📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The history of Open Houses dates back to the mid-1980s, when a group of young people began to restore actual disused village churches. The focus lies on restoration and public use of historical monuments, which allows a long-lasting and effective recovery of the buildings. Currently Open Houses has several historic buildings in its care. All of them are attractive ensembles which display centuries of history. But most of them stood vacant for a very long time and suffered serious structural damage.
💼 What the programme involves
Restoration of the roof of the Youth Accommodation House
The roofing of Rathewalde Youth Accommodation Houses is by now 50 years old and has to be renewed. Under the professional guidance of a carpenter the participants of the Building Weeks will remove the old roofing, repair the roof construction and afterwards reroof the house. Although the roofing - bituminous sheeting – is not a traditional one the works will be interesting because the combination of the different roof constructions of the different parts of the house dating back to different times will generate the need to find intelligent detail solutions. Because it will be sometimes not possible that the whole group will work on the roof at the same time the other volunteers will carry out in these times small renovation works at the house and on the ground. They will renew fences as well as painting doors and windows of the Youth Accommodation House.
🏠 Accommodation on site
shared rooms with 4-6 beds, limited warm shower and toilet
📍 About the location
Rathewalde Youth Accommodation House is situated at the traditional health resort Rathewalde in Saxony. The building is located at the end of the village, directly at the border of the National Park Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland). The mountains are famous for their typical formations of sandstone with lots of small caves and overwhelming views from the tops of the mountains. The National Park offers various possibilities of hiking and climbing tours of different levels as well as cultural events like theatre performances at the open air theatre “Felsenbühne Rathen” (cliff stage Rathen).
The house was originally built around 1880, in the following decades it had been extended step by step. When Open Houses overtook the responsibility for the house it was partly in a really bad condition; during the past years countless volunteers restored and renovated the building. The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden with old rhododendrons. From the garden there is a fascinating view into the neighbouring valley and on rock formations.
⚠️ Requirements
CV+photo and Motivation letter
ℹ️ Additional information
no remarks