asked to lend a hand in the very final stages of preparation. Your job then will be to work together with the local team and provide different types of activities and workshops for the participants. The children should be able to try out different types of sport, creative (group) activities, do arts and crafting or simply chill or play games. In the first week (TogeZer 14.-18.7.) the participants are children and young people with or without mental disabilities. The young people might be older (up to 18), but the developmental age is up to 12. For this week the team is also supported by professionals from an NGO working with people with disabilities and integration assistants. In the second week (KidZ 21.-26.7.) the program caters for children aged 7 to 12. The third week (TeenZ 27.7.-01.8.) consists of a program for teenagers. Aside from helping with the program, there will also be “backstage” tasks, such as taking shifts in the “bar” or cleaning the sanitary facilities. Another responsibility is the night duty: Since the participants are under-age, someone always needs to stay awake. Don’t worry, you won’t need to stay up the whole night and you won’t need to do it alone. It can easily turn into a nice long campfire-evening with friends. It is very important to the local team that you feel and become part of one big group of teamers.

Partner

Woanders e.V. is a non-profit organization which wants to reach people of all ages, support cross-generational interaction and contact between people from different areas of life. Their work intends to reduce fear of contact and support tolerance and curiosity for other people, by strengthening the team-spirit “We”. Each summer for over a month, they organize a camping village full of activities for different age groups. This year the program starts with a week dedicated to children and young people with or without mental disabilities. The young people might be older (up to 18), but the developmental age is up to 12. The next week contains a kids-program for children aged 7 to 12, which is followed by a week of camping for teenagers (12-15 years old) which ends in long weekend for adolescents (14+). (After the end of this project the program does continue with a second week of camping for children, followed by a week for families and finally the dismantling of the whore area until next year. The second group of volunteers is arriving on the 1st of August you will help in facilitating their arrival phase.) You can find the camp village schedule here: www.woanders.org/zeltstadt/ Participants usually stay there for a full week, most of them will stay overnight in tents and have their meals there as well. It is a project aimed mostly towards children and teens with fewer opportunities but it is open to people from all backgrounds. Priority is given to participants from nearby communities. Since 2020 we successfully support this project with small groups of international volunteers and the local team is looking forward to meet new international friends. By volunteering in this project, you are contributing to a sustainable and inclusive community (UN SDG 11).

Location

The camp village is situated on a meadow surrounded by trees a bit outside of the town of Bergheim. In Bergheim, you can find different shops and cafés, and Bergheim itself is only 20km away from Cologne. On your days off you can therefore visit Cologne, which is the fourth most populous city of Germany, famous for its cathedral and the Roman-Germanic museum. You can also go on trips to other nearby towns, for example to Bonn.

Accomodation

You will sleep in big group tents on the camp village site. Camp mats will be provided, but please bring your own sleeping bag! There are showers and sanitary facilities available, but the accommodation itself is quite basic. There will be no need for cooking since you will be eating together with the local team and the participants, so everything will be provided, but of course it is expected that you may help with cleaning and so on. You can get a glimpse of the project area on the homepage of the association, where you can find pictures from the previous years: https://www.woanders.org/fotos/

Requirements

We ask for a motivation letter to be sent with the application! Previous experience in working with children and/or people with disabilities will be very helpful. Since the project involves children, you need to provide a certificate of good conduct before the start of the project. This project is a Volunteering Team within the European Solidarity Corps program. Volunteers have to have legal residency in an EU country, there is a strict age limit of 18 to 30 years. The participation to the ESC Volunteering Teams is subject to several principles and conditions, presented on the ESC webpage: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/mission_en - Volunteers do not have to pay any fee (not sending, nor participation fee) to attend the project and will receive a financial support for their travel, according to a maximum amount established in accordance with their travel distance and upon the presentation of original tickets; - Volunteers need to enroll in the PASS, the ESC Portal; then IBG will organise their matching, on the online system, with the volunteering project; - Volunteers will receive pocket money, calculated on basis of 7€/day, once they arrive on the project; - Volunteers will have to complete a participation report, submitted online through the por

Meeting point

You have to arrive in Paffendorf train station. Please check for connections from anywhere to Paffendorf www.bahn.com/en. From there it is only a 15 minute walk to the camp village. There will be someone waiting to accompany you.

