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Berlin Heiligensee – Against oblivion

Berlin, Heiligensee, Germany

Notes

Even if the workcamp takes place in Berlin, this is not a vacation and you are not a tourist.
As in many other European countries, there are unfortunately also racist, anti-Semitic and discriminatory incidents in Germany. If you experience something like this, please inform the group leader and report it together directly to the Berlin IJGD office.

In partnership with

The ijgd have been organising volunteer service programmes since 1949. We are an independent, non-profit association for international youth work, a recognised independent youth welfare organisation, and one of the largest and oldest workcamp organisations in Germany. Each year, we assist around 5,000 young people into volunteer work in Germany and abroad. We give them the opportunity to be creative, act in solidarity, take responsibility for themselves, and discover their own true potential and strengths. Our principles: Ecological learning, voluntary contribution, self-organisation, social development, intercultural learning, gender equality, anti-racism/anti-discrimination and political education.
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Description of the Work

Berlin is known for its culture, energy and offering great adventures. In this project, you will also experience some of the quieter sides of the city that only a few people get to see. You are actively engaged in the preservation of the culture of remembrance. Specifically, you are dedicated to the repair and maintenance of graves of victims of war and tyranny (German and non-German soldiers and civilians) at the state-owned cemetery in Berlin-Heiligensee war gravesite. This workcamp is an opportunity to get to know the heritage of the past and learn more about how to promote a culture of peace through memorialisation and remembrance. Your work includes very practical tasks like cleaning the graves and grave marker frames. You and your team will help, among other things, to renew and clear grassy areas, as well as clean grave markers and concrete frames.


Accommodation & Food

You will cook together. Money for food will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please state any intolerances during registration.
Please Note: Self-organization is also a key point of the camp during your daily camp routines. Shopping, cooking, and cleaning are all planned and done independently within the group.
Each participant is expected to take part in the CCC (cooking-cleaning-crew). The advantage is, of course, that you will have the opportunity to eat international dishes and cuisine at every meal and realize that cleaning yourselves can lead to a great deal of fun in the group.


Location & Leisure

You will be accommodated at Gruppenhaus Zeltlagerplatz Heiligensee, Berlin (more infos here: https://zev-berlin.com/gruppenhaus/) At the accommodation you can make yourselves comfortable and enjoy a great time together slightly outside of the buzz of the big city. Berlin offers many great opportunities. After your work assignment, you can explore Berlin's city center, visit museums or simply relax at a lake. Your accommodation is also a great place to calm down and chill after an active day. In order to be able to pursue the diverse interests of your group, you will be provided with a city ticket for the duration of the camp, which will allow you to use public transportation throughout the city. If Berlin isn't enough for you, you can also get to other cities like Potsdam and Dresden super quickly or take a day trip to the Baltic.

You will cook together. Money for food will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please state any intolerances during registration.

Please Note: Self-organization is also a key point of the camp during your daily camp routines. Shopping, cooking, and cleaning are all planned and done independently within the group. Each participant is expected to take part in the CCC (cooking-cleaning-crew). The advantage is, of course, that you will have the opportunity to eat international dishes and cuisine at every meal and realize that cleaning yourselves can lead to a great deal of fun in the group.


Requirements

Participants should be fit enough for physical work outside. Please be aware that the workcamp is an opportunity for you to meet interesting people within your project and have a good time together. If you plan on exploring Berlin alone or with other friends, please plan to stay a bit longer after the workcamp.
The 50€ extra fee is for the public transport (Berlin city ticket)


Appointment

Meeting point and time: 26.06.2026 at the Accommodation you will discuss the details with your group leaders.
More Information about train and bus connections: www.bahn.com or https://www.bvg.de/en


Host Organization

Ijgd is an independent non-profit organisation active in the field of international youth work. It is one of the largest and oldest workcamp organisations in Germany. After Worldwar II pupils from Hanover organised the first workcamps aiming to promote reconstruction, to reduce negative stereotypes through international encounters and to envisage new democratic forms of living together. In addition to workcamps, other activities have become part of the work over time. These are organised by six offices of ijgd and additional project offices. Young people can take part in mid-term and long-term voluntary services in Germany and abroad. The fields of activity include social and ecological service as well as heritage protection. The work of ijgd is funded by state and federal subsidies as well as from other public institutions. Encouraging intercultural understanding has remained one of the main focuses. Ijgd enables people to actively create community life while giving them the opportunity to broaden their horizons. Ijgd invites all interested people to join projects working for the communal good! Self-Organization is spelt with a capital S at ijgd! It purposely foregoes a camp day that is organized by its participants in lieu of a completely pre-organized one. A readiness for active participation in the group is expected from all participants. The group organizes everything about the camp, this includes grocery shopping, cooking, deciding what to do with free time, as well as all other activities of the camp.