Study- and Workcamp "Create Visibility" (Nordhausen in Thuringia)
Description: The “Dora” camp was founded at the end of August 1943 as a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. As part of the underground relocation of German armaments production, concentration camp inmates had to expand a tunnel system in the mountain near Nordhausen to become an underground rocket factory. The production of the rocket, propagated by the Nazi regime as "Vengeanceweapon 2", began 01/44. The prisoners were initially housed in the tunnel system for months. An above-ground barrack camp was not built until spring 1944. Between 1943 and 1945, more than 60.000 people from almost all European countries, especially from the Soviet Union, Poland and France, had to do forced labor in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp complex for the German armaments industry. Every 3rd of them died.
Type of Work: Exposure work and visualization of a barrack foundation in the infirmary of the former inmate camp. The work takes place outdoors, in the forest area of the memorial, large and heavy stones have to be worked on and flat outline walls have to be set. The photos show the results of the last camps. The work is part of a bigger project: to create the visibility of more than 50 barracks for prisoners which are now hardly to be seen because there are just the foundations left, which are hidden in a forest.
This study- and workcamp - organised by the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial together with the SCI - will take place on the area of the former concentration camp for the eighth time. This project will continue also in the coming years.
Study Theme: Historical and political education deals with the history of the Nazi concentration camp system and the use of concentration camp inmates in the arms industry. The focus is on the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp complex and the function of the prisoner hospital building. Afterwards the topic "medicine under national socialism" will be dealt with too. This topic is approached by working with documents and using different didactic means.
Accommodation: Youth hostel of the Protestant Church of Nordhausen-Salza (by bike approximately 10-15 min from the memorial); self-catering (supermarkets are nearby); WLAN is only available at the memorial site
Language: A good knowledge of English ist required but you will also be able to speak and learn German.
Requirements: Interest in the history of concentration camps; good knowledge of English language; to be able to ride a bike in the road traffic is a serious requirement!!! It is not possible to come earlier or stay longer than the given dates.
Another requirement is your willingness to follow the Covid19 regulations of the memorial.
Approximate Location: Nordhausen is located at the southern edge of Harz mountains in Thuringia, Weimar is about 100 km south and Leipzig about 130 km east of Nordhausen.
Notes: The part of the study and the physical work will be equally distributed with about 50% each.
Covid-19: At the memorial, also because of contact with survivors and other elderly people, the risk of corona infection is handled very carefully. Take a rapid test before you leave and travel only with a negative test result. On-site testing is done several times, all tests are provided. Therefore, the camp is also very suitable for people who have higher risks.
INCOMING FEE for volunteers applying through SCI partner organizations and contacts: https://sci-d.de/incomingfee.
Camp Photographs
