rooms open for those
who come along
Weimar office:
Goetheplatz 9 B
D-99423 Weimar
not empty buildings, but places with visible and invisible traces of
history, places which have grown and decayed over centuries, places
which were shaped by those people who lived there long ago as well as
those who only left yesterday – places which will be shaped by all of
those who will live there or who will come as guests.
Berlin office:
Lychener Str. 28
D-10437 Berlin
rooms which want to be filled with dreams and ideas, with meetings and
exchanges, by people of different backgrounds, different cultures,
different generations and different ideas and visions.
Tel.: ++49 / (0) 3643 / 50 28 97
(only German speaking)
Fax: ++49 / (0) 3643 / 85 11 17
Web:
2012
www.openhouses.de
Workcamps
Building Weeks
 General Co-operation
Bert Ludwig (Berlin office)
Mobile: ++49 / (0) 172 / 77 46 913
[email protected]
 Incoming
MTV
Sarah Renner
Mobile: ++ 49 / (0) 176 / 188 08 116
[email protected]
 Outgoing
Sarah Renner
[email protected]
World Heritage Volunteers
Mid Term Volunteering
Open Houses Camp Places 2012
Workcamp Impressions Building Weeks 2012 Workcamps 2012 Page Code Date Location 13 OH‐W01 22.04. – 04.05. Lohra Castle 13 OH‐W02 20.05. – 02.06. 13 OH‐W03 10.06. – 23.06. 21 OH‐W15 13 OH‐W04 18 OH‐W12 17.06. – 30.06. 24.06. – 07.07. 01.07. – 13.07. Type Vols Specials, Language RENO 18+ ENVI 6(+6)* English Lohra Castle RENO 18+ ENVI 6(+6)* English Lohra Castle RENO 18+ 10(+13)*
ENVI English Klein Dammerow ENVI Manor / Gantikow RENO Manor Lohra Castle Oberau Castle Age 18+ 10 English, Practise of German possible RENO 18+ ENVI 12(+6)*
RENO 18+ 12 English 10 English, Practise of German possible Klein Dammerow ENVI Manor RENO Page Code Date Location Type Age Vols Specials, Language 25 OH‐B01
22.04. – 04.05 Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 6(+6)* English Motivation letter 25 OH‐B02
20.05. – 02.06. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 6(+6)* English Motivation letter 25 OH‐B03
10.06. – 23.06. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 6(+10)* English Motivation letter 25 OH‐B04
24.06. – 07.07. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 8(+12)* English Motivation letter 25 OH‐B05
08.07. – 26.07. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 8(+12)* English Motivation letter 27 OH‐B10
23.07. – 04.08. Ollendorf Water Castle CONS 18+ 6(+6)* English Motivation letter 25 OH‐B06
29.07. – 15.08. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 8(+12)* English Motivation letter 29 OH‐B09
29.07. – 11.08. Parum Rectory CONS 18+ 8 English, Practise of German possible Motivation letter English 17 OH‐W16 08.07. – 20.07. 13 OH‐W05 08.07. – 26.07. Lohra Castle RENO 18+ 12(+14)*
ENVI ENVI RENO 18+ 6(+6)* English English 25 OH‐B07
26.08. – 08.09. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 8(+8)* English Motivation letter 18+ English 15 OH‐W10 23.07. – 04.08. Ollendorf Water Castle 13 OH‐W06 29.07. – 15.08. Lohra Castle ENVI RENO 18+ 12(+8)*
19 OH‐W14 12.08. – 24.08. Wehlen Rectory/ Rathewalde ENVI 18+ 8 Only German Speaking Camp 25 OH‐B08
09.09. – 20.09. Lohra Castle CONS 18+ 8(+8)* English Motivation letter 17 OH‐W17 12.08. – 24.08. Klein Dammerow ENVI Manor RENO 18+ 10 English, Practise of German possible 27 OH‐B11
10.09. – 22.09. Ollendorf Water Castle CONS 18+ 6(+6)* English Motivation letter 18 OH‐W13 19.08. – 31.08. Oberau Castle RENO 18+ 12 English 13 OH‐W07 26.08. – 08.09. Lohra Castle ENVI 18+ 8(+8)* English 23 OH‐W18 02.09. – 16.09. Parum Rectory ENVI RENO 18+ 8 English, Practise of German possible Page Code Date Location Type Age 13 OH‐W08 09.09. – 20.09. Lohra Castle ENVI 18+ 8(+8)* English 31 OH‐H01
15.07. – 28.07. Classical Weimar ENVI STUDY
18+ 15 OH‐W11 10.09. – 22.09. Ollendorf Water Castle ENVI RENO 18+ 6(+6)* English 13 OH‐W09 30.09. – 12.10 Lohra Castle ENVI 18+ 8 English *The number in brackets are the volunteers of the project, that is taking place in the same time. They will be one social community. In case of skills or interest it is possible to join the other working group during the time of the projects. World Heritage Volunteers 2012
Vols Specials, Language 12 German would be nice Motivation letter MidtermVolunteering2012
asaCampLeaderforOpenHousesCamps
TheIdeaofOpenHousesNetwork
Page
Code
Date
OHC01
29.04.–max.
26.06.
33
OHC02
10.06.–max.
08.09.
33
OHC03
08.07.–max.
22.09.
33
OHC04
29.07.–max.
13.10.
Location
Type
Age
Vols
Specials,Language
OpenHouses–roomsopenforthosewhocomealong.
33
MidtermVolunteering2012
Page
Code
Date
35
OHG01
29.04.–17.06.
35
OHG02
10.06.–05.08.
orlonger
35
OHG03
29.07.–02.09.
35
OHG04
26.08.–11.11.
orless
LohraCastle
andother
campplaces
LohraCastle
andother
campplaces
LohraCastle
andother
campplaces
LohraCastle
andother
campplaces
SOCI
20+
12
SOCI
20+
23
SOCI
20+
23
SOCI
20+
24
CampLeading
BasicGerman
GoodEnglish
MotivationLetter
attheChapelofReconciliationinBerlin
Location
Chapelof
Reconciliation
Berlin
Chapelof
Reconciliation
Berlin
Chapelof
Reconciliation
Berlin
Chapelof
Reconciliation
Berlin
Type
Age
Vols
CULT
20+
2
Open Houses – not empty buildings, but places with
visibleandinvisibletracesofhistory,placeswhichhave
grown and decayed over the centuries, places which
wereshapedbythosepeoplewholivedtherelongago
as well those who left only yesterday – places which
willbeshapedbythosewholivethereorwhocomeas
aguest.
Specials,Language
Open Houses – rooms which want to be filled with
dreams and ideas, with meetings and exchange, by
people of different backgrounds, different cultures,
differentgenerationsanddifferentideasandvisions.
CULT
20+
2
CULT
20+
2
CULT
20+
2
GuestGuiding
BasicGerman
GoodEnglish
MotivationLetter
ThehistoryofOpenHousesNetworkdatesbacktothemid1980s,whenagroupofyoungpeople
startedtorestorevillagechurchesinEastGermanyinvoluntaryworktoprotectthemfromdecay.
The engagement for these buildings united people who enjoyed the freedom these activities
providedandwhofilledtheseroomswithlifeagaininwayswhichbyfarexceedthecraftsmen’s´
workdone–throughexhibitions,concerts,makingmusictogetherorjustsittingbythecampfire.
Meanwhile, rooms free of political and ideological pressure are no longer urgently required;
however,placeshavebecomerarewherepeoplecanmeetwithoutcommercialpressure,freeof
bureaucracyandinstitutionalism,freeofnepotismandtheexclusionwhichitproduces.
What should be easy – to go somewhere in order to meet people and to work together – has
becomedifficult.Thetightropewalkbetween,ontheonehand,publicactivitiesinamonetaryand
functionalsense,andtheretreatintoprivatelifeontheother,isverydifficult,anditrequiresalot
ofpowerandpermanenteffortstotackleredtapeandfinancialrestrictions.
Free spaces are less and less understood as common property, and are permanently being cut
back. The idea of public property seems to have gone out of fashion, and places of common
responsibleworkhavebecomerare.
OpenHousesNetworktriestocreateandprotectsuchspaces.Inthisprocess,wedonotwantto
bethedoers,butbepeoplewhohaveavision,whowanttoinitiatesomething,butwhoalsoare
aware of depending on the cooperation of others. We understand our projects and events as
offers – as offers to create space for commitment, for changes, for meetings.
1
ThedifferenttypesofOpenHouses’projects
ThedifferenttypesofOpenHouses’projects
Workcamps
Forthelast20 yearsOpenHousesNetworkhasorganisedinternational Workcampsathistorical
monuments and buildings. Our projects are mostly situated in the countryside and the
accommodation is surrounded by beautiful nature. The workcamps offer the possibility to live
togetherwithpeoplefromdifferentcountriesinbasicconditions.Thevolunteerswilltakecareof
thesurroundingareaandwilldosmallrenovationworks.
