Meeting Places and Visits
International encounters and historical learning are at the centre of ARSP’s work – international meeting places are available in Poland, Israel and France. They welcome group and individual travellers from a wide range of backgrounds and organise an extensive seminar programme.
In addition, ARSP volunteers throughout Europe, Israel and the USA are involved in various places of remembrance and learning. They are happy to support you in planning and organising memorial site trips.
On this page:
Meeting places
The aim of the international meeting places is to encourage young Germans in particular to confront National Socialism and its consequences through dialogue and direct encounters with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Three international meeting centres have been closely associated with Action Reconciliation Service for Peace for many years. The International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim/Auschwitz (Poland), Beit Ben Yehuda – Haus Pax (Israel) and Foyer le Pont (France) regularly host events organised by and with Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste. Individual and group travellers will find accommodation and educational offers here.
The international meeting place Beit Ben Yehuda – House Pax (BBY) in Jerusalem offers affordable accommodation for individuals and groups. The historic building, which is located in the leafy Talpiot neighbourhood, also hosts exciting educational and meeting programmes.
The International Youth Meeting Centre (IYMC) in Oświęcim/Auschwitz has been open to groups and individuals as an educational facility since 1986 – also as a result of years of commitment by women and men who have worked for German-Polish and Christian-Jewish dialogue as part of Aktion Sühnezeichen in the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany.
The Foyer le Pont, the international meeting place of the Protestant churches in Europe, offers overnight accommodation and a varied seminar programme in the heart of Paris.
Twice a year, ASF and #FoyerLePont organise study trips to Paris for German groups. Over the course of several days, the groups deal with issues relating to the culture of remembrance and socio-political issues in a varied programme of lectures, discussions, city walks and visits to memorial sites and exhibitions. Dates may be found here.
Memorial Visits
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace volunteers are active at many memorial sites in Germany and abroad. They are happy to support individuals and groups on site in organising their trip to a memorial site, advise them on preparations and put them in touch with educational staff at the memorial sites.
As far as possible, they also help to establish contact with contemporary witnesses.
The support provided by the volunteers does not replace the necessary educational support.
As a rule, the volunteers are not trained teachers.
An overview
Are you planning a trip to a memorial site? Here you will find an overview of support and funding opportunities.
Support with the organisation of memorial tours
Trips to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site
At the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim / Auschwitz, initiated by ASF, you will find overnight accommodation and support from educators in planning and organising group trips to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.
IYMC Auschwitz
ul. Legionów 11, 32-600 Oświęcim
+48 33 843 21 07 / +48 33 843 12 11
https://mdsm.pl/en/reservation[at]mdsm.pl
Trips to the Terezin memorial site
The volunteers from ARSP and the Austrian Memorial Service at the Terezín Volunteer Office will be happy to help you plan and organise trips to the Terezín Memorial and your stay in Terezín: freiwillige[at]pamatnik-terezin.cz
Financial support for trips to memorial sites
German-Polish Youth Office (GPYO)
The GPYO supports German-Polish memorial site projects in the ‘Paths to Remembrance’ funding programme.
Since 1 January 2016, the GPYO no longer funds unilateral trips to memorial sites.
Extracurricular trips: funding from the Federal Youth Ministry
Since 2016, the Federal Youth Ministry (FYM) has been funding extracurricular memorial trips in Germany and abroad with funds from the Children and Youth Programme (KJP). KJP grants can be applied for via IBB Dortmund gGmbH. The current funding guidelines and application forms can be found on the IBB Dortmund website:
https://kjp-gedenkstaettenfahrten.de/
School trips: funding from the Federal Youth Ministry
If there is cooperation between a non-school organisation and a school and the non-school organisation is in charge, this trip can also be funded by the KJP:
https://kjp-gedenkstaettenfahrten.de/
Current funding opportunities
For current funding opportunities, please contact IBB Dortmund or the Ministry of Education responsible for your federal state or your state centre for political education.
Your contact person
Caroline Winkler
Country Director Norway | Return seminar | Memorial Tours
Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste
Auguststr. 80
10117 Berlin
E-Mail: norwegen[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-182
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