Work

Bring nature back to an old gravel mine! You will support the transformation of an abandoned gravel pit into an ecologically valuable habitat and thus give back to nature what humans have taken from it. The Nellschütz gravel company is creating a habitat with a pond, deadwood, rocks and steep slopes on an area of 4 hectares, providing a new habitat for amphibians, insects and various plants. All these tasks are done in close cooperation with the local authorities for nature protection. The site will also be used for environmental education work with children and young people in the future. Specific tasks will include the construction of a circular path and a green classroom, the creation of a pond, deadwood areas, etc. You will be digging, straightening, planting, sawing and nailing. There will be a wide variety of work with different levels of difficulty. If necessary, workers from the gravel company will support you with heavy machines. A landscape gardener will provide professional guidance.

Partner

With your commitment, you will make an important contribution to the biodiversity and the transformation of former industrial brownfield sites. There are many places in the area south-west of Leipzig where gravel is extracted. This is done in open-cast mining. As soon as a site is exhausted, large desolate-looking holes are left in the landscape. In cooperation with the local nature conservation authorities and the Nellschütz gravel company, we will support the revitalisation of such a gravel pit with this volunteering project. Many people in the region are looking forward to this renaturation and to you. They will support you at work, in your free time, with food etc. and they are looking forward to meeting you. The site will also be used for environmental education by school classes and kindergartens, so a circular route through the site and an outdoor classroom will be build.

Location

Nellschütz is located in the south-west of Leipzig. The nearest larger town is Weißenfels, the meeting point on arrival. Weißenfels is worth a visit, there is a historic old town with various baroque-style buildings, a castle, but also nice shops, bars and cafés... but also many lost places due to the structural change in the region. We will try to offer various excursions. Due to the poor public transport most activities and excursions will be realised with the support of locals. They are already exited in showing you their highlights of the region.

Accomodation

The living conditions will be very basic and sustainable. You will live right next to the gravel pit, about 1km away from the small hamlet of Nellschütz. Specifically, there will be several sleeping tents with camping beds and a pavilion with tables and benches as a common room. Cooking will take place in an improvised outdoor kitchen on an open fire. Instead of a fridge, there will be a dug-out earth cellar. There is a compost toilet and solar showers. Of course there is no wifi. You can also use the showers in the public swimming pool from time to time or swim in the lake. Please bring your sleeping bag. Your group of volunteers will be responsible for grocery shopping and cooking together. The food will be bought with the camp budget and everybody will take turns for cooking, washing the dishes and cleaning. In order to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet, we encourage volunteers to reduce meat and try more sustainable dishes.

Requirements

The project is only suitable for people who are comfortable with living and working in the simplest of conditions and want to try out this way of living for a fortnight without too many comforts.

Meeting point

Meeting point will be at Weißenfels train station. Here you will be picked up by your campleaders. We will arrange several pick-up times in the afternoon and early evening. Please arrange your journey in a way that you arrive between 3 pm and 9 pm in Weißenfels. You can check for connections from anywhere to on: www.bahn.com/en.

Notes:

The project is only suitable for people who are comfortable with living and working in the simplest of conditions and want to try out this way of living for a fortnight.

Work

We invite 12 international volunteers to help continue the construction of the Celtic housing complex in Bopfingen. So far, seven workcamp groups, local volunteers of the community of Bopfingen and a team of professional craftsmen have been working on the three houses of the Celtic housing complex. Your task will be to continue the work there by finishing the walls and floors. The working place is set on the top of the hill “Ipf”, so you will be working outside a lot with a wonderful view over the region. All the materials you work with are natural materials like clay, wood, and stone. The work will be led by a professional instructor, so no previous experience is needed. Expect manual work! You will work around 30 hours per week, somewhere between 8am to 4pm from Monday to Friday with a 1-2 hour lunchbreak.