Often, the mix of different cultures, and the willingness to do volunteer work, inspires the
inhabitantsoftheregiontoanewwayofworkingandresultstoanewviewontheirownhistorical
buildings, especially in rural regions where the old buildings had rarely received any public
attention.
HeritageVolunteers
ThenameHeritageVolunteersassemblestwokindofprogrammes,thatareverysimilarincontent.
On one hand there are World Heritage Volunteers, what is a project in cooperation of the
UNESCO, the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), the World
HeritageCentreandwhichareplannedandrealizedbythedifferentpartnerorganisationsinthe
relevant countries. Within this framework, groups of international volunteers are active at
historical monuments or in landscapes, that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list or that are
applying to appear on the list. The projects of the World Heritage Volunteers combine practical
workfortheprotection,conservationorrestorationofthehistoricalplaceswiththeaimtospread
theknowledgeabouttheHeritageinawiderpublic.
The volunteers of our Workcamps generally work six hours per day, five days a week. The
afternoons and evenings can be used for nearby cultural attractions, games, group activities,
campfires and other great things. Also on the weekends you have the possibility to visit nearby
places.
On the other hand there are the European Heritage Volunteers. This is a network of several
European Organisations, that was initiated by Open Houses. In the name of this network,
Workcamps are held, that work on historical monuments, that are of a regional, national or an
Europeanimportance.
BuildingWeeks
In addition to the Workcamps Open Houses is able to offer something totally different: the
BuildingWeeks.ThesespecialprojectsaretightlylinkedwiththeaimsandideaofOpenHouses:
Torestoreandprotectpublicplaceswithcommonresponsiblework.
Inbothprogrammes,thevolunteerswillspendaboutsevenhoursadaywithpracticalworkonthe
Heritage Sites. The afternoons and weekends are planned for educational input and excursions
thatfollowupthetopicsofWorldHeritage/EuropeanHeritage,aswellasthehistoryoftheplaces.
Theprogrammeswillberoundedoffbycontactswithlocalinitiatives,educationalinstitutionsand
otherlocalpartners.
ItisimportantforOpenHousestoallowthebuildingstopreservetheirparticularspirit,historyand
atmosphere.WithintheframeworkoftheBuildingWeeksboth,skilledmanualworkersandthose
withnomanualtraining,butacertaininterestinthetopic,canworktogethertorestorehistorical
monuments. Participants of the Building Weeks have a greater possibility of gaining real
experienceinrestorationandothermanualtasksandtoexpandtheirknowledge.
Anotheraimisthatthevolunteersshouldsharetheirskillsandexperiences.Tomaketheworkin
theBuildingWeeksasproductiveaspossible,thevolunteersshouldhavesometechnicalskillsand
italsowouldbeanadvantageiftheyhavepreviousexperienceinworkingonaconstructionsite.
EachBuildingWeeklastsforatleasttwoweeksandthegroupsaresmall.Itisalsopossibletotake
partforashortertime,likejustforoneweek.Weofferthisopportunityforthosewhoaretiedup
inworkinglifeandhaven’tgotsomuchfreetime.
MidTermVolunteering(MTV)
OpenHousesalsogivesthepossibilitytoparticipateforalongertimeinvolunteerprojects.This
kindofvolunteeringgivestheopportunitytogettoknowthehostingOrganisationanditswork
andaimsinadeeperway.Inatimeframeofmin.sixweeksuptothreemonththevolunteerswill
alsogetthechancetolearnalotaboutGermany,theculture,languageanditspeople.
FromMarchtillNovemberOpenHousesislookingforaround15MidTermVolunteers,even
thoughthemostProjectstakeplacefromJunetillSeptember.Therearethreedifferentkindof
MTVprojects.SocialCampLeading,TechnicalCampLeadingandGuestGuiding.
Moreoverwetrytoallowindividualideasandwishesasfaraspossible.
Duringthestayaccommodation,foodandinsurancearecoveredbyOpenHouses.Evenmorethe
Volunteersgetasmallpocketmoney.
In Building Weeks the emphasis lays on the manual work and the daily working time is seven
hours. The Wednesday afternoon is free for leisure time and cultural attractions. Also on the
weekendsyouhavethepossibilitytovisitnearbyplaces.
2
TheMidTermVolunteerswillbewelcomedwithanintroductionweekendandtheywilltakepart
foroneweekasregularVolunteersofaWorkcamptogetintotheatmosphereofVolunteerwork.
3
Terms of Organisation TRAIN TICKETS We advise you to use only local transportation (RE/RB) and to buy your ticket directly at the railwaystation in Germany. Intercity trains and similar fast trains (IC /ICE) are very expensive. In Germany we have regional tickets and weekend tickets, which are quite cheap and can be used with up to 5 people in the specific region or all over Germany with local transportation. You will receive further information for the arrival to the Workcamp with the Infosheet. HOW TO GET TO THE CAMP PLACE Most of our houses are connected to local transportation, like busses and trains. On some places the local transport isn’t operating on weekends, but in this case the camps will start and end on weekdays. Short distances, up to 3 km, from the station to the camp, should be walked by the volunteers. At other camp places, where the connection to local transportation is very bad, we offer the possibility to pick up the volunteers from the station, when the distance is more than 3 km. We will inform about the local transport of the several camp places, and about the walking directions in our Infosheets in time. LEAVING THE CAMP As during the camp you will make a lot of new friends and you may make plans for traveling after the camp, we advise you, not to buy your train ticket to reach the airport, in advance. Also you should plan some more days for traveling in Germany after the camp, if it is possible for you. Terms of Organisation WHAT TO BRING Usually average temperatures in Germany during the summer time are about 20° to 30°C, during the night it will get colder. It is possible that we have three weeks of non‐stop sunshine, but every day rain is not impossible either. 
Sleeping bag (if you really do not have one, tell us in time, and we will find a solution. But those who have one should definitely bring it with them) 
Working gloves 
Strong shoes 
Appropriate clothes, Waterproof coat 
Mosquito protection Lotion 
Dictionary, if you have 
Typical recipes, sweets, music, instruments and games from your home country 
Ideas, games and respective equipment for groups / workshops (jonglage, poi, handicrafts..) 
Passport 
Insurance Certificates (for EU‐members please bring the E111 ‐ European Health Insurance Card ‐ which you get for free from your insurance; in case you already have a travel insurance please bring the certificate; otherwise you are insured by us) 
PLEASE NOTE that we cannot provide Internet access or phone at the sites. So it won´t be possible to check Emails or to make a phone call during your stay from our houses. The next public phones most of the time are far away and there are no Internet Cafés next by. Furthermore washing machines are not available at all of our houses!
CHARGES Our projects are free of charge for participants sent by Alliance Member Organisations or Alliance Partner Organisations. AGE In general participants have to be at least 18 years old to take part in our projects. PARTICIPATION TERM Participants of Workcamps have to take part for the whole time of the project. At Building Weeks it is also possible to take part just for one week of the project. This possibility is especially an offer for people who are tied up in their job and often do not have enough time to take part at the whole project. LANGUAGE In general the language spoken in the camps is English. Only the Camp W14 is only German. But in all the camps there is also the possibility to practice German with other volunteers, camp leaders and the local people. French and Russian are common languages in the camps as well. INSURANCE In cases of accident, illness and liability all participants from foreign countries are insured by us. Nevertheless we recommend an individual travel insurance. Participants from the EU should also bring the european health insurance card (E111). FINANCES All costs are covered, including food, accommodation insurance and transportation during the stay at the project. travel costs to and from the camp place are not covered. You should organise the journey to and from the Workcamp by yourself and at your expenses. Furthermore you have to bring your own pocket‐money. ACCOMMODATION In most of our camps the Volunteers will live in the same houses, they also work on. What meens, that they more or less live on a building site. The accomodation is very simple, there are shared rooms with mattresses. Shower, WC and kitchen are at the place but sometimes not in the same building. The equipment is simple but fair. As you can imagine, after work, when everybody wants’ to take a shower, it can happen that there is a limit of hot water. FOOD The meals will be prepared together as they are part of the community life, what means that everybody will be responsible for the meal at least once during its stay. So it would be very nice if you could bring typical recipies from home in order to introduce each other to the preparation of food from all over the world. LEISURE TIME Our houses are mostly situated in rural countryside and small villages, so you should not expect busy places and normal city activities for the leisure time during the working days. Small trips in walking distance are possible in the afternoon. On the weekends it is possible to organise excursion to nearby cities or have other leisure activities. ARRIVAL DAY AND TIME Our camps start mostly on Sundays or Mondays. The first day is always the arrival day and we would like to aks you to arrive in the afternoon. It would be best if you can manage to be at the camp place by 7 o’clock in the evening, so all the volunteers can already get to know each other and can have their first common dinner before we start with the Workcamp in the next morning.
4
5
Workcamps
LohraCastle
BurgLohra
At Lohra Castle, Open Houses organises
Workcamps and Building Weeks in the same
period. The two working groups are living
together and they are one community. The
onlydifferencebetweenthetwoprojectsisthe
topics they are working on and the working
hours. Building Week volunteers work one
hour more. For the application we need the
Volunteers of the Building Weeks to bring
some experience and interest in the topic of
restoration.Duringthecampitispossible,that
Volunteers join the other working group,
because of their skills or their own interests.
