29.07. – 12.08.2023

Worcation

means creative and international work in a historical place – Stalag VIII A. Every summer, young people come together in the Twincity of Görlitz-Zgorzelec on the German-Polish border to experience history at first hand at a place that has been almost forgotten for decades, the former German Prisoner of War Camp Stalag VIII A. During two weeks, the participants gain extraordinary experiences during the workshops and the exchange with people from different countries, speaking different languages and by learning from history as well as transferring this knowledge to today’s world events in order to be able to shape Europe together.

Registration

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN ON MAY 1ST, 2023.

Young adults aged 16 – 26
from Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belgium and France
Participants should be able to speak English on a communicative level
Participants will have to pay a fee of 100,00€

(Food, lodging and the workshops are covered 100%)

Travel costs can not be refunded

Workshops

In the first two days the participants get to know the meaning of the place they come together. After that they split into small workshop-groups, in which they gain understanding about the history of Stalag VIII A in different ways. In their workshops, all participants will learn a lot of new things about the dimensions and backgrounds of National Socialism and totalitarian systems and their effects on the respective population, up to the present day, from the experienced team members and through active self-participation.

The results of the workshop work will be presented on the penultimate day of the meeting during a public presentation.

Venues

All participants are accommodated in the CVJM Peregrinus hostel in the middle of the old town of Görlitz. The group has the whole hostel for its sole usage and therefore can evolve very freely. The workshops take place on the grounds of the memorial site Stalag VIII A, which is in the polish part of the twincity Zgorzelec. That means that the border between Germany and Poland will be crossed every day.

The programme is also accompanied by cultural evenings, a city game, daily group sessions, evaluations, language animations, energizing games as well as free time.

Results

Together as a group the participant´s show their results and share their experiences with the public during the final presentation in the European Centre Memory, Education, Culture. Supporters, friends and city officials come together in the end of this two weeks to commemorate the many thousand victims of Stalag VIII A.

Coming together, trying to understand the lives of those who have been held captive in this camp can teach the participants to respect each, other cultures and languages and enables them to not only work together on this project but to work together in building a strong European bond which they are part of.