Archaeology & Remembrance: Tracing the Past 80 Years After the War
Description: The Augustaschacht Memorial has been built up over the years with a lot of voluntary work and is now a place of education, information and research. From January 1944 until the end of the war in 1945, more than 2,000 people were imprisoned in the ‘Arbeitserziehungslager Ohrbeck’ and forced to work in the ironworks, clear debris and dispose of bombs. Many of them lost their lives. Most of them were forced labourers and came from the Netherlands and the former Soviet Union. Their punishment also served as a deterrent for over 25,000 forced labourers in the Osnabrück region, half of whom came from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. 80 years after the end of the war, this camp aims to raise awareness of the lessons learned from the history of World War II.
Type of Work: This year's work includes the excavation, cleaning, and documentation of archaeological finds on the former camp site. The discovered objects will be presented in the exhibition or used for educational purposes
Study Theme: The participants visit the Gestapo cellar and Augustaschacht memorial sites and take an in-depth look at the history of forced labour and National Socialism. A key focus is on creating documentation about the work camp, such as video. It is possible to set a specific thematic focus of your own choice or to prepare a general presentation of the work carried out.
Accommodation: Accommodation is in the community center of the Evangelical Lutheran Christuskirche in Hasbergen in a shared room. Participants are required to bring their own sleeping mat/ air mattress and sleeping bag. There is a spacious kitchen and toilets in the community house. A shower trailer is available outside the building.
Language: The camp language is English.
Requirements: Interest in new perspectives and intercultural encounters, German memory culture, as well as have an interest in the topic. The work involves physical tasks in the field of excavation. English skills are required, as English is the camp's working language.
Approximate Location: Hasbergen is a small community, west of the city of Osnabrück, on the edge of the TER-RA.vita Nature and Geopark, which includes the "Hüggel", a very scenic mountain range that is part of the "Teutoburg Forest" low mountain range. Walks and hikes are possible here, and there is also a geological nature trail. A special highlight is the Silbersee lake with its quarry. In Hasbergen there is a natural swimming pool with the opportunity to swim. A trip to Osnabrück with its idyllic old town centre is also possible.
Notes: As part of the workcamp, excursions to Osnabrück and the Netherlands are planned.
INCOMING FEE for volunteers applying via partner organisations and contacts of SCI: https://sci-d.de/incomingfee
Camp Photographs
