A day full of encounters, insights and commitment
On September 28, 2024, the wannseeFORUM Foundation opened its doors for its annual summer festival. Despite the changeable weather, numerous guests found their way to Pohlesee – including families, partners, and other interested individuals who were able to gain a vivid impression of the educational work and daily life at the foundation.
The festivities began with welcoming remarks from Barbara Kühn (Board Member), Sabine Behn (Chair of the Board of Trustees), and the pedagogical director, Dr. Roman Fröhlich. We were also delighted to welcome Gordana Berjan from the Council of Europe as a special guest. She is responsible for awarding and reviewing the quality seal for youth centers.
The diverse program offered insights into political and cultural youth education work: The dialogue group "Gangway to Wannsee" presented its experiences from a year of collaboration between open youth work and the educational center. Further highlights included results from the seminar "Just Justice – What is a just world?" and an exhibition on freedom of expression, "Putin's Hostages," by demokrati-ja.org, followed by a presentation from Boris Romanov about his experiences before fleeing to Berlin.
The wannseeFORUM is also closely linked to German-German history. On the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, guests were given the opportunity to contribute to the open-air exhibition “HOLD UP FREEDOM.” Pictures were created in the garden of Villa Joerger and displayed in the city center in November.
For younger visitors and the young at heart, there was a craft table, tattoos (temporary, of course!), and other activity booths. The foundation's youth advisory board was also present, offering fresh waffles at their own stand. While collecting donations for their own youth projects, the members took the opportunity to talk to visitors about their work and win them over to future projects.
Nicole Hasenjäger (Head of Administration) and Hannah were responsible for managing the invitations. Nicole, along with Jakob, was also in charge of the beautiful garden and the Landhaus. Her impressions reflected the atmosphere of the day: "What I remember most was the fantastic preparation by the entire team – both in terms of content and organization. Even though the weather wasn't entirely cooperative, we worked together to create a warm and inspiring event."
In addition to the educational offerings and hands-on activities, service providers such as a fire safety officer and an architect for accessibility were also on site, which rounded off the look behind the scenes.
The evening concluded with music: DJ sets and an open mic created a relaxed atmosphere on the terrace. The open Tagtool animation workshop was particularly creative, with live-drawn illustrations performed and projected together – a real highlight for young and old alike.
At 9 pm, a day came to an end that shone not only through its program, but above all through the commitment of all those involved.