Therefore please also see the Lohra Castle
BuildingWeeksdescriptions.
RENO/ENVI OHW0122.04.– 04.05.2012
ProjectDescriptions
RENO/ENVIOHW0220.05.–02.06.2012
RENO/ENVIOHW0310.06.–23.06.2012
RENO/ENVIOHW0424.06.–07.07.2012
Workcamps
LohraCastle
BurgLohra
AllprojectsofOpenHousesarebasedonasustainableprinciple.AlsoonLohracastletheworkwill
be balanced between natural and cultural fundamental ideas. On one hand the volunteers will
RENO/ENVIOHW0508.07.–26.07.2012
repairandrestorethecastlebuildingsandontheotherhandtherewillbeworkstobedonein
ENVI/RENOOHW0629.07.–15.08.2012
thegreenareaaroundtheproperty.
ENVIOHW0726.08.–08.09.2012
W01,W02,W03,W04,W05
ENVIOHW0809.09.–20.09.2012
The Volunteers will take care of the green areas around the castle, as well as for the closeby
ENVIOHW0930.09.–12.10.2012
natureprotectedarea.Forexampleinthegardentheywilldigupthegroundandclearitofweeds
and stones. And there are many meadows where grass and weeds need to be cut to keep the
ACCOMMODATION:
Sharedroomswith25bedsin3guesthouses,
warmshower(limitedhotwater),WCinside,1camp
kitchen(coldwater),coalburningstove
LOCATION:
Nexttowns:Bleicherode(6km),
Nordhausen(20km),Erfurt(75km)
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Gebra/Hainleite(6km)
Nextairport:Leipzig/Halle(LEJ,155km)
Frankfurt/Main(FRA,280km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,300km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workinggloves,waterproofshoes,rainjacket
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
castleanditssurroundingaccessible.MoreoverthegroupwillworkonaBarnstableintheouter
wardofthecastle,thatwillbeusedasmainstoreroomwithpiledbigboxesandcontainers,that
keepshistoricalmaterialsfromotherhouses,thatwillbeusedtorestoresomepartsofthecastle
in the coming years. As the flooring will get a concrete surface, strong volunteers are very
welcome. Also reparation works on the storage boxes, as well as sorting and storing material
mightbeataskfortheVolunteers.
W06
Thevolunteerswillworkintheforestandfreethepathsofweedsandsmalltrees,tokeepthem
accessiblenotonlyforutilityvehicles,butalsoforhikersandwalkerinthenaturereservedwoods.
MoreoverthegroupwillworkonaBarnstableintheouterwardofthecastle,thatwillbeusedas
main storeroom with piled big boxes and containers, that keeps historical materials from other
houses,thatwillbeusedtorestoresomepartsofthecastleinthecomingyears.Astheflooring
will get a concrete surface, strong volunteers are very welcome. Also reparation works on the
storageboxes,aswellassortingandstoringmaterialmightbeataskfortheVolunteers.
Lohra Castle is situated in the heart of Germany in Northern Thuringia. The castle, which is
surroundedbyascenichillylandscape,islocatedontheedgeofanaturereservearea.Beingone
of the largestcastles in Thuringia, the history of the castle Lohra begins in theMiddle Ages. The
castleismorethan1000yearsold.Today,itincludes20buildingsfromdifferenttimes:medieval
fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11th century, a roman chapel, a manor from the
Renaissance period as well as stables and granaries from the 19th century. The ensemble is
situatedinthecentreofabeautifulforest.Fromthetopofthebuildingsyouwillhaveawonderful
viewoveroneofthemostimpressivelandscapesofGermany:theHarzMountains.ForyearsLohra
Castlewasvacant.Atthebeginningofthe1990sOpenHousesstartedtorestorethecastleandto
reviveitbyculturalactivitiesatthebeginningofthe1990s.Sincethattime,alargenumberofart
workshops,exhibitions,concertsandinternationalmeetingstookplaceinthecastle.
6
W07,W08,W09
OpenHousesattachesgreatimportancetorenewableenergy.Theheatingsystemonthecastleis
basedonsolarpowerandwoodfiredheating.Underthisaspectthevolunteerswillcollectandcut
firewoodfromtheforestsnearby,whichtheyfindontheground.Thenaturalenvironmentaround
thecastleislistedasnationalnaturereserveandOpenHousessupportsthereservebycleaning
theforestwiththeactivityoftheVolunteergroups.ThemembersoftheWorkcampwillalsobring
thewoodfromtheforesttotheCastle.Thereforetheyneedtoloadupthewoodtoatruckand
unloaditontheCastletostoreitunderaroofedplaceforwintertime.Beinformed,thatthework
willtakeplacealsoonrainyandcolddays,sopleasebringrainjacket,waterproofshoes,warm
clothes,hatandscarfaswellasgoodworkinggloves.
7
Workcamps
OllendorfWaterCastle
WasserburgOllendorf
ENVI/RENO OHW10 23.07.– 04.08.2012
ENVI/RENOOHW1110.09.–22.09.2012
Workcamps
OllendorfWaterCastle
WasserburgOllendorf
ACCOMMODATION:
Simpleconditions,sharedroomswithmattresses,
warmshowersandtoilets
LOCATION:
Nexttown:Erfurt(12km),Weimar(12km),
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Erfurt(12km)
Nextairports:Halle/Leipzig(LEJ,120km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,275km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
Ollendorf is situated between Erfurt (capital of Thuringia), and Weimar (European capital of
culture1999).Thesmallvillageissurroundedbyabeautifulcountryside.
th
TheOllendorfWaterCastlewasprobablybuildinthe13 centuryasaprotectivefortatthe“via
regia”.The“viaregia”,alsocalledtheKing’shighway,wasthemostimportantmedievalroutefor
commercewhichranWesttoEastfromFlandernviaFrankfurtandLeipzigtoRussia.In1692the
Castlehadbeendestroyedbyafireandonlythefoundationscouldresist.
Today’s manorhouse was built in 1694 in a simple rural baroque style, replacing the former
th
castle. Following the decline of the Via Regia in the 19 century, the site was chiefly used for
agricultural purposes and store houses and barns were built. In 1813 Napoleon rested in the
OllendorfWaterCastlewhilefleeingafterthebattleoftheNationsnearLeipzig.
During the last decades, due to long vacancy, the manor fell into disrepair. Since 1998 Open
Houses is active at the Water Castle and could save it from falling apart. Many works has been
donesincethen,alsofocusingontherenaturationofthecastle’ssurroundings.Duetotheyoung
people,whohavelivedthereandhavetakenpartinitsrenovationsinceyears,thecastleisaplace
ofcreativityandopenmindedness.Inaspirittruetoitspastasaninn,thecastlewillonceagain
becomeaplacewherepeoplecomeandgoandwheredifferentculturesmeet.
OllendorfisagoodplacetostartexcursionstoimportanthistoricalandculturalplaceslikeWeimar
andErfurtwhicharenearbythevillage.
ProjectDescription
Thevolunteerswilltakecareofthegreenareasaroundthecastle,likemowingthelawn,cleaning
thesurroundingcastlemoatanddiggingupthegardenandclearitofweeds.
FurthermorethegroupwillcleanuptheCastlesiteandbringittoaproperappearance.Additional
materialswillbesortedandmadereadyforthetransporttoanothersite.
The volunteers will also do small renovation works around the Water Castle, like repairing old
doorsorvarnishingwoodenconstructions.
AtOllendorfWaterCastle,OpenHousesorganisesWorkcampsandBuildingWeeksinthesame
period. The two working groups are living together and they are one community. The only
difference between the two projects is the topics they are working on and the working hours.
BuildingWeekVolunteersworkonehourmore.FortheapplicationweneedtheVolunteersofthe
BuildingWeekstobringsomeexperienceandinterestinthetopicofrestoration.DuringtheCamp
it is possible, that volunteers join the other working group, because of their skills or their own
interests. Therefore please also have a look on the Ollendorf Water Castle Building Weeks
descriptions.
8
9
Workcamps
KleinDammerowManor
GutshausKleinDammerow
ENVI/RENO OHW1608.07.– 20.07.2012
ENVI/RENOOHW1712.08.–24.08.2012
RENOOHW12 01.07. – 13.07.2012
RENOOHW1319.08.–31.08.2012
SchloßOberau
ACCOMMODATION:
Commonsleepingroomwithmatresses,warm
showerandtoilets
LOCATION:
Nexttown:PlauamSee(17km),Güstrow(60km)
Region:MecklenburgWestPomerania
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Meyenburg(15km)
Nextairports:Berlin(TXL/SXF,160km)
Rostock(HRO,120km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
ACCOMMODATION:
Simpleequipped2,3,and4bedrooms,
warmshowerandWCinside
LOCATION:
Nexttowns:Meißen(4km),Dresden(25km),
Region:Saxony
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystations:Niederau(1km),Meißen(4km)
Nextairports:Dresden(DRS,25km)
Leipzig/Halle(LEJ,100km),Berlin(TXL/SXF,180km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
Klein Dammerow Manor is located between Berlin and the Baltic Sea and surrounded by four
naturereserveswithmanyfields,woods,pondsandrivers.TheManorisaveryinterestingbrick
buildingfrom1892/93withabeautifulinterior.Thewallsarecoveredwithclayandpaintedwith
limecaseinpaint.Thehistoricalwoodenfloorplanksarerevealedandrenovated.Alltheroomsare
equippedwithhistoricalfurnitures,whatgivesthehouseamagnificentattraction.