Partner

The town of Bopfingen invites an international workcamp for the seventh time this year! A couple years back, researchers found archaeological evidence from the Celtic people that used to live here thousands of years ago in the Iron Age. The town’s project for the next years is to rebuild some of the houses in Celtic style to show tourists how the Celts may have lived in this area. By participating to this project you contribute to protecting the local cultural heritage in a sustainable way (UN SDG 9 and 11). You will also be part of the strong partnership between international volunteers and this project in Bopfingen, as international workcamps have helped with building the complex almost every year.

Location

Bopfingen is a small town in southern Germany. It has a beautiful centre with a lot of houses in old German style. What makes Bopfingen special is the hill next to the town which is called “Ipf” with its flat plateau on the top. The “Ipf” has an important historical meaning in this area. In former times, the Celts lived there and until today a lot of archaeologists and historians come to explore the region. It is surrounded by beautiful nature where you can go for a walk or hike. Around Bopfingen, you will find various museums, the romantic historic city of Nördlingen, and the Ries (a large circular meteor impact crater with a diameter of 24 km). If you would like to visit a bigger city, Ulm is not far away with its famous cathedral and the highest church tower in the world.

Accomodation

You will be staying at a local gym hall at about 10 minutes walking distance from the city centre and 15 minutes from the train station. You will all sleep in the very big main room of the gym hall. Camp beds are provided but please bring your own sleeping bag! In the gym hall there is also a kitchen which you can use for cooking, tables and chairs, different toilets which can be separated by gender and one bathroom with one shower. Your group of volunteers will be responsible for grocery shopping and cooking together. The food will be bought with the camp budget and everybody will take turns for cooking, washing the dishes and cleaning. In order to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet, we encourage volunteers to reduce meat and try more sustainable dishes.

Meeting point

Please, try and arrive at “Bopfingen” train station between 1pm and 7pm on July 19th. Find the best connection on the German railway company's website: https://www.bahn.com/en

Work

As in the workcamps of previous years, volunteers are welcome to support some renovation and maintenance work for social institutions in the town. This year, we plan to build a mobile market stall, which can be used for events like a typical German Christmas market. This will include a workshop for woodworking and wood treatment. An experienced female carpenter will introduce and support you! We also want to contribute to various landscape and nature conservation projects in Eilenburg and the surrounding area. This means working in nature and includes an interesting guided tour through the forest including a visit to a „Beaver castle”. As a third task, volunteers are asked to renovate and beautify the outdoor facilities of the youth center. Tasks will be discussed with the group and divided according to your preferences

Partner

The municipality of Eilenburg has been offering successful workcamps for more than 13 years now. The workcamp host has always been the youth club House 6 CLOUD, which is in former barracks. In the same building, you can find some more social, sports and cultural projects, for example a skate park. For further information, please visit https://www.haus6.org/ Eilenburg is a small town with a population of about 17,000 people. It is located on the edge of the “Dübener Heide“ and about 25 km from the exhibition city of Leipzig. Eilenburg can easily be described as one of the cradles of Saxony because of its more than thousand-year history. It was a rich city in medieval times and during the industrialization. At the time when Martin Luther lived, the brewery was Eilenburg’s main industry and in the 19th century it was a national center of the textile industry. At the end of the Second World War, in April 1945, Eilenburg was almost completely destroyed. The “Sorbenturm” is the only remaining part of the Ilburg that serves as a reminder of past rich times. A path outside the castle wall connects the “Sorbenturm” with the “Amtshaus”, the former regional court. This path was renewed with the help of volunteers in the past workcamps

