Building Weeks

Within the framework of the Building Weeks skilled manual workers and those who do not have manual training work together to restore historical monuments.
In contrast to the workcamps, where the emphasis is on communal life in a group of people of different nationalities and with different backgrounds, here the emphasis is on the manual work. Participants of Building Weeks have a greater possibility of gaining real experience in restoration and other manual tasks and to broaden their knowledge.
Another aim is that those taking part should share their skills and experiences. Craftsmen bring the technical element while the other participants, who often come from social professions, bring with them the concept of public benefit.
The Building Weeks each last for two or three weeks and the groups are small – between five and twelve persons, depending on the number of applications received. It is also possible to take part for a shorter time as we would like to offer this opportunity to those tied up in professional life and with little free time.

Ollendorf Water Castle

Ollendorf Water Castle is situated between Erfurt (capital of Thuringia), and Weimar (European capital of culture 1999). The small village Ollendorf is surrounded by a beautiful countryside.
In ancient times the village was an important settlement on the historic Via Regia, one of the most significant routes of commerce in the Middle Ages, which linked Thuringia and Saxony to Eastern Europe. Water castle Ollendorf is a pilgrimage site. The manor is the only existing building from the 17th century. All other buildings of the castle had been destroyed by a fire. In the 19th store houses and barns were built.
In the GDR it was used as an agricultural enterprise. In 1998 the water castle was taken over by the Open Houses. The castle will once again become a place where different cultures can meet.

Buildings Week at Ollendorf Water Castle

The Building Weeks are a big highlight of Open Houses Network. The volunteers will be working with our two carpenters; under their guidance the group will restore one part of the roof structure of the castle. As this part of the house is damaged, the first task is to stabilise the whole stucture and after it to remove the colapsed beams and replace them by new ones. Various types of joints have to be prepared (cutting wood to length, making mortises). Sometimes the work will be hard because the beams which are heavy need to be removed. The roof truss is the oldest one in the whole castle. When the restoration is finished, the castle will gleam with a new splendour. There will be also some gardening to do, like cutting the grass and clearing the garden from the weeds.
In case of bad weather the volunteers can grind the ceiling in some rooms of the sheep shed, which after reconstruction will become a place to host future volunteers.

The unique thing about Building Weeks project is that it allows the participants to gain professional experience and some technique skills from our carpenters who will be supervising the work.

Participation

July, 05 till July, 19	Ollendorf Water Castle	8	18+	B01	motivation letter
July, 26 till August, 09	Ollendorf Water Castle	8	18+	B02	motivation letter
August, 16 till August, 30	Ollendorf Water Castle	8	18+	B03	motivation letter
August, 30 till September, 13	Ollendorf Water Castle	8	18+	B04	motivation letter
September, 13 till September, 27	Ollendorf Water Castle	8	18+	B05	motivation letter