Saint Desir / Normandie / Frankreich – das Workcamp der Stadt Emden

Frankreich

Registration through the city of Emden, workcamp@emden.de!

For almost 60 years, young people from Emden and the surrounding area have been traveling to France every summer to experience a different kind of vacation. 35 young people aged between 16 and 21, housed in a school building in St. Desir, maintain a German military cemetery. For three weeks, they experience history at first hand, get to know the country and its people, chill out on the beach, party together in the evenings and do something for peace at the same time! Work? Part of it, of course. Weeds are removed from the military cemetery and grave crosses are cleaned. The camp is supported by the German War Graves Commission and the German Armed Forces.

In addition to the peace education focus of the work camp, fun is also an important part of the three weeks - campfires and barbecues, a day with a French host family, the beach, theater workshops, soccer matches and parties are all on the agenda. The highlight, as every year, is a day trip to Paris. But every now and then things get a little quieter - a memorial service for the fallen soldiers and all other victims of war and destruction takes place every year on a grand scale. We receive visits from war veterans and politicians from Germany and France, and many former participants come to visit us for our German-French weekend.

Three weeks in Normandy, a lot experienced and seen, even more learned from these experiences. This is how we contribute to sustainable peace in Europe and the world. It is something different, something unforgettable, an experience for life. And this is how strangers become friends...