Location

The leisure program is designed in collaboration with local youth groups and clubs in Eilenburg. The focus is on meeting and interacting with local young people. There are opportunities to participate in local sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, skate park), and swimming is also possible in the nearby gravel pit. Also planned are a trip to Leipzig, including a canoe tour on the Pleiße/Elster River, and a day trip to Berlin. Upon request, a dinghy tour on the local Mulde River can also be arranged. The volunteers will get to know the different forms of the youth cultures in Germany. They will also have the chance to improve their German language skills because the local adolescents are also involved in the projects

Accomodation

The volunteers will live in the youth club “HOUSE6 Cloud” and can use all facilities of a well equipped youth centre. There is also a kitchen available for the group to cook together

Requirements

You should bring your own sleeping bags and sleeping mats. You will also need some work clothes, rain gear and sturdy shoes. Do not forget to bring a swimsuit. We will ask you to sign a self-declaration form regarding child and youth protection.

Meeting point

Eilenburg via Halle

Notes:

You should bring your own sleeping bags and sleeping mats. You will also need some work clothes, rain gear and sturdy shoes. Do not forget to bring a swimsuit

Work

Participants will also have to do various manual tasks to prepare the area around the arena. Gardening work is included Working time will be about 2-5 hours daily, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.

Partner

Host organisation is the community of Weingarten/Pfalz and the sports club: Sportverein Weingarten 2007 e.V. near Germersheim.It is a workcamp including German language training. The lectures will be daily, two hours per day (excluding Saturdays and Sundays, when the group will go on excursions). The basis of the lecture will be first: communication; and second: grammar. The teachers will be speakers from University of Mainz. The language courses of 2016-2019 and 2023-2024 have all shown very good results.The volunteers are assigned to 3 language courses. Therefore, indicate your language skill in your CV.A) Beginner knowledge required, so that they can communicate in German with the other group members. Improvement of the existing skills is one of the goals of this course.B) Good German knowledge required (B2/C1) - German for Engineers as specialty. This is a rare course - you don t find it elsewhere.C) Very good German knowledge required (C1). Improvement of the very good skills is one of the goals of this course.For all participants a training for writing and presenting applications at companies and universities is included.

Location

The Arena in Weingarten is close to Germersheim and Speyer, 50 km southwest of Heidelberg. It has 20.000 inhabitants, including 3.000 students. There is also the study center for Digital Engineering of the university of applied science Kaiserslautern. Weingarten itself has a nice Arena with sports facilities. One of our goals is that the volunteers participate in sport activities of the SV Weingarten. The camp is located approx. 10 km away from the city centre of Speyer and Germersheim. Please look at the map, there are about 15 Weingartens in Germany. Please travel to Weingarten in Pfalz Terminal: bus station Weingarten/Pfalz and train station Lingenfeld; next airports:Karlsruhe/Baden, Frankfurt/Main, Stuttgart, Strasbourg/Alsace. The German federal and state governments have agreed on a way to fund the 58-euro Deutschlandticket for 2025. This means that this summer it is very cheap to travel all over Germany. In 2023 and 2024 this has been used by almost all participants to save money while traveling in July and August in Germany. It is also possible to arrive one or 2 days earlier so that you can reduce your travel costs.One goal is that the volunteers participate in sports activities. We plan sports activities, which consist for example of football training, swimming, gymnastics and tennis. These sports courses are open for all participants. Therefore, bring your preferred sports equipment e.g. swimming, football, tennis, gymnastics etc. with youTravelling and sightseeing tours will be mostly in the region Rhein/Neckar. Also to some companies like Mercedes and SAP.

Accomodation

Accommodation will be in the main building of the Arena with several bedrooms (6-13 beds in each), kitchen, separated bathrooms and showers. Cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. will be done by the group itself. Like in each workcamp, accommodation, food and travel-costs for excursions are free, as well as materials/copies needed for the lectures.

