Working on a History Trail (Zeithain between Leipzig and Dresden)
Description: The work will take place in a part of the nature reserve ‘Gohrischheide und Elbniederterrasse Zeithain’. This area was previously used from 1946 to 1990 by the Red Army and before that, from 1941 to 1945 as a prisoner-of-war (PoW) camp by the Nazi regime, with prisoners principally from the Soviet Union who were not treated following the rules of the Geneva Convention. Other prisoners also came from countries such as Italy, Poland, Yugoslavia, and the UK.
As the area was used by the Red Army to practice driving tanks, the buildings and roads of the prisoner-of-war camp were destroyed. However, since 2003, SCI workcamps have uncovered the former camp area under the supervision of an archaeologist, mainly the foundations of important buildings and remains of one of the main camps.
Type of Work: This year's work is part of the annually recurring measures required to maintain the temporary and create a permanent "history trail" on the former camp site. It will include aspects of landscaping and garden design on the open spaces of the former camp and hopefully also some construction and archeological work. Former building sites and their design must be conserved. In bad weather, conservation and documentation work can be carried out on objects found on the site of the former POW camp. besides there might be some renovation of the house where the group is accommodated.
Study Theme: The study part is carried out by memorial staff, the camp coordinators and an archaeologist. It focuses on the persecution of prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War and their fates, the development and preservation of historical sites of National Socialist crimes as well as the current handling and significance of remembrance and commemoration in Germany and in the participants' home countries. More information about the memorial can be found here: https://www.stsg.de/cms/zeithain/startseite.
Accommodation: The accommodation is in a house in the village of Kreinitz, which is in the municipality of Zeithain. The house has a total of seven dormitories with between two and six beds per room. There is a kitchen for self-catering, rooms for freetime, and simple bathrooms. There is internet via WLAN available and bicycles are provided. There are recreational facilities next to the accommodation which can be used with the agreement of the local sports club, including a sports hall, an outdoor volleyball court and a football pitch.
Language: Knowledge of English is required.
Requirements: Interest in history, archaeology, and outdoor work in a nature reserve.
Approximate Location: Zeithain is a small municipality in Saxony, near the city of Riesa, which lies between Dresden and Leipzig. Zeithain has about 6,000 inhabitants in 11 villages and is known for the history of the prisoner-of-war camp of the same name and for the meeting of the Red Army and the US Army in April 1945. Kreinitz is a village in the municipality of Zeithain with around 500 inhabitants located directly on the River Elbe
Notes: At the weekend, excursions to various cities are possible: Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin, and Prague are easily accessible by train, as well as pretty smaller towns nearby such as Meissen, Torgau, and Moritzburg. It is possible to go swimming in a private lake near the village of Bobersen around 7km from Kreinitz. You can go on excursions by bike and on foot along the Elbe cycle path to Riesa or Moritzburg. It is one of the most beautiful European cycle paths that leads from the Czech Republic to the North Sea. Here you can get impressions of what the camp is like: https://www.rolfschwarz.com/SCI/index.html The videos are from the long-standing camp leader Rolf Schwarz.
INCOMING FEE for volunteers applying via partner organizations and contacts of SCI: https://sci-d.de/incomingfee.