In the huge garden, surrounding the Manor House, a stoneoven invites to experience
conventional baking, and also the fireplace assures nice evenings in the nature. The sportsarea
withafootballgroundandvolleyballnetisjustbeside.Theparticipantscanalsoenjoytheirleisure
timediscoveringtheMecklenburgLakeDistrict.Thisplaceisidealforhavingagreatsummer.
ProjectDescription
ThemainworkinKleinDammerowwillmostlyconsistofgardeningandcleaningupthehistorical
park around the house, which has long been unused. Year by year, this way it is possible to
discoveranotherpartofthehugegardenarea.Theparticipantswillmowthelawnandcutbushes
andtrees.
OpenHousesattachesgreatimportancetorenewableenergy.That’swhyweuseanecofriendly,
woodfiredheatingsystemintheManorhouse.Underthisaspectthevolunteerswillcutfirewood,
which was brought to the property, and move it to a roofed place for wintertime. Also it is
possible,thatthevolunteerswillgototheforestandcollectfirewood,tobringittotheManor.
IncaseofrainyweathertheVolunteerscanworkinsidethehouseanddosmallrenovationworks
onthebuilding.
10
Workcamps
OberauCastle
Oberau is a small village located only 4 km away from Meißen which is nearby Dresden. Woods
andseveralpondsinwalkingdistancearecharacteristicforthecountrysidearoundthecastle.The
CastleitselfisbuildonanIslandbetweentwopondsandissurroundedbyafarmhouse.
Oberau Castle dates back to the Middle Ages but was converted in the sixteenth century. The
ensembleofbuildingsincludesacastlefromtherenaissancewithapark,amanorhousefromthe
classicalageandseveralbarns.Despitemanychangesundergoneintheprocess,thereremainsthe
cross vault on the ground floor and in the upper floors many painted wooden ceilings from the
renaissanceandthebaroqueperiod.
With regard to the small distance to Dresden and Meißen the will have the opportunity to visit
importantmonumentsandhistoricalsitesintheirleisuretime.ThecapitalofSaxonyfascinatesits
visitors with its magnificent baroque architecture and there are way more spots of interest. At
Meißen it is worthwhile visiting the gothic chathedral which is well known as one of the best
examples of Gothic Architecture. The close by old Albrechtsburg castle which offers a wonderful
viewovertheriverElbeisalsotheplacetovisitthefamousporcelainmanufactoryofMeißen.
ProjectDescription
Thecastlehasanoldandhistoricalbuildingstructurefrom1566.Soitwillbeaveryinteresting
workforpeoplewholikesuchprecious,oldmonumentsofarchitecturalhistory.Themost
importantrenovationswheredonethelastyears,butstilltherewillbesomereparationstobe
doneduringthecamps.
ThemostimportantworkfortheCampatOberauwillbetobringthecastlesiteandits
outbuildingsbacktoaproperappearance,removingbuildingmaterialsandcleaningthewhole
area.Thegroupwillloadupthematerialtoatruckwhichwillbringthethingstootherhousesof
OpenHouses.Furthermorethegroupwilltakecareofthegreenareas,mowthelawn,cutting
woodandcleaningthesurroundingcastlemoat.
11
Workcamps
WehlenRectory
CONS/ENVI OHW1412.08.– 24.08.2012
firstweek
PfarrhausWehlen
CONS/ENVI OHW1412.08.– 24.08.2012 Workcamps
secondweekRathewaldeYouthAccomodationHouse
HerbergeRathewalde
ACCOMMODATIONWehlen:
Sharedroomswith46beds,
limitedwarmshowerandtoilets
LOCATION:
Nexttowns:Pirna(12km),Dresden(30km)
Region:Saxony
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:StadtWehlen(500m)
Nextairports:Dresden(DRS,30km),
Leipzig/Halle(LEJ,160km),Berlin(TXL/SXF,240km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag.
NOTES:
OnlyGermanSpeakingCamp
ThisCampwilltakeplaceattwodifferentlocations.Thefirstdaysvolunteerswillstayandwork
inWehlenandaftertheweekendtheywillmovetoRathewalde.
Near Dresden, located close by the” National Park Saxon Switzerland” and at the banks of the
RiverElbe,thereisasmalldreamyandoldtownnamedStadtWehlen.Atthecentreofthe700
yearsoldcity,nexttothemarketsquare,thereisarectory,whichcanbedatedbacktothe17th
century.EventhoughthehousecanalreadybeusedagainasYouthaccomodationhouse,dueto
thelongperiodofvacancyandduetotheaftermathsofseveralfloodingstherearestillseveral
spots at the house that need certain care. Since 2010 Open Houses Network is working at
WehlenRectorywiththeaimofaproperrestorationandausespecificupgrading.
Project Description: The volunteers will do some reparation works at the house itself, like
reworkingoldwalls,paintingor thecompletionoftheinterior.Moreovertheywill work inthe
greenareasaroundtheRectory.Sotheywillmowthelawninthegardenandcollectleavesand
tidyupallover.Thegardenisverysmall,butitremainshistoricalquarrystonewallsoftheold
church from the Middle Ages, which was demolished in 1884. These walls are now supporting
thehillsidesituationofthegarden,whichisbuildondifferentheights.TheVolunteerswillclean
the walls from old material and grout it with new plaster. Some parts need to be moved to
buildnewwalls.AstheRectoryisonlyaccessiblebyfoot,becauseofthedifferentlevelsofthe
property,thevolunteerswillhelptotransportmaterialfromandtothebuildingsite.
ACCOMMODATIONRathewalde:
Sharedroomswith46beds,
limitedwarmshowerandtoilets
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Pirna(15km)
Bus237:PirnaRathewalde
The distance between Rathewalde
and Stadt Wehlen by car is 10 km.
Goingonfootevenonly6km.From
Rathewalde you can also reach the
close by town Rathen, also on the
banks of the river Elbe, by walking
down the “Amselgrund”. It is about
3km.
The Rathewalde Youth Accommodation House is situated at the health resort Rathewalde in
Saxony.ThebuildingislocateddirectlyattheborderoftheNationalParkSaxonSwitzerland.The
mountains are famous for their typical formations of sandstone with lots of small caves and
overwhelming views from the mountain tops. The nature reserve offers various possibilities of
hikingandclimbingtoursofdifferentlevelsaswellasculturaleventsliketheatreperformances
at the open air theatre called cliff stage Rathen. The Youth Accommodation House was built
around 1880. During the past decades countless volunteers renovated and extended the
mansion.Todayitattractsvisitorsbydifferentstylesfromsequentialconstructionperiods.The
mansionissurroundedbyabeautifulgarden,anorchardandlargerhododendrons.Fromthere
youhaveafascinatingviewonrockformations.
Project Description: The second week of the workcamp the volunteers will stay at the
Rathewalde Youth Accommodation House. There they will do some care and gardening works
outsidethehouse,likecultivatingthegardenandpaintingfences.Alsosmallrenovationworks
willbedone.
BesidesDresdenanotherattractiveplaceforanexcursioncouldbethenearbyCzechRepublic.
Iftherewon’tbeproblemswithanyvisa,thegroupcouldvisititforaday.
Furthermore there is the local cemetery close by and the volunteers will also take care about
thisproperty.Somepartsbecameroughandimpassablewiththetime,soitistimetoremove
theweedsandbranchesaswellascuttingthegrassbetweenthegraves.
12
13
WorkcampsENVI OHW1517.06.– 30.06.2012
KleinDammerowManorfirstweek
ENVIOHW1517.06.– 30.06.2012 Workcamps
secondweekGantikowManor
GutshausGantikow
GutshausKleinDammerow
ACCOMMODATIONGantikow:
Sharedrooms,warmshowerandtoilets.
LOCATIONGantikow:
Nexttown:Kyritz(4km),Neuruppin(40km)
Region:Brandenburg
TERMINALGantikow:
Nextrailwaystation:Kyritz(3km)
Nextairports:Berlin(TXL,SXF,100km),
Rostock(HRO,150km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow.
ThisCampwilltakeplaceattwodifferentlocations.Thefirstdaysvolunteerswillstayandworkat
KleinDammerowandaftertheweekendtheywillmovetoGantikow.
Klein Dammerow Manor is located between Berlin and the Baltic Sea and surrounded by four
nature reserves with many fields, woods, ponds and rivers. The Manor is a very interesting brick
buildingfrom1892/93withabeautifulinterior.Thewallsarecoveredwithclayandpaintedwith
limecaseinpaint.Thehistoricalwoodenfloorplanksarerevealedandrenovated.Alltheroomsare
equippedwithhistoricalfurnitures,whatgivesthehouseamagnificentattraction.