Requirements

Extra fee includes language course and most activities: 200 Euro to be paid upon arrival (or to be transferred in advance).Please send your CV in the Europass format to your sending organisation

Meeting point

Weingarten Bus stop via Lingenfeld train station; details will be given later.

Descrizione

Lohra Castle, with its centuries-old architecture and vast natural surroundings, is not only a site of historical significance but also a living, functioning place that requires continuous care and attention. This workcamp offers volunteers the opportunity to actively contribute to the sustainable management of the castle, ensuring that its grounds remain accessible, welcoming, and well preserved. While this workcamp does not involve hands-on heritage conservation interventions, it plays an equally essential role in the long-term care of the site, allowing future visitors and guests to experience and appreciate Lohra Castle as a harmoniously maintained historic and natural space. Beyond the practical tasks, the workcamp offers a unique and immersive experience. When the castle closes its doors to the public in the evenings, it becomes the volunteers' home, a place where they can experience the privilege of inhabiting a medieval site. In this way, they take on the role of stewards, caring for the space as if it were their own. The experience encourages a sense of responsibility, ownership, and connection to heritage, reinforcing the idea that heritage sites thrive not only through large-scale restoration projects but also through the daily care and attention given to them by those who value their existence.

Work

The volunteers will engage in seasonal maintenance tasks, including mowing and collecting overgrown grass, clearing organic material from public areas, and ensuring that the castle’s open spaces remain well-kept. These tasks are crucial for the aesthetic and functional upkeep of the historic ensemble, preserving the visual integrity of the castle and its surroundings. The work also extends to the general maintenance of communal spaces and halls, contributing to the overall experience of visitors who use the castle for cultural events, educational programmes, and retreats. The income generated from these activities is directly reinvested into the castle’s conservation and educational projects, meaning that the work of volunteers directly supports heritage preservation efforts, even if not through conservation itself.

Partner

Despite its historical significance, Lohra Castle was abandoned for several decades, leading to neglect and structural deterioration. In the 1990s, the site was rediscovered and revitalised through the efforts of Open Houses, which has since used the castle as a base for heritage conservation, cultural initiatives, and international collaboration. Today, it serves as a centre for hands-on restoration projects organised by Open Houses ́ daughter organisation European Heritage Volunteers, as well as training courses organised by partner educational institutions, and volunteer-driven maintenance efforts such as this workcamp, welcoming participants from across the world to engage with its unique built heritage.

Location

Lohra Castle, located in northern Thuringia, Germany, stands as one of the region’s most representative medieval fortifications located in the vicinity of important trade routes that connected the medieval world of central Europe. Though its present form is modest, the castle continues to command a striking position within the hilly landscape near a natural reserve. With a history spanning over a thousand years, the site reflects multiple layers of architectural evolution, shaped by shifting political, economic, and social contexts over the centuries. The architectural ensemble of Lohra Castle presents a rich assortment of historical styles, with elements dating back to the 11th century. Among its most remarkable features is a Romanesque double-floored chapel from the 12th century, an exceptional structure that highlights early medieval religious architecture. Traces of medieval fortifications and towers, as well as a Renaissance-era manor house, further illustrate the site’s transformation from a medieval defensive stronghold into a more residential and agricultural complex. The projects of Open Houses are based on sustainable principles, ensuring that Lohra Castle is maintained not just as a historical monument but as a living environment where culture and nature coexist. The castle is surrounded by a vast natural protected area, making its preservation an effort that combines aspects of cultural and natural heritage conservation. Through their contributions, volunteers help safeguard the balance between history and nature, keeping Lohra Castle a welcoming place for future generations of visitors, researchers, and heritage enthusiasts.

