IBG
SPRING WORKCAMPS
2016
...peacing the world together
Code
Name
Region
Dates
Type
Vols
IBG 01
Grafenhausen
Ba-Wu
16.04. - 30.04.2016
RENO/ENVI
12
IBG 02
Burk
Bavaria
20.04. - 04.05.2016
RENO/FEST
8
IBG 03
Grimburg Castle
RhinelandPalatine
27.04. - 07.05.2016
RENO
10
IBG 04
Waldenburg
Ba-Wu
06.05. - 20.05.2016
FEST/KIDS
10
Hoetensleben
SaxonyAnhalt
20.05. - 12.06.2016
FEST/CONS
12
IBG 05
IBG
Internationale Begegnung in Gemeinschaftsdiensten e.V.
Fuchseckstr. 1
70188 Stuttgart
GERMANY
incoming@ibg-workcamps.org
www.ibg-workcamps.org
Tel:
Fax:
+49 (0) 711 – 649 11 28
+49 (0) 711 – 640 98 67
Remarks
Very basic conditions!
ML required
IBG 01 Grafenhausen (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
16.04.-30.04.2016
RENO/ENVI
12 vols
PROJECT: For the first time, Grafenhausen invites you to an international workcamp! It is a village
with 2000 inhabitants in the Black Forest that has quite a lot to offer: for example a “Sculpture Park”
with 24 artworks, view points and an open air theatre, in which you are going to work. Grafenhausen
is 1000m above sea level – therefore, it might still be pretty cold in April! You definitely have to take
warm clothes with you and be prepared that it could be snowy!
WORK: You will have various tasks within the “Sculpture Park”, e.g. renew the paths, exchange the
boardwalks through marsh area, renovate a playground, set up a wooden wall covering on the
theatre, and so on. You will work mostly with wood, which might be exhausting sometimes, but also
includes work like plastering and painting.
ACCOMMODATION: You will be accommodated in a group house where showers and a kitchen are
provided. The house is in the middle of the village, so it’s close to a supermarket and your work
place.
LOCATION: Grafenhausen is a very nice village within a beautiful landscape. The surrounding area is
perfect for hiking trips: There are lakes close-by and it is not even half an hour by car to the Feldberg
(highest German mountain outside of the Alps). There are regularly train connections to Freiburg
(student city) and Lake Constance. The town itself offers a museum of local history as well as an
interactive one where you can test your senses. Also, the famous beer “Tannenzaepfle” is brewed
here as well and you might be able to visit the brewery.
NEXT AIRPORT: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden, Zürich (Switzerland!)
NEXT TRAIN STATION: Seebrugg
IBG 02 Burk (Bavaria)
20.04. - 04.05.2016
RENO/FEST
8 vols
PROJECT: For the fourth time the small community of Burk invites an international workcamp! Last
camps were a big success and so the community is happy to repeat the international experience.
During the camp, on the 30th of April & 1st of May, the international hiking days are taking place in
Burk and the Workcamp will help in this event.
WORK: The group will have different tasks to do: You will help in the organisation of the
international hiking day’s event, in which about 2000 hikers will participate. For the first of May you
will prepare and install the maypole (Maibaum) and participate in the maypole celebration, which is
a popular tradition, particularly in southern Germany. Furthermore, you will do various renovation
and maintenance work on the local cemetery, playgrounds and green areas around the community.
ACCOMMODATION: A building in the community. You will cook for yourselves. Please bring your
own sleeping bag.
LOCATION: Burk is a small and calm village in Bavaria with 1100 inhabitants. It is surrounded by
beautiful nature with forests and hills. It is perfect for walks or hiking.
NEXT AIRPORT: Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Munich
NEXT TRAIN STATION: Ansbach
MEETING POINT: Train station Ansbach
IBG 03 Grimburg Castle (Rhineland-Palatinate) 27.04. – 07.05.2016 RENO
10 vols
PROJECT: For the fourth year, a workcamp will take place at the castle Grimburg. Built by the Trier
archbishops around 1190, the castle has been destroyed and reconstructed several times. Awakened
from its centuries-long sleep in 1978, a local group of volunteers started to reconstruct the castle
again, including work on the very impressive castle keep. However, most parts are still a ruin and in
the past years, efforts have been made to increase the castle’s accessibility and attractiveness of this
unique site. Today, it has become a popular destination for hikers, as well as a site used for
weddings, youth activities, historic markets and knights’ festivals. There will be a small castle’s
festival on May 5th, where you are invited to join and support the local team.
WORK: The tasks will be to support the maintenance of the castle and do various works on the
castles’ ground (cut bushes and grass, protect the masonry). Concrete tasks will be: to improve the
steep path leading from one of the towers to the castle’s green, to maintain the historic herb garden
and to do some cleaning work in the castle’s and witches museum. The work will depend on the
weather conditions. Please be aware that the work can be challenging at times and that you will
work outside even in bad weather conditions!
