📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Since 1990 this workcamp has been taking place in cooperation with the local youth meeting and education centre on the territory of the former concentration camp (KZ) Buchenwald. After construction in 1937, KZ Buchenwald was one of the largest concentration camps of the Nazi era. More than 278,000 people from over 50 countries were deported there and deployed to it or its more than 130 sub-camps for forced labour. At least 56,000 people did not survive Buchenwald. They suffered from terrible existential living conditions, died of hunger and diseases, were murdered in various ways, died in use in the war industry, or were killed by death marches. After 1945 the Soviets were using the former camp to concentrate the Nacional Socialists. The innocents were also brought in the special camp.
💼 What the programme involves
Mainly cultivation and maintenance on the grounds of the former camp and the former railroad line Weimar- Buchenwald https://www.buchenwald.de/en/570/ , recovering & analysing buried objects from a waste dump of the former camp (archaeological work), erecting individual memorial stones for those prisoners who were deported from Buchenwald to Auschwitz, examination of findings from the period of the camp, e.g. in the form of restoration work.
🏠 Accommodation on site
In the international youth meeting centre at the memorial place with private showers in the rooms (3-4 people), possibilities to grill, to play table tennis etc. The volunteers will cook in teams.
📍 About the location
Buchenwald is very close to the city of Weimar, well known because of its large cultural heritage and its importance in German history.
⚠️ Requirements
The participants will do practical work mainly in the mornings, while the evenings are left for flexibly designed workshops, discussions, visits of museums and much more- thus, the study part should comply with the wishes and ideas of the participants. This workcamp has a very extensive study part, so you must have a strong interest in the subject matter. English knowledge is required.
ℹ️ Additional information
The participants should be not older than 27. Visits to the cities of Weimar, Erfurt and the ‘Partnercamp’ at the memorial of Mittelbau-Dora close to Nordhausen. Visit of the park Goethe in Weimar, the house of Goethe or Schiller; swimming pool.