Accomodation

shared rooms with 2 – 5 beds in 3 guest houses, warm shower (limited hot water), 1 camp kitchen (cold water), coal-burning stoves

Meeting point

Next towns: Bleicherode (6 km), Nordhausen (20 km), Erfurt (75 km) Region: Thuringia Next bus station: Großlohra, Friedrichslohra/Wartehalle Next railway stations: Gebra/Hainleite (5 km), Wolkramshausen (12 km). Next airports: Leipzig/Halle (LEJ, 155 km), Frankfurt/Main (FRA, 280 km), Berlin (BER, 300 km)

Work

Together with the refugees we want to organize common activities, where the women and children are taken into consideration: playing games, doing sports, playing music together, being creative, in short, to have some fun together… Besides organizing games for the kids and special activities for women and men, there is an option to create some scenes in a puppet theatre. We want also to focus on several groups with special needs like people with disabilities and people from the queer community. In order to cover the needs of each group, a special collaboration is planned. For this purpose, a safe space should be created where the queer community can take part in a cooking evening and cook one dish or several small ones together in the kitchen. Game evenings are planned in the camp for people with disabilities. These ideas can be easily implemented and offer the greatest scope for getting to know each other better. In addition, our goal is to get in contact with the young people in Giessen to raise greater awareness for the refugees and to break the isolation of the refugees. We will establish contact with institutions and voluntary and professional supporters (students, social workers, therapists) of the asylum seekers, which will help you to understand their background. In order to work with people, it is also important to know some information about how to deal with them. We therefore plan to prepare a preventative protection measure as an introduction and to attend a workshop on the topic of anti-discrimination. We especially invite volunteers to participate who can speak Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic or Farsi, as well as volunteers who like to make music like drumming or guitar. We want to create this amazing experience where music offers a universal language for everyone.

Partner

Since many years now we offer this successful workcamp together with the protestant community center "Petrusgemeinde". The international volunteers are invited to the Asylum Centre for two weeks to take part in the daily life of the refugees. In the study part of the camp, we want to inform about the situation of refugees in Germany and Europe, as well as the current developments in the area of Asylum-policies. We want you to get in contact with the residents of the Asylum Centre so that we can learn about their stories, issues, difficulties and perspectives. The Asylum Centres for asylum seekers in Hessen are located at the edge of the city Giessen. There are currently around 2 000 asylum-seekers hosted in former army barracks. The refugees are in Germany because of various reasons, e.g. political, ethnic and religious persecution or poverty. Usually, they stay at the facility for few months until a decision has been made about their application. Sometimes they are sent to other centers or to other “safe countries” where they entered the European Union, or to their countries of origin. Most of the people living in the Asylum Centres in Giessen are from Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Ukraine and Balkan countries: young men, women, children and older people. The asylum seekers live in simple conditions and are not allowed to work or leave the district in which they live. Their permission to stay in Germany often is limited and so is their contact with the locals living in the city.

Location

There are plenty of possibilities for leisure time activities: playing football or canoeing as well as possibilities to visit some other cities. (e.g. Marburg, Frankfurt or Heidelberg).

Accomodation

The workcamp will be hosted by a local protestant church that is already involved in working with the refugees for many years. The premises of the church are plentiful, and volunteers will have a lot of space for sleeping, cooking, dining, relaxing, and for indoor and outdoor activities.

Requirements

As this workcamp can only be offered under very special conditions, we unfortunately need a whole list of additional things. We will ask for additional motivation letter in placement process and a self-declaration concerning the children and youth protection. You will need to provide a police record about good conduct as well. We will also need a proof that you are vaccinated against measles. Please bring sleeping bag, a pillow if needed, towels, camping mat, work clothes, bathing suit, music, your talents and something specific from your country.

Meeting point

Terminal: Giessen. Nearest airport: Frankfurt am Main.

Notes:

As this workcamp can only be offered under very special conditions, we unfortunately need a whole list of additional things. We will ask for additional motivation letter in placement process and a self-declaration concerning the children and youth protection. You will need to provide a police record about good conduct as well. We will also need a proof that you are vaccinated against measles. Please bring sleeping bag, a pillow if needed, towels, camping mat, work clothes, bathing suit, music, your talents and something specific from your country.