Inthehugegarden,surroundingtheManorHouse,astoneoveninvitestoexperienceconventional
baking,andalsothefireplaceassuresniceeveningsinthenature.Thesportsareawithafootball
ground and volleyballnet is just beside. The participants can also enjoy their leisure time
discoveringtheMecklenburgLakeDistrict.Thisplaceisidealforhavingagreatsummer.
ProjectDescription
ThemainworkinKleinDammerowwillmostlyconsistofgardeningandcleaningupthehistorical
parkaroundthehouse,whichhaslongbeenunused.Yearbyyear,thiswayitispossibletodiscover
another part of the huge garden area. The participants will mow the lawn and cut bushes and
trees.
OpenHousesattachesgreatimportancetorenewableenergy.That’swhyweuseanecofriendly,
woodfiredheatingsystemintheManorhouse.Underthisaspectthevolunteerswillcutfirewood,
whichwasbroughttotheproperty,andmoveittoaroofedplaceforwintertime.Alsoitispossible,
thatthevolunteerswillgototheforestandcollectfirewood,tobringittotheManor.
IncaseofrainyweathertheVolunteerscanworkinsidethehouseanddosmallrenovationworks
onthebuilding.
14
ACCOMMODATION KleinDammerow:
Commonsleepingroomwithmattresses,
warmshowerandtoilets
LOCATIONKleinDammerow:
Nexttown:PlauamSee(17km),
Güstrow(60km)
Region:MecklenburgWestPomerania
TERMINALKleinDammerow:
Nextrailwaystation:Meyenburg(15km)
Nextairports:Berlin(TXL/SXF,160km),
Rostock(HRO,120km)
Gantikow Manor is situated 100 kilometers north of Berlin. The house is surrounded by a sleepy
village with a small church and attractive countryside. The Manor is a picturing example of
th
modification in the late 19 century, by usuing traditional handcraft styles. The facade of the
buildingisdecoratedwithuniquemodernfrescopaintings.AfterthesecondWorldWar,thehouse
was first used as a refugee hostel and after the village community used the house as municipal
center, hosting the community office, the local store, the school, the kindergarten, the doctors
room, a kitchen of the agricultural production company and several apartments. With its many
rooms,thegreatbuildingisperfecttobeusedasaYouthAccommodationHouse.
Around the manorhouse, in the beautiful garden, with its old trees, there is lots of space for
outside activities and leisure time. A small lake is situated nearby the old building, where it is
possibletogoswimming.Andalsothesurroundingareawithitsmanylakesanduniquesmalltowns
invitesfortrips.
ProjectDescription
In Gantikow the volunteers will look after the garden and the surrounding area. Volunteers will
mowthelawn,buildafenceandputupafireplace.CollectingtheleavesoftheHorseChestnut
trees, to protect them from an insectdisease, will be another important work in the garden.
Furthermoretherewillbediggingworksaroundthehouseforadrainagesystem.
OnrainydaysthevolunteerscanworkinsidetheManor,doingsmallrenovationworksaswellas
cleaningupthecellarandtheattic.
15
Workcamps
ParumRectory
ENVI/RENO OHW18 02.09.– 16.09.2012
PfarrhausParum
Workcamps
ParumRectory
PfarrhausParum
ACCOMMODATION:
Simpleconditions,sharedroomswithmattresses,
bathroomwithlimitedhotwater,equippedkitchen
LOCATION:
Nexttown:Güstrow(4km)
Region:MecklenburgWestPomerania
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Güstrow(4km)
Nextairports:Berlin(SXF/TXL,200km)
Lübeck(LBC,150km),Rostock(HRO,50km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
ParumRectoryislocatedinasmallvillageintheNorthofGermany,aboutfourtykilometerssouth
ofRostock.
The village consists only of a church, the former rectory, the church school and two old
farmhouses.ThechurchitselfdatesbacktotheMiddleAge.Inordertosaveitfromtotallyfalling
apart,itwasrenovatedbytheparishinalmostnoncommercialwork.Theotherbuildingsofthe
villageareallrestoredquitewell.
The rectory, built in 1841, as the biggest in whole Mecklenburg, leads to it’s status being
representative of typical manor architecture of this period. The interior of the house is almost
unchanged,theoldroomstructureispreserved,youwillfindtheoriginaldoorways,windowsand
fittingsandalsowidehallways.
ProjectDescription
The volunteers will focus on an environmental topic, taking care of a natural rarity. Nearby the
Rectory, not far from the lake of Parum, we can be happy to find a beautiful meadow of wild
flowers,andespeciallyorchids.
In thepast themeadows wereusedforanimals grazing, and like this the meadows were always
short by natural power over centuries. By theagricultural upheaval after thepolitical changes in
1990 the area was left on its own and now it is necessary to help with human hands, that the
naturalreservestaysprotected.Therearenotmanyplaceswhereyoucanstillfindorchidsgrowing
in the wild, so it is important that some motivated volunteers take care of this rare spot and
protect the natural environment of the flowers. The work will be to mow the lawn on the
meadowsbyhandandcleanupthesurroundingarea.Pleasebeinformed,thattheworkwilltake
placeinallweathers.Sopleasebringrainjacketandwaterproofshoes.
Furthermore the volunteers will do some work in the park of the rectory, like gardening and
cleaning the area of leaves and branches. Also small renovation works at the house can be
possible.
Another job for rainy days will be to work on the interior completion of the roof, so that the
villagecommunityandOpenHousescanuseitforeventsandmeetingsinthefuture.
Since2003OpenHousesisrenovatingtheParumRectoryandoneofthemosturgentserviceswas
the restoration of the roof construction, which was managed with a consistent level of
craftsmanship,usingmainlyhistoricwoodtimberjoints.ThiswayOpenHousescouldpreservean
atmosphere,whichdoesnottelltheonceseriousdamage.
Intheparkbehindtherectoryaremanyoldtreesandforthegroupitwillbegreatfuntoenjoy
niceeveningsatthecampfire.ThepropertyfacesdowntothelakeofParum,whichisabeautiful
spotforswimming.
16
17
BuildingWeeks
LohraCastle
CONS OHB0122.04.– 04.05.2012
ProjectDescriptions
CONSOHB0220.05.–02.06.2012
BurgLohra
CONSOHB0310.06.–23.06.2012
CONSOHB0424.06.–07.07.2012
BuildingWeeks
LohraCastle
BurgLohra
B01Substructureofaroof
TheVolunteersoftheB01BuildingWeekswillpreparealeakingpartoftheroofofanaccom
CONSOHB0508.07.–26.07.2012
CONSOHB0629.07.–15.08.2012
CONSOHB0726.08.–08.09.2012
modationhousetoberepaired.Theywillremovetheroofcoatingandreworkthesubstructure.
B02,B03Roofrenovation
FollowingtheworksofB01,theVolunteerswillworkontheroofconstructionofan
CONSOHB0809.09.–20.09.2012
ACCOMMODATION:
Sharedroomswith25bedsin3guesthouses,
warmshower(limitedhotwater),toiletinside,
1campkitchen(coldwater),coalburningstove
LOCATION:
Nexttowns:Bleicherode(6km)
Nordhausen(20km),Erfurt(75km)
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Gebra/Hainleite(6km)
Nextairport:Leipzig/Halle(LEJ,155km)
Frankfurt/Main(FRA,280km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,300km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workinggloves,waterproofshoes,rainjacket
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
NOTE:
MotivationletterandCV+picturerequired
At Lohra Castle, Open Houses organises
Building Weeks and Workcamps in the same
period. The two working groups are living
togetherandtheyareonecommunity.Theonly
differencebetweenthetwodifferentprojectsis
thetopicstheyareworkingonandtheworking
hours.BuildingWeekVolunteersworkonehour
more. For the application we need the
Volunteers of the Building Weeks to write a
motivation letter and bring some experience
and interest in the topic of restoration. During
theCampitispossible,thatvolunteersjointhe
other working group, because of their skills or
their own interests. Therefore please also see
theLohraCastleWorkcampdescriptions.
B04GreatHayloftandInteriorcompletionofarenewedatticpart
The volunteers will work on the Great Hayloft in the inner ward of the castle, that is used for
culturaleventsandmeetings.Thegroupwillfinishtheworkoflastyear’svolunteergroups.They
willsandpaperthenewwoodenfloorandcoveritwithvarnish.Thisisachallengingjob,which
needsaccuracy,concentrationandskill.Moreovertheywillfinishtheworkontherenovationofa
leakingroof,whichotherBuildingWeeksstartedbefore.Followingtheirworks,thegroupofB04
willstarttheinteriorcompletionoftherenewedatticsothatitwillbereadytobeusedagain.
