Overcoming borders

In this workcamp you will be looking intensively at the division of Germany and the issues of peace, democracy and international understanding. The small town of Hötensleben in Saxony-Anhalt was located within the 2km exclusion zone that was set up along the 1,400km-long border to West Germany by the GDR after the Second World War. Due to the constant state surveillance and the various armed forces, life there was even more restricted than it already was in the GDR. The border, which was made of walls, barbed-wire fences and watchtowers, was monitored by border guards and dogs. Mines and self-shot systems were designed to prevent people from the GDR from escaping to the West. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, dedicated citizens of Hötensleben democratically campaigned for the preservation of a 350m-long section of the border complex, which is now a listed building. The facilities are open to the public and visitors can find out more and book guided tours at the Hötensleben Border Memorial Association. The association's educational work also includes inviting young people from all over the world to an international workcamp which takes place every year and strives for peace, democracy and international understanding. This year you can be part of this workcamp and, together with your fellow participants, support the Border Memorial Association with maintenance and repair work on the border facilities, as well as with the maintenance of the site (cutting the grass, weeding and clearing the surrounding areas). Alongside the practical activities on the grounds, there is an extensive study component to the camp. This includes a 2-day history workshop in the „Gedenkstätte Deutsche Teilung Helmstedt Marienborn“ (Helmstedt Marienborn Memorial of German Division), a visit to the Bundestag in Berlin and various historical and regional tours in the surrounding areas.