ACCOMMODATION: The group will stay in one of the small towers of the castle – you will feel a bit
like you are living as former inhabitants of the castle did. The conditions are very basic; you will use
the first floor for sleeping and the ground floor for cooking and eating. There is electricity but no
heating (but a campfire right in front of the tower). Toilets and a shower are within 100m. Of course,
there is also no internet available. Please bring a sleeping bag and a flashlight.
LOCATION: The castle Grimburg is overlooking the forests and valleys of the region called
“Hochwald” (“high forest”). The castle is quite isolated; the next village (the name is also Grimburg) is
in a 2km distance, the next shops are in Hermeskeil (10km). The castle is surrounded by nature and
you will have the chance to enjoy it (just go for a walk...). Nevertheless you will also meet local
people and share time with them or take an excursion to Trier, the oldest German city with 100, 000
inhabitants. Here you can find many historical sights (from the Roman period), many clubs and
events (as it is a university town) and all other facilities.
Attention: This project is only for volunteers who like simple life and enjoy the nature!
NEXT AIRPORT:
Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), Luxembourg (LUX) Frankfurt (FRA)
NEXT TRAIN STATION:
Trier or Türkismühle
MEETING POINT:
Hermeskeil bus stop
IBG 04 Waldenburg (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
06.05. - 20.05.2016
FEST/KIDS
10 vols
PROJECT: The Albert-Schweitzer-Children’s Village in Waldenburg was found in 1957. A Childrens’s
Village exists of several houses where the kids live like in a small family together, because they don’t
have the opportunity to live with their parents. The goals of this association are to respect the
personality and feelings of every child, to bring forward individual skills and creativity as well as to
make a good physical and mental development possible. This summer in May, they will be hosting
the KidoCup with over 300 kids for one weekend. It is a big sports event for children and teenagers
from Children’s Villages all over Germany. The organizers are very happy to get the help of an
international workcamp to realize the KidoCup 2015 and they are looking forward to organise various
leisure activities like city sightseeing, camp fire evenings or canoeing for you.
WORK: You will help the organizers of the KidoCup in all phases of the event. Before the event starts,
you will set up everything in the Children’s Village. You will prepare the accommodation for the
guests, set up the sport venue and take over many logistical tasks. The weekend during the KidoCup
you will supply the guests with food and drinks. This is a great opportunity to get in contact with the
children and teenagers, who are participating in the event. Afterwards you will help to clean up the
area.
ACCOMMODATION: The volunteers will be accommodated in the guest house which is placed
directly in the Children’s Village. You will stay in double rooms (or with three beds) and have a well
equipped kitchen and a nice living room.
LOCATION: Waldenburg is a hilltop town in southcentral Germany, famous for its castle and some
hilltop churches. You can enjoy amazing views over the forests and neighbouring villages as well as a
good climate. The nature reserve with its special plants offers many walking and hiking trails. In only
20min by train you can reach Schwaebisch Hall with its picturesque old town.
NEXT AIRPORT: Stuttgart, Nürnberg, Frankfurt
NEXT TRAIN STATION: Waldenburg (Württ)
IBG 05 Hoetensleben (Saxony-Anhalt) 20.05. – 12.06.2016
FEST/CONS
12 vols
PROJECT: The village of Hoetensleben was situated directly on the eastern side of the GermanGerman border when Germany was divided during the period of the cold war. An association called
“Grenzdenkmalverein” was founded after the fall of the Iron Curtain, which maintained four hundred
meters of the former frontier protections system as a kind of open-air-museum. Visitors can still
experience the different walls and electric fences, the watchtowers and iron barriers and get an
impression of the violence that took place here.
WORK: This year there will be the 1000-year-anniversary in Hoetensleben. During one week there
are different events and activities. Before the event starts you will help to set everything up and also
during the event you will help to prepare the different locations and activities. Of course there will be
time for you to join the party as well. Another task will include maintenance and repair work at the
historical memorial itself. Also note that the workcamp includes several study-parts on this period of
the German history with several excursions and activities together with local people. The highlight of
these might be your excursion to Berlin where you will visit the Bundestag (German Parliament)!
ACCOMMODATION: You are staying in the former village hall that is renovated now. There are
different sleeping rooms with beds provided and a good equipped kitchen as well.
LOCATION: Hoetensleben is a little village with approx. 2,500 inhabitants. International workcamps
have been invited for some 14 years, so local inhabitants are looking forward to welcoming the
volunteers. Many activities will be done together with local associations e.g. the voluntary fire
brigade of Hoetensleben. Volunteers should be interested in German history because there will some
trips to historical places and other activities in relation to the German history. Therefore, volunteers
should add a short motivation letter describing their interest in this special project.
NEXT AIRPORT: Hannover, Berlin
NEXT TRAIN STATION: Helmstedt
REQUIREMENTS: Please include a motivation letter with your application.