Summer Camps

From 1945 to 1950, the Soviet occupying forces used the site as a special camp. Most of the buildings were demolished after 1950. In the newly-founded GDR, a memorial to the “anti-fascist resistance” was to be built. The “National GDR Memorial Buchenwald” was inaugurated in 1958. Since the 1990s, numerous changes have been made to commemorate more and other groups of victims.
Two permanent exhibitions provide information about the history of the concentration camp and about the Soviet special camp. There is also an art exhibition.

In addition to practical and maintenance work on the hiking trail called “Buchenwald Railway Memorial Trail” (along the former railway tracks) and / or in the memorial on the former camp grounds, the participants of the summer camp will deal with the complex past of the site. On the hiking trail, they can engrave the names of deported children and young people on stones, or they can restore objects found during excavations in the restoration workshop.
Also of interest is the proximity of the camp to the city of Weimar, which is important for German history and culture. The handling and representation of Buchenwald’s multi-layered story from 1945 until today will be a topic, too. In addition to the place itself with its preserved buildings and remaining foundations, there are numerous opportunities for research through texts, photographs, drawings, found objects, archives, audio and film material and much more.

Thematic excursions to Weimar and the surrounding area (e.g. Erfurt) are also planned.

In Osnabrück, the birthplace of Erich Maria Remarque and the painter Felix Nussbaum, who was murdered in Auschwitz, the participants visit memorial sites and museums that open up and take away new approaches to the history of the Shoah, forced labour and persecution. In addition to the thematic programme, there is plenty of time for leisure, fun and getting to know the participants. The summer camp is organised in cooperation with the Augustaschacht Memorial and Haus Ohrbeck.

The center of Joniškis features a significant historical landmark: a complex of two 19th-century brick synagogues that reflect the rich heritage of the once-thriving Jewish community.

Our summer camp collaborates with MACEVA, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of old Jewish cemeteries. MACEVA collects, catalogs, and shares information about pre-WWII Jewish cemeteries across Lithuania.

The Summer Camp in Joniškis aims to preserve the town’s Jewish heritage and gather information for the inventory of the local Jewish cemetery. This effort will enhance our understanding of the cemetery’s significance and the lives of those buried there. Activities will include cleaning and tidying the cemetery, digitizing and mapping graves, and documenting legible inscriptions. Your volunteer work will play a crucial role in reviving this nearly lost history for public access.

The camp will focus on Jewish history and culture in Lithuania, as well as the complex events of 20th-century Lithuanian history. Participants are encouraged to bring up any additional topics of interest. Alongside various leisure activities in the area, campers will also have the chance to explore the nearby city of Šiauliai and the capital, Vilnius.

The summer camp in Višķi is being organized for the fourth time by ASF, the association “Drei Stufen e.V.” (Osnabrück), and the local community. The work, which began in 2022, will continue this year.

Specifically, the practical work of the participants at the old Jewish cemetery will contribute to the establishment of a future open-air ensemble museum. Restoration, gardening, and cleaning work will be carried out under the guidance of specialized personnel. The work in Višķi will also be complemented by a thematic approach to the history of this multi-ethnic and multi-confessional place, as well as connections to Jewish culture in Latvia in both the past and present. Looking into the past will enable the young participants to build bridges to the present and future.

Together, we will explore the historical context of the racist pogrom, examine the perspectives and demands of those affected, and analyze developments in addressing, remembering, and understanding racist continuities. We invite you to actively contribute to the documentation of the pogrom: by working together to research, categorize, and archive newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and other historical documents. At the same time, we will critically examine the ongoing structures of right-wing violence and reflect on how memory politics and commemoration have been shaped since 1990 – and what role we ourselves can play in this process.

All this changed with the occupation of Oświęcim in September 1939 and the establishment of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1940. Initially intended as a labor camp for Polish prisoners, Auschwitz became a central component of the National Socialist extermination system over time. From 1941, with the construction of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the camp played a key role in the Holocaust. Jews in particular, but also Sinti* and Roma*, were systematically murdered here.

In this  summer camp, you will learn intensively about the history of the Auschwitz camp complex. The program includes study tours through the memorial sites of the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau camps, which are supplemented by preparatory and follow-up workshops. You will not only learn about the well-known aspects of the history of the camps, but also follow traces that can be found outside the memorial sites today. One topic is the connection between the German “model town” of Auschwitz and the camp, as well as the role of German industry, in particular IG Farben, with its own Auschwitz-Monowitz camp. On the ruins of the former village of Monowice, another concentration camp was opened in the Auschwitz area in the fall of 1942. It was the first concentration camp planned and financed by a private industrial company and built for the forced labor of prisoners who had to work on the construction site for IG Farben’s Buna works. In workshops, you will learn more about the history of Auschwitz III Monowitz and research the life stories of IG Farben forced laborers.

The New Jewish Cemetery has been used as a burial ground by the Jewish community of Wrocław since 1902. The cemetery bears witness to Wrocław’s once flourishing Jewish community, which was one of the largest in the German Reich alongside Berlin and Frankfurt/Main.
The focus of our work is on the old, largest part of the cemetery, which served as a final resting place until the end of the Second World War. Unfortunately, this place was neglected for a long time and has been damaged in many places. The northern half is heavily overgrown and there are numerous graves in need of care.

In previous years, measures have already been taken to remove shrubbery and overgrowth in order to clean up burial grounds and paths. The tasks for this year’s summer camp are varied: we will be erecting graves and making them visible again, cutting roses and removing ivy and overgrowth. This is our contribution to making the cemetery a place of remembrance and commemoration.

But the project offers more than just physical labour. Wrocław is a vibrant city that is known as a ‘city of encounters’. The summer camp’s accompanying programme includes exploring the city’s past and present, with a special focus on tracing Jewish life. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the culture and religion and discover a city that is both steeped in history and modern. We are looking forward to an inspiring time full of encounters, exchange and working together.

Together, we will clear ivy and undergrowth from the expansive cemetery and make graves visible. In doing so, we will contribute to shaping the cemetery as a site of remembrance and commemoration.
The project is primarily aimed at people aged 40 and over, but it is open to all interested adults. Younger participants are also warmly welcomed to promote intergenerational collaboration and work together on an important cultural heritage.

Over the course of three days in Brno, you’ll engage in city tours, museum visits, workshops, and discussions with representatives of the Roma minority. These activities will provide you with valuable insights into the historical context of the Roma in the region and the current lives of the Roma community. The Museum of Roma Culture in Brno serves as a vital hub, documenting and celebrating the rich diversity of Roma cultural identity. Engaging with participants will inspire fresh perspectives on issues of discrimination and prejudice against Sinti and Roma, encouraging you to reflect on your own views.

After Brno, we will travel to the picturesque region of Hodonín u Kunštátu, home to the memorial dedicated to the Roma and Sinti victims of the Holocaust. This site was one of two locations where entire families of Moravian and Czech Roma and Sinti were forcibly concentrated before their deportation to the Auschwitz II – Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Through hands-on work on memorial paths, you will actively contribute to honouring the victims of National Socialism. Guided tours and discussions will deepen your understanding of this significant historical site.