📝 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
The historical stone bridge crossing the castle moat has to be restored in the future. The therefore necessary replacement bridge will cross the moat on another place than the original bridge did. Therefore the volunteers will construct new paths and stairs so that it will be possible the reach the replacement bridge. Furthermore they will dig holes for the foundations of the replacement bridge as well as for new fences surrounding the ground.
Additionally, the participants will clear up different parts of the ensemble and take care of the green area around by cutting grass, mowing lawn and digging up the garden.
The participants should be aware of physically demanding works.
🏠 Accommodation on site
simple conditions, shared rooms with mattresses, warm showers and toilets
📍 About the location
Ollendorf is situated between Erfurt, capital of Thuringia, and Weimar, the European Capital of Culture 1999. The small village is surrounded by a beautiful countryside.
Ollendorf Water Castle was probably built in the 13th century as a protective fort at the “via regia”. The “via regia” was the most important medieval trading route which ran from Flanders via Frankfurt and Leipzig to Russia. In 1692 the castle had been destroyed by a fire and only the foundations could resist. Today´s manor house was built in 1694 in a simple rural baroque style, replacing the former castle. Following the decline of the “via regia” in the 19th century, the site was later used for agricultural purposes, and store houses and barns were built. During the last decades, due to long vacancy, the manor fell into disrepair. Since several years Open Houses is active at the Water Castle and could safe it from falling apart. Many works has been done since than, both focusing on the restoration of the historical complex and the renaturation of the castle’s surroundings. Due to the young people from different countries, who have lived there and have taken part in its restoration during the last years, the castle changed into a place of creativity and open-mindedness. Ollendorf is a good place to start excursions to important historical and cultural places like Weimar and Erfurt which are not far from the village.
ℹ️ Additional information
no remarks