B05,B06GreatHayloft,GrainStorehouseandBarnstable
TheVolunteerswillworkondifferentpartsoftheLohraCastleensemble.Therearetwoimpressive
and huge rooms that are used for cultural events and meetings. The Great Hayloft, where the
Volunteers will finish the flooring, and the former Grain Storehouse, that will get a thermal
isolationfromtheattic,sothatitcanbeheatedinthefuture.Moreoverthegroupwillworkona
Barnstableintheouterwardofthecastle,thatwillbeusedasmainstoreroomwithpiledbigboxes
and containers, that keeps historical materials from other houses, that will be used to restore
Lohra Castle is situated in the heart of Germany in Northern Thuringia. The castle, which is
surroundedbyascenichillylandscape,islocatedontheedgeofanaturereservearea.Beingone
of the largestcastles in Thuringia, the history of the castle Lohra begins in theMiddle Ages. The
castleismorethan1000yearsold.Today,itincludes20buildingsfromdifferenttimes:medieval
fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11th century, a roman chapel, a manor from the
Renaissance period as well as stables and granaries from the 19th century. The ensemble is
situatedinthecentreofabeautifulforest.Fromthetopofthebuildingsyouwillhaveawonderful
viewoveroneofthemostimpressivelandscapesofGermany:theHarzMountains.ForyearsLohra
Castlewasvacant.Atthebeginningofthe1990sOpenHousesstartedtorestorethecastleandto
revive it by cultural activities. Since that time, a large number of artworkshops, exhibitions,
concertsandinternationalmeetingstookplaceinthecastle.
18
accommodationhouse.Theywillreworkthesubstructureandputbackonthenewroofcoating.
some parts of the castle in the coming years. As theflooring will get a concrete surface, strong
volunteersareverywelcome.
B07,B08Renovationofaguesthouse
DuringthetwoBuildingWeeks,theVolunteerswillworkontherenovationofaguesthouse,that
gives accommodation, kitchen and bathroom to up to ten people. The groups will rework the
woodenplankflooring,correctthenaturalclaywallsandgivethemnewcolour.
Pleasebeinformed,thattheworkwilltakeplaceinallweathers.
Sopleasebringrainjacketandwaterproofshoes.
Allprojectswillbesupervisedbyexperiencedcraftsmen.
19
BuildingWeeks
OllendorfWaterCastle
CONS OHB10 23.07.– 04.08.2012
CONSOHB1110.09.–22.09.2012
WasserburgOllendorf
BuildingWeeks
OllendorfWaterCastle
WasserburgOllendorf
ACCOMMODATION:
Simpleconditions,sharedroomswithmattresses,
warmshowersandtoilets
LOCATION:
Nexttown:Erfurt(12km),Weimar(12km)
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Erfurt(12km)
Nextairports:Halle/Leipzig(LEJ,120km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,275km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
NOTE:
MotivationletterandCV+picturerequired
Ollendorf is situated between Erfurt (capital of Thuringia), and Weimar (European capital of
culture1999).Thesmallvillageissurroundedbyabeautifulcountryside.
th
TheOllendorfWaterCastlewasprobablybuildinthe13 centuryasaprotectivefortatthe“via
regia”.The“viaregia”,alsocalledtheKing’shighway,wasthemostimportantmedievalroutefor
commercewhichranWesttoEastfromFlandernviaFrankfurtandLeipzigtoRussia.In1692the
Castlehadbeendestroyedbyafireandonlythefoundationscouldresist.
Today’s manorhouse was built in 1694 in a simple rural baroque style, replacing the former
th
castle. Following the decline of the Via Regia in the 19 century, the site was chiefly used for
agricultural purposes and store houses and barns were built. In 1813 Napoleon rested in the
OllendorfWaterCastlewhilefleeingafterthebattleoftheNationsnearLeipzig.
During the last decades, due to long vacancy, the manor fell into disrepair. Since 1998 Open
Houses is active at the Water Castle and could save it from falling apart. Many works has been
donesincethen,alsofocusingontherenaturationofthecastle’ssurroundings.Duetotheyoung
people,whohavelivedthereandhavetakenpartinitsrenovationsinceyears,thecastleisaplace
ofcreativityandopenmindedness.Inaspirittruetoitspastasaninn,thecastlewillonceagain
becomeaplacewherepeoplecomeandgoandwheredifferentculturesmeet.
OllendorfisagoodplacetostartexcursionstoimportanthistoricalandculturalplaceslikeWeimar
andErfurtwhicharenearbythevillage.
20
ProjectDescription
During the last years Open Houses started to rework the old timberframework of the former
horse stable. The volunteers will go on with the bricklaying between the framework. Therefore
thevolunteersshouldfeelcomfortablewithheightstoworkonthescaffolding.Accordingtothat,
therewillalsobeotherbricklayingandcarpenteringworksaswellassmallrenovationworksall
overtheproperty.
The old roof construction is another topic the volunteers will work on. Some parts need to be
repaired,sothegroupwillhelpourcarpenterintilingtheroof.
Itshouldbecleartoeverybodythatnotallthegroupcandothesameworkallthetimeandwe
havetofindahealthybalancebetweenambitioushandcraftandothernecessaryworks.Therefor
thevolunteerswillalsodosomecareandgardeningworks,likemowingthelawnandcleaningthe
surroundingcastlemoat.
AtOllendorfWaterCastle,OpenHousesorganisesBuildingWeeksandWorkcampsinthesame
period. The two working groups are living together and they are one community. The only
difference between the two projects is the topics they are working on and the working hours.
BuildingWeekVolunteersworkonehourmore.FortheapplicationweneedtheVolunteersofthe
BuildingWeekstowriteamotivationletterandbringsomeexperienceandinterestinthetopicof
restoration.DuringtheCampitispossible,thatvolunteersjointheotherworkinggroup,because
of their skills or their own interests. Therefore please also have a look on the Ollendorf Water
CastleWorkcampdescriptions.
21
BuildingWeeks
ParumRectory
CONS OHB09 29.07.– 11.08.2012
PfarrhausParum
BuildingWeeks
ParumRectory
PfarrhausParum
ACCOMMODATION:
Simpleconditions,sharedroomswithmattresses,
bathroomwithlimitedhotwater,equippedkitchen
LOCATION:
Nexttown:Güstrow(4km)
Region:MecklenburgWestPomerania
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Güstrow(4km)
Nextairports:Berlin(SXF/TXL,200km)
Lübeck(LBC,150km),Rostock(HRO,50km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag.
NOTE:
MotivationletterandCV+picturerequired
ParumRectoryislocatedinasmallvillageintheNorthofGermany,aboutfourtykilometerssouth
ofRostock.
The village consists only of a church, the former rectory, the church school and two old
farmhouses.ThechurchitselfdatesbacktotheMiddleAge.Inordertosaveitfromtotallyfalling
apart,itwasrenovatedbytheparishinalmostnoncommercialwork.Theotherbuildingsofthe
villageareallrestoredquitewell.
ProjectDescription
DuringtheBuildingWeeksthevolunteerswillworkontheexteriorplasteroftherectory.Ourlast
yearcampsstartedalreadywiththiswork.Sothisyeartherewillbetwodifferentkindsofworkto
bedoneontheoutsideofthehouse:restoringthehistoricalstuccoprofilesbyusingplasteranda
stencil, which will be made upon the resisting parts of the profiles. And painting the already
plasteredwallsandrenewedhistoricalstuccoprofiles.Theaimistobringtheoriginalcolourback
th
tothehouse,asitwasinthe19 century.
Another task for the Building Weeks volunteers will consist in the completion of the interior
plaster. They will use the natural material clay to give back the original impression to the
premises. The rustic wooden plank flooring, which you can find all over the rectory is another
optiontoworkon.Theprojectwillbedoneundertheguidanceofanexperiencedcraftsman.
Itshouldbecleartoeverybodythatnotallthegroupcandothesameworkallthetimeandwe
havetofindahealthybalancebetweenambitioushandcraftandothernecessaryworks.Therefore
the volunteers will also do some gardening work and cleaning up the area in the rambling park
behindtherectory.
Another job for rainy days will be to work on the interior completion of the roof, so that the
villagecommunityandOpenHousescanuseitforeventsandmeetingsinthefuture.
The rectory, built in 1841, as the biggest in whole Mecklenburg, leads to it’s status being
representative of typical manor architecture of this period. The interior of the house is almost
unchanged,theoldroomstructureispreserved,youwillfindtheoriginaldoorways,windowsand
fittingsandalsowidehallways.
Since2003OpenHousesisrenovatingtheParumRectoryandoneofthemosturgentserviceswas
the restoration of the roof construction, which was managed with a consistent level of
craftsmanship,usingmainlyhistoricwoodtimberjoints.ThiswayOpenHousescouldpreservean
atmosphere,whichdoesnottelltheonceseriousdamage.
Intheparkbehindtherectoryaremanyoldtreesandforthegroupitwillbegreatfuntoenjoy
niceeveningsatthecampfire.ThepropertyfacesdowntothelakeofParum,whichisabeautiful
spotforswimming.
