International Work Camp at the Green Belt Thuringia

Protecting Nature Together and Experiencing History

From 1 to 8 August 2026, BUND Thüringen and BUNDjugend Thüringen invite young people to an international work camp at the Green Belt near Titschendorf.

For one week, young volunteers will work, learn and live together in a unique landscape that is both a nature paradise and a place of European historical memory.

The Green Belt

The European Green Belt runs along the former inner-German border and today forms one of the longest ecological corridors in Europe.

For decades, this strip was sealed off by border installations. As a result, an extraordinarily species-rich natural landscape was able to develop here.

Today, the Green Belt connects natural areas and countries over more than 12,500 kilometres along the route of the former Iron Curtain – from Northern Europe to the Balkans. It therefore symbolizes the transformation from a dividing border into a connecting natural space.

„Borders Separate – Nature Unites“

The work camp is part of the EU-funded project “Borders Separate – Nature Unites”, in which young people from different European countries explore:

• the history of the border,
• nature conservation along the Green Belt, and
• how cross-border cooperation can work for nature and society.

After a camp in summer 2025 with participants from Germany, Slovenia and Hungary at the Green Belt in Southeastern Europe, the next meeting will now take place in Thuringia. For the first time, young people from across Europe will come together at this historic location.

Practical Nature Conservation Meets Exchange and Encounters

The focus of the week is hands-on nature conservation.Around Titschendorf, valuable mountain meadows are located, which belong to the most species-rich habitats in the region. Without regular maintenance, these meadows would gradually become overgrown with shrubs and many specialized plants and insects would disappear. Therefore, the volunteers – after an introduction by scything instructor Mario Knoll – will learn traditional mowing with a scythe and spend several days mowing mountain meadows in the Pfaffengrund. All tools will be provided, and participants will also learn how to peen and sharpen scythes.

Alongside the practical work, the week also focuses on exchange and new perspectives:

• Species experts will introduce the animal and plant life of the Green Belt.
• Conversations with local contemporary witnesses will make the history of the former border tangible.

For young people from different European countries, this creates a space to talk about the past, present and future of this special place. Because the Green Belt is more than a nature conservation project. It is a symbol that a shared living space can grow from a former border, and that cooperation across national borders is possible. When young people come together here, work side by side and learn from each other, this idea becomes a real and lived experience.

Visitors from the region are also warmly invited to join the camp for individual days and help with the meadow mowing. Many people from the region have been volunteering for years in conservation work around Titschendorf.

“The work camp therefore combines practical nature conservation, European exchange and living remembrance culture – right in the middle of a landscape that shows how separation can become connection.”

Key Information at a Glance

Date:
1–8 August 2026

Content:
Landscape conservation (mowing mountain meadows), excursions along the Green Belt, conversations with contemporary witnesses, international exchange

Target group:
Young people aged 16–30

Travel:
Arrival by public transport (nearest stop: Wurzbach) or jointly from Erfurt (limited seats available)

Accommodation:
Holiday apartments and rooms at the Hotel zum Echo

Food:
Cooking together (vegetarian/vegan) and daily packed lunches will be provided

Cost:
Free of charge for participants under 30

Registration:
Via the form below. After registration you will receive more detailed information.

Note:
Participants under 18 require a written consent form from their legal guardians.

Questions about the camp or your participation?
Feel free to contact us. Email ed.negnireuht-dnub@hcilrhe.k oder via phone +49361 / 555 03 44.