7th International Summer Work Camp at Lichtenburg (Prettin)
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Type of Work: Maintenance, Cleaning and Restoration Work
In 1933 one of the first concentration camps in Nazi Germany was established in the former castle of Lichtenburg in Prettin near Luther’s hometown of Wittenberg. It was first used as a concentration camp for men and from 1937 to 1939 as a concentration camp for women. During WW II an external camp detachment of the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen was accommodated there by the SS. Overall, about 10 000 men and women were imprisoned in Lichtenburg – political opponents, Jehova’s Witnesses, homosexuals, Jews and “career criminals and delinquents“. They were tormented, humiliated and in some cases murdered.
Our work camp at the location of the former concentration camp serves the purpose of reflecting national socialism. Individual fates and personal stories of concentration camp inmates will be the focal points. The NS state, but also the current developments in right-wing extremism will be discussed. There will be subject-related discussions, but there will also be practical work – such as cleaning at several places of commemoration. An excursion to the memorial site of Buchenwald is included as well. In midAugust 1937, when Lichtenburg was closed as a concentration camp form en, male inmates were transferred to the concentration camp of Buchenwald near Weimar. Our summer camp will conclude with a trip to Berlin where we will visit places of commemoration of NS crimes such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
For the seventh time now, Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace) and Miteinander are organising a summer camp in cooperation with the ORFIDE project at the Landesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung (regional association for cultural youth education), LKJ, of Saxony-Anhalt in Prettin.
We are looking for young people interested in confronting the history of national socialism, but also in doing some hands-on commemoration work. You will be given the opportunity for a close-up experience of history, but of course also to join in the fun of spending a joint holiday with young people from all over Europe.
Type of Group: We are expecting an international group from Germany and Europe. People aged 16 – 27 can participate in the summer camp. Participants should arrive with some prior knowledge of the history of concentration camps and the death marches of concentration camp prisoners. Any material on the subject brought to the summer camp in the mother tongue of the participant is welcome.
Camp Languages: German, English (As discussions about the subject will take a major part of camp time, the participants should be able to communicate well in either German or English!)
Accommodations: simple lodging
Memorial site: For more information on Lichtenburg visit the homepage of the memorial sites of Saxony-Anhalt: <cite>www.stgs.sachsen-anhalt.de/</cite>
(Please do not direct any questions to this site!)