22
23
WorldHeritageVolunteers ENVI/STUDY OHH01 15.07.– 28.07.2012
ParksandGardensofClassicalWeimar
WorldHeritageVolunteers
ParksandGardensofClassicalWeimar
ParksundGärtendesKlassischenWeimar
ParksundGärtendesKlassischenWeimar
ACCOMMODATION:
Shared10bedroominahostel,
warmshowersandtoilets.
LOCATION:
Closecities:Erfurt(25km),Jena(20km)
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Weimar
Nextairports:Halle/Leipzig(LEJ,120km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,275km)
AGE:
atleast18
WHATTOBRING:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes.
Weimarisabeautifulsmallcity,locatedinthemiddleofGermanyinthestateofThuringia.Ithasa
hugenumberofcultural importantplaces,becauseofthemovedhistory.EspeciallytheClassical
th
Period made the city, what it is now. By the late 18 century many of the leading writers and
thinkersinGermany,suchasGoethe,SchillerandHerdercametoWeimarandshapedthecultural
lifeandinthesametimetheimageofthecity.WeimarbecametheculturalcentreofEuropeat
that time. Even many painters, composers and philosophers lived in the city during the classical
period. And still now you find many creative and inspired people living in Weimar, that were
attractedbythegreataccumulationofculturalspirit.Since1998the“ClassicalWeimar”isonthe
list of UNESCO’s World Heritage. Besides Goethe’s House, the City Church and the City Palace,
especially the great parks and gardens, with their impressive landscape architecture and pretty
castlesarepartoftheUNESCOClassicalWeimarensemble.ForexampletheParkontheIlmwith
the Roman House, Goethe’s Garden, and Garden House or Belvedere Castle with Orangery and
Park.
Duringthe20thcenturyWeimarbecamethebirthplaceoftheModernMovementinarchitecture
andaesthetics.TheBauhauswasdevelopedbymergingtheGrandDucalSchoolofArtsandCrafts
and the Weimar Academy of Fine Arts. The founder of the school was Walter Gropius. Other
importantteachersoftheBauhauswereJohannesItten,LyonelFeiningerandWassilyKandinsky.
The Bauhaus had, and still has, a profound influence upon developments in art, architecture,
designandtypography.The“BauhausanditsSitesinWeimarandDessau”isalsolistedasUNESCO
WorldHeritage
Forallthishistoricalimportantmarksandtospreadtheknowledgeofthepast,Weimarbecame
EuropeanCapitalofCulturein1999.
24
Theprojectwillconsistoftwoparts–
apracticalworkingpartandastudypart.
In the first half of the days the practical
working part will take place and in the
afternoonsandeveningstherewillbetimefor
thestudyactivities.
Concerning the working part, the volunteers
willdogardeningandcareintheparksofthe
Classical Weimar. They will work 7 hours a
day,fivedaysaweek.
OnonesidetheywillsupporttheregularworksintheParkontheIlm,ascuttinggrass,collecting
leaves,takingcareforflowersetc.Thisworkwillshowthefact,thatheritagecannotexistwithout
permanentcare,evenmoreagardenandparkarchitecture.
On the other side the volunteers will overtake the responsibility for an abandoned part of the
BelvedereParkbycuttingsmallthrees,bringingbackviewaxes,rebuildingpathsetc.Thispartof
theworkwillshowthatalsoinashorttimeofonlytwoweekstherecanbeseenarealresultofthe
work.Additionallyitwillshowthatalsointhe“rich”and“wellorganized”Germanyexistpartsof
heritagesiteswhichhadbeenforlongtimeswithoutcare.
Thestudypartwillgivethetheoreticalbackgroundfortheproject.Dependingontheinterestsof
the volunteers there will be lections and guided tours about Classical Weimar organized for
example byKlassik Stiftung Weimar, that is one of the major project partners. But also with the
BauhausUniversityWeimarthevolunteerswillgetthechancetolearnmoreaboutheritageand
history.Thestudypartwillalsobringtheinputoftheprojectintoawiderpublic.Italsoincludes
meetings with NGOs in Weimar and Thuringia, students, other international volunteers of Open
Houses projects, with the press and the local radio. The Local citizens’ radio Radio LOTTE is
interestedinadocumentationoftheproject.Possibleisalsoacooperationwithstudentsofthe
mediafacultyoftheWeimaruniversity.
For their spare time the volunteers will get bicycles. This is the best way of transportation in a
townlikeWeimar,withlotsof gardensandparkstodiscover. Dependingontheinterestsofthe
volunteers,ontheweekendwilltakeplaceanexcursiontoanotherUNESCOWorldHeritageSite
consistingofhistoricalparksandgardens,calledGardenKingdomofDessauWörlitz.
25
MidTermVolunteering
CampLeading
LohraCastleandallothercampplaces
ofOpenHouses’2012programme
LohraCastleandallothercampplaces
ofOpenHouses’2012programme
DURATION:
betweensixweeksandthreemonths,inexceptional
caseslessormore.Thebeginningdatesarefixed
becauseofthetrainingcourse
ACCOMMODATION:
Itdependsonthecampplace.
Pleasehavealookinthecampplacedescriptions.
AGE:
atleast20
LANGUAGE:
GoodlevelofEnglish,BasicKnowledgeofGerman
otherlanguagesarehelpfull
WHATTOBRING:
alarmbell,calculator,purse,
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag,pillow
NOTE:
MotivationletterandCV+picturerequired
Organizingandleadinganinternationalworkcampisaninterestingchallengeforthosewhoenjoy
working together with young people from all over the world and which are willing to take over
responsibilityandwholookforwardtoagreatsummerinGermany.Thecampleader’sroleliesin
buildingabridgebetweentheparticipantsoftheworkcamp,theorganisationaswellastheproject
leader(whoguidesthepracticalpartofthecamp).S/hesupportsthegroupofvolunteersfroma
socialpointofview.
It is also impoprtant that the social leader stays in close contact to the technical leader, who is
organizingtheworkinggroupsandwhoknowswhichworkhastobedone.Itishelpful,tosupport
the technical leader by takingover the responsibility for a working group, if there are no other
workstobedoneforthesocialleader.Atsomecamps,especiallytheenvironmentalcamps,itcan
happenthatthefunctionofsocialandtechnicalleaderarerunningmoretogether.Soitisgoodto
bepreparedalsotoorganizetheworkingtimealittlebit.
The leader is also responsible for managing the deduction and finances of the camp. Another
important job will be to take care of the documentation. Writing down, what has been done,
whichplaceshasbeenvisited,duringthecamp,takingpictures,andleadingtheevaluationofthe
camp.Itisimportanttodothisdocumentationwithacertaincare,sothatthepeoplewhocome
afteryou,willknowwhathappenedinthepastanddon’tneedtolookforthesameinformation,
ornottodothesamemistakeasecondtime.
OpenHousesislookingforpeoplewhoarehighlymotivated,openmindedandalreadyhavesome
experiencesinhandlingwithotherpeople.TheyshouldbeabletospeakEnglishfluentlyandBasic
Germanisveryhelpful.
ProjectDescription
The camp leader has to be able to work independently as well as in a team. Since most of the
camps are organised by two camp leaders (social and technical) it is necessary to agree upon
severalissuesinateam.
Themaintasksaretoorganizethesociallifeforallvolunteersduringthecampperiod.Theleader
willwelcomethevolunteersandmakethemfamiliarwiththecampsite.S/hewillprepareadaily
schedule, indicating the working and eating times including breaks and will furthermore be
responsible for organising the cleaning and cooking teams, alternating within the group. The
campleaderwillbuythefoodforthevolunteers,havinganeyeontheeverydaychangingcooking
teamswiththeirindividualdishes.
Additionally, s/he organises leisure activities after the working days and is welcome to prepare
campfires,barbecues,gamesorothermotivationgroupactivities.Usually,thevolunteersdonot
havetoworkduringtheweekends.Fortheirrecreationandfunthecampleadershouldbeready
toplanlittletripstobiggercitiesorotheractivities.
ACampLeaderhasrarelytimeforpersonalthingsduringtheworkcamp.S/heisalwaystheperson
in charge of everything and contact person in any questions and needs of the volunteers. This
shouldbecleartoallapplicants.
26
MidTermVolunteering
CampLeading
SOCI OHC0129.04.– max.26.07.2012
SOCIOHC0210.06.–max.08.09.2012
SOCIOHC0308.07.–max.22.09.2012
SOCIOHC0429.07.–max.13.10.2012
All in all, leading a camp means a lot of work and empathy as well as a lot of fun. Open Houses
gives the camp leaders the opportunity to be creative and take over responsibilty for their own
work.Ofcourse,theywillnotbeleftaloneintheirrole.Beforegettingactiveasacampleaders/he
hastoattendourtrainingcourseandwilltakepartinoneofourcampsasavolunteer.Itwillbea
good experience to work as a participant for one or two weeks and to get to know the camp
leader’s tasks. After experiencing the atmosphere of the first camp s/he will lead one camp or
more.Duringthesummer,OpenHousesplansalotofworkcampsindifferentplacesinGermany.