Work

With your help, we would like to carry out urgent work to preserve the historic railway station site. Nature is reclaiming what once belonged to it and working against memory. Together with your help and the support of the village, we want to fight against oblivion and make the station grounds visible again. The work you carry out will take place outside and is mostly horticultural: this means physical labour with hoes, saws and spades to clear the site of wild growth and bushes. Work can be physically demanding! During the work you will have the opportunity to learn a lot about the place and to talk to the local people and hear how they perceived the different periods. The Jamlitz railway station is also run in cooperation with the nearby Lieberose Memorial in Jamlitz and the young residents are often involved in its upkeep. You can also become active at the memorial site and help to maintain the greenery and work against forgetting. In our bicycle workshop, you can repair bicycles and take them on trips to the nearby Schwansee lake and through the meadows and forests.

Partner

The “Justus Delbrück Haus” | Akademie für Mitbestimmung (Academy for Co- determination) in the former Railway Station Jamlitz is an open place where everyone is welcome and can take part in events such as exhibitions, cinema evenings and other events. The organisation Karuna e.V. (Future for children and young people in need) bought the disused railway station in Jamlitz in 2008 and transformed it back into a lively place. Several organisations are now working together here, filling the past, present and future with life. You will find both a historical site rich with stories to tell and a vibrant space for exchange, where, in addition to educational programmes, leisure activities also take place. Moreover, a residential community for former homeless and decoupled young people has been established. In cooperation with the Lieberose memorial site in Jamlitz, socially disadvantaged children and young people in particular get the opportunity to escape everyday life, take advantage of artistic, historical and experiential educational programmes and experience a democratic and self-determined life. The railway station is located far away from large cities and is surrounded by forests and lakes, meadows and fields. This is very conducive to working with the young people and is part of the educational concept. “Arrive and simply be in the here and now”. This is the motto for working and living at the Railway Station Jamlitz. For further information see also Justus- Delbrück-Haus.

Location

Jamlitz is situated in a very rural location and has many exciting things to offer in addition to relaxing nature, bathing lakes and a historic landscape that can be explored on foot or by bike. At the end of the 19th century, Berlin artists discovered this place and founded an artists' colony, which still characterises the identity of the village today. During the National Socialist era, a large military training area was to bebuilt here. The project met with resistance from the local population and was never completed. However, a satellite camp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built, which sadly earned the village a reputation as one of the most important sites of the Shoah in Brandenburg. After liberation from National Socialism, both the camp and the military training area continued to be used by Soviet troops. The railway station was at the centre of all these events and today bears witness to the different areas. You will have the opportunity to get to know the history in various ways. On guided tours and seminars, through conversations with locals and explorations on your own, you can uncover and understand the overlapping layers. We also think together about which excursions and activities can be organised. Whether a visit Cottbus or Eisenhüttenstadt or Berlin is up to you.

Accomodation

Volunteers will be accommodated in the former railway station, there are rooms with several beds, sleeping bags must be brought along. We will cook and eat together with the residents of the railway station. If you want, you can spend the night in a tent, we can set up tents for this purpose.

Requirements

Please bring a sleeping bag, possibly a pillow, towel, with you. You will need work clothes, rain gear and sturdy, closed shoes. As it can get cold at night in August, even in summer, please bring warm clothing. Don't forget sun protection in case of strong sun. For your free time, please bring a swimming costume, music, your talents and something specific from your life. The project is in a very rural location. There is a swimming lake about 15 minutes away by bike. Volunteers should be able to cycle and swim safely. Alcohol and drugs are not permitted in the project itself. After registration, we require a self-declaration on child and youth protection.

Meeting point

Terminal: Lieberose Bus station via Bahnhof Cottbus. Nearest Airport: Berlin.