Concentration camp history and colonialism: Global traces in Neuengamme (near Hamburg)
Description: During the 2nd World War, the Neuengamme concentration camp, with over 85 satellite camps, became the central concentration camp in Northwest Germany. As a result of the “extermination through labor” principle pursued by the SS, almost half of the app. 100,000 prisoners who had been deported from all German-occupied countries in Europe died.
Today, the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial is a place of remembrance, education and research. It is also the result of political disputes from the post-war period to the present day. For decades, there were two prisons on the site, meaning that the majority of the former concentration camp grounds were not accessible to the public. The first work camp in 1982 laid out paths and put up the first information boards.
Type of Work: The practical work of the work camp builds on the work of previous camps and supports the work of the memorial through light physical work such as cleaning information boards and memorials or gardening work on the grounds.
The work camp is temporarily housed in a building that is to be converted into a seminar house in the long term. It has already been furnished by previous work camps, but work is also continuing on making the building more comfortable for groups.
The participants document their experiences on the memorial's social media channels and in their own articles in the local newspaper.
Study Theme: A new national memorial will be opened in May. The birthplaces of the concentration camp prisoners were researched for this. The names of 73 countries illustrate the global, colonial and migration-historical dimension of the history of the Neuengamme concentration camp. The search for biographies of prisoners from countries that have not yet been dealt with intensively at the memorial will be central. There will be guided tours and discussions with various experts from the field of remembrance culture as well as with members of the so-called 2nd generation.
Accommodation: The accommodation is located on the grounds of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial. Participants will be accommodated in shared rooms in a historic concentration camp building.
The participants will cook and eat in the building. When guests arrive, the participants sometimes move into large tents.
Language: The common language will be English, i.e. at least a good knowledge of English or German is a prerequisite for participation.
Requirements: Good knowledge of English. Interest in the history of National Socialism and initiative.
Approximate Location: The Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial is located on the outskirts of Hamburg. The city center can be reached in an hour by public transport. Excursions to Hamburg are possible. Hamburg has 1.8 million inhabitants and the largest port in Germany. The city offers more than 60 theaters, 100 clubs and over 60 museums. The North Sea and Baltic Sea are approx. 100-150 km away.
Notes: INCOMING FEE for volunteers applying via partner organisations and contacts of SCI: https://sci-d.de/incomingfee
Camp Photographs