Dependingonthecampleader’sinterestsandabilitieswewilldecidetogetherwheres/hewilllead
a camp after the first week(s). Concerning the camp leading, we offer two possibilities: The
volunteers can lead several sucessive camps in one place (Lohra Castle). Or, they can lead
differentcampsinvariousplaces.
Perweekacampleadergets€50pocketmoney.Heorshedoesnothavetopayforfoodand
accommodation. The camp leaders will receive the money after the camp, when all the camp
documentsarecheckedbytheofficestuffandeverythingisfine.
27
MidTermVolunteering
GuestGuiding
ChapelofReconciliationBerlin
KapellederVersöhnungBerlin
G01willjointhecampsW01andB01
G02willjointhecampsW03andB03
G03willjointhecampsW06andB06
G04willjointhecampsW07andB07
Pleasehavealookonthesecampdescriptions.
ACCOMMODATION:
Furnishedflat,simpleequippedkitchenand
bathroom.Allroomswillbesharedbythetwo
volunteers,alsothesleepingroom.
Theywillbeofthesamegender.
AGE:
atleast20
LANGUAGE:
GoodlevelofGerman,Englishisnotnecessary
butveryhelpful;otherlanguagesarewelcome
WHATTOBRING:
fortheWorkcampinthebeginningofthestay:
workingglovesandstrongshoes,
appropriateclothes,sleepingbag
NOTE:
MotivationletterandCV+picturerequired
Theprojectsstartandendatdifferentplaces.
LOCATION:
Berlin+placeofintroductioncamp:LohraCastle:
Nexttowns:Bleicherode(6km)
Nordhausen(20km),Erfurt(75km)
Region:Thuringia
TERMINAL:
Nextrailwaystation:Gebra/Hainleite(6km)
Nextairport:Leipzig/Halle(LEJ,155km)
Frankfurt/Main(FRA,280km)
Berlin(TXL/SXF,300km)
Specials: No drugs, alcohol or cigarettes allowed during the working time. The volunteers work
inside the chapel, which might get a bit cold during October. (For environmental sustainability
reasonsthechapelisnotheated.)OpenHousesprovidesverysimplebicycles,whichincreasetheir
mobilitytoworkandforleisureactivities.
Permonththevolunteergets€100pocketmoney,startingthefirstdayinBerlin.
Alsotheyreceive€5perdayforfood,startingfromthefirstdayinBerlin.
DuringthecampperiodinthebeginnigallcostsforfoodarecoveredbyOpenHouses.
28
MidTermVolunteering
GuestGuiding
ChapelofReconciliationBerlin
CULT OHG01 29.04.– max.17.06.2012
CULTOHG0210.06.– min.05.08.2012
CULTOHG0329.07.–max.02.09.2012
CULTOHG0426.08.–max.11.11.2012
KapellederVersöhnungBerlin
TheoriginalChurchofReconciliation,animpressiveneogothicbrickbuilding,wasbuiltinBerlinin
1894.Whenthetownwassplitintooccupationalzonesin1945theparishgotdivided–thechurch
itself was located in the Soviet sector while most of the parishioners lived in the neighbouring
Frenchsector.WhentheBerlinWallwassetupin1961,itpasseddirectlyinfrontofthechurch.
Consequently, the church was no longer accessible from either East or West Berlin and fell into
disrepair.
In1985,thechurchwasblownupbythegovernmentoftheGermanDemocraticRepublicinorder
to “increase security, order and cleanliness at the state border of West Berlin” – as officially
declared.TheBerlinWallcamedownlessthanfiveyearslaterandthedestructionoftheborder
facilitiesbeganinsummer1990.Atthispointoftime,itwasaimedtoremovethetracesofthe
German division as quickly as possible, which also applies for the grounds of the Church of
Reconciliation, laying waste. The site was returned back into the hands of the community and it
quickly got clear that the Reconciliation parish carries a large responsibility for the historical
questionsinBerlin.Theparishdecidedtobuildachapelonthefoundationsoftheoldchurch.It
was contemplated, that this chapel should be a modern building, meeting the requirements of
both the present and the future. It would be set up with simple means and protect preserved
traces without reconstructing the old church. Furthermore, the parish intended to set ecological
highstandards,usingresourcessparingly.
Finally,thechapelhasbeendesignedastwoconcentricovalbuildingswithoffsetaxes.Theouter
oval, made of wooden slats, adapts to the alignment of the former Church of Reconciliation,
whereastheinnerovaloframmedloamisdirectedtowardstheusualEastWestaxis.
Therammedearthbodywassetupin1999.Thereby,moistclaywaspouredintoaformworkin
15 centimetre thick layers and compacted to about eight centimetres. Open Houses volunteers
fromfourteendifferentEastandWestEuropeancountriessupportedtheprojectwiththeirman
power and lots of idealistic enthusiasm. Their volunteering has symbolically shown the growing
togetherofEastandWestaftertheEuropeancontinenthasbeenseparatedforsolong.
th
On November 9 2000 the Chapel of Reconciliation was inaugurated. It is the first public clay
building in Germany built since more than 150 years and at the same time the first German
churchmadeoframmedearth.
The place unites and combines innovative approaches to architecture, ecology, culture of
remembranceandEuropeancommunication.OpenHousesisparticularlyconcernedwithshaping
theChapelofReconciliationasameetingplaceforyoungpeoplefromdifferentnations.
29
MidTermVolunteering
GuestGuiding
ChapelofReconciliationBerlin
MidTermVolunteering
GuestGuiding
ChapelofReconciliationBerlin
KapellederVersöhnungBerlin
KapellederVersöhnungBerlin
ProjectDescription
Schedule
The volunteers will be touristic guides at the chapel, showing the visitors around and explaining
thearchitecture,historyandecologyofthebuilding.Theatmosphereinsidethechapelisintimate
andprivate.Forthisreasonitisveryimportantthatthevolunteersareawareofthesignificanceof
that historical site. Furthermore, they support the visitors if they need advice or if they have
questions.
EverynoonthereisaremembranceforonepersonwhichdiedattheBerlinWall.EverySundaya
service is held. The volunteers will attend this prayers, for example by ringing the bells or
welcoming the parish. The volunteers will also present multicultural intention of international
youthexchangeallovertheworldandinformabouttheworkofOpenHouses.
Thevolunteerswillworkfivedaysperweekwithsevenhoursaday.Theywillhavetwodaysoff
per week. However, this does not necessarily mean during the weekends or on two consecutive
days. There will be two international young people volunteering in the chapel at the same time.
Theirworkingschedulewillbealternatingduringthedays.
Before the volunteers start working in the Chapel of Reconciliation in Berlin they will stay one
week at Lohra Castle for a Workcamp in order to get to know our organisation Open Houses.
Duringsummertimealotofdifferentworkcampsandseminarswillsettheoldensembleintoan
international atmosphere – please have a look in our Lohra Castle camp description for more
information about the projects and the work that will be done there. The volunteers will
participate the Workcamps, to understand what Open Houses stands for and how the system
works.Alsothetimeinthecampwillbeusedtopreparetheguidesfortheworkinthechapel.
TheywillnotbeleftalonewiththisandwillreceivematerialabouttheChapelofReconciliationas
wellasactivesupportbyourstaff.Furthermore,itisimportantforustogettoknowandassess
thevolunteersandtheirindividualmotivation.
Toadministratetheguestbookisanothertask,theGuideswillworkon.Intheguestbooksofthe
last years, there are many entries in foreign langueges. The parish would be very happy to find
somelinguistictalentsfortranslatingthisentriesintoGerman.Thereforeitwouldbeveryniceif
thevolunteerswouldhaveagoodlevelofGermanandagoodunderstandingofotherlanguages.
Italsowillbepossibletogivesupportintheofficewithfilingofdocumentsortranslatinggerman
documentsintootherlanguageslikeEnglish,Russian,Spanish,Italian,…Forthistaskyoushould
havecertainexperienceintranslation.Thedigitizingofthepicturearchivecouldbeanothertask
forthevolunteers,whentheybringtheneededtechnicalskillstodothiswork.
AfterarrivinginBerlinthetwovolunteerswillgettoknowthechapel.Thestaffwillintroducethe
volunteers to their tasks and assess their individual motivation in the first initial trainig days in
Berlin.Afterthisdaysthevolunteerswillstartwiththenormalworkflow.
OnJune,17ththerewilltakeplacethecommunitycelebrationoftheparish,whichisaniceevent
eachyear.ThevolunteersofG01willhelpwiththeorganisationandenjoythatdaywiththelocal
people.Alsoitwillbetheirlastdayatthechapelanditwillbetheirfarewelltoo.Thevolunteersof
G02willjointhecelebrationaswellandtheywillbeintroducedtotheparish.
To meet the special requirements of this
place, Open Houses is lookingfor people,
who are highly motivated, open minded
andwillingtotakeresponsibilityfortheir
own work inside this historically
important place. They should be able to
work independently and to cope with
livinginabigcitylikeBerlin.Althoughthe
parishisprotestantthevolunteersdonot
havetobereligiousorChristian.However,
theyshouldbetolerantandopenminded.
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