In partnership with

The Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial is an international place of remembrance, education and research, located on the grounds of a former Nazi concentration camp. Today, it invites visitors to engage critically with the history of persecution and injustice, while reflecting on how this past connects to present-day social and political questions.

The memorial itself is the result of decades of post-war debates about remembrance, responsibility and the public recognition of Nazi crimes. Since 1982, international Volunteer Camps have been part of this ongoing process, bringing young people from around the world together to support the site and engage with its history in meaningful ways. Learn more about the history of the site: https://www.kz-gedenkstaette-neuengamme.de/en/history/concentration-camp/

During the camp, participants will get to know the memorial as a historical site and as a living place of dialogue. Alongside exploring its history and role today, volunteers will contribute to the ongoing development of the site — for example by supporting practical projects connected to future volunteer activities and helping preserve materials related to the long tradition of international Volunteer Camps.

For this specific camp we will invite a group of volunteers from Global South partners to participate, so it will be a great chance to meet people from different regions of the world and exchange ideas.

In 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, seven international volunteer and study camps were held at memorial sites. Here you will find a collection of the results. They capture the spirit of these unforgettable camps and give an impression of what it is like to take part in such a camp: https://padlet.com/tanjamichalczyk27/80-years-after-ww-ii-where-are-we-now-o5u9s244nmjxi5fj

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Description of the Work

The practical work of this Volunteer & Study Camp builds on the efforts of previous international volunteer camps and supports the work of the memorial, for example by cleaning information boards and memorials or carrying out gardening work on the grounds.

The building currently used to accommodate the volunteer camp will be converted into a seminar house in the future. The main task will be to begin sorting materials that will no longer be needed and to collect items that will become part of a Volunteer Camp archive. Overall, the programme will combine manual work with educational study sessions.

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Location & Leisure

At the memorial site, the volunteers can use the facilities of the museum, library etc. At the site of the volunteer camp, we will have camp fires, watch movies or play games. You are given simple bicycles to discover the surroundings.

The group will also visit the city of Hamburg and maybe some other places around Hamburg like the Baltic Sea.
It might be possible to meet with another SCI-Volunteer-Camp that might take place at the same time.

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Study themes of the project

First, you will learn about the history of the Neuengamme concentration camp through a guided tour and have time to explore the various exhibitions of the memorial. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the topics that interest you. We will invite experts on memory culture, as well as members of the so-called second generation (children of former prisoners or perpetrators), to meet with participants and engage in discussions.
As volunteers, you will also have the chance to document your experiences through the memorial’s social media channels.

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Requirements

Good English skills and interst for the topic are necessary.

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Host Organization