The synagogue of Volos is located in the city center close to the port and has been a part of the city for centuries.

During the second world war it was destroyed multiple times. But because of the Bishop Joakim, the German consul Helmuth Scheffel and kind villagers who tried to save the Jews of Volos, only 26 % of the Jewish Community of Volos were killed and deported by the Nazis.

Hence, the community still exists today. Even though it is small, the community has an active religious, cultural and social life.

Moreover, Volos is surrounded by mountain-villages, some of them fell victim to the Nazis’ retaliatory measures just like the small mountain-village Drakia. Today it is known as a martyred village, due to the bloody massacre in the night from the 17^th – 18^th December 1943 in which 126 men were killed by Germans.

The history of these villages is reappraised in the City Museum of Volos. The exhibition is Greek, English and partially German. 

Activities for Volunteers

As the volunteer position is relatively new, activities still need to be developed.

Possible activities are: helping the community’s office with administrative and organizational tasks at events, developing a visiting-service for elderly community members, translating the museum’s exhibition from English to German, doing research on the martyred villages

Requirements 

Since the volunteer program in Volos is still new, the future volunteer needs to be very patient. 

Trust and tasks are yet to be developed. Oftentimes new ideas are met with skepticism.  For this reason, the volunteer has to bring not only motivation but also needs to show initiative. 

Because very few members of the community speak English, the volunteer should speak/start to learn Greek in advance. 

For the work in the museum good English skills are necessary.

Often, the volunteer takes part in Jewish holidays and events. That’s why the person should be respectful, friendly and curious about Jewish traditions.

Especially when working in Drakeia, the volunteer should show empathy and interest because very few Germans have visited the village before.

Building a social live can be very hard in Volos, because there are no other volunteers and the young person lives alone. Therefore, one should be open-minded, spontaneous, communicative and out-going in order to connect with students from the university or other young people.

Report about the first volunteer Lotta who is working in Volos (01.09.23-31.08.24)

Lotta in Volos – Was macht eine Neustrelitzerin in Griechenland?

Lotta hat im vergangenen Jahr ihr Abitur gemacht. Nun ist sie in Volos (Griechenland) und leistet ein Jahr Friedensarbeit in der dortigen jüdischen Gemeinde. 

Weil Frieden nicht selbstverständlich ist. Die junge Abiturientin Lotta Bernendes-Pätz ist seit Ende des vergangenen Jahres in Volos, um über den Verein Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF) ein Jahr Freiwilligenarbeit abzuleisten. Das Thema ihrer Arbeit lautet Versöhnung. Mit der deutschen Geschichte, den jüdischen Gemeinden und den Menschen, die von den NS-Verbrechen während des Holocausts geprägt wurden. Der Verein hat es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht, aktuellen Formen von Antisemitismus, Rassismus, Queerfeindlichkeit und Ausgrenzung von Minderheiten durch aktiv gestaltete Solidaritätsdienste entgegenzutreten. 

Versöhnungsdienst in Volos

Dass sie nach dem Abitur ein Auslandsjahr machen würde, stand für die Neustrelitzerin früh fest. Dass sie im Zuge dessen in irgendeiner Weise an das geschichtlich relevante Thema Holocaust andocken wollte, war ihr ebenfalls klar. So kam sie zu ASF und nach Griechenland. Derzeit arbeitet Lotta hauptsächlich im Gemeindebüro der jüdischen Gemeinde in Volos. Sie erledigt Bürotätigkeiten, bereitet Ausstellungen vor und sucht aktiv den Austausch mit den Mitgliedern der Gemeinde. Sie bereitet zudem eine Stadtführung vor. Eine solche hat sie übrigens auch für Neustrelitz angefertigt. Im Rahmen einer Facharbeit für die Sommer-Schule am Carolinum in Neustrelitz hat sie einen Audioguide für die sprechenden Stolpersteine, 17 davon gibt es in Neustrelitz, entworfen.

Im Rahmen eines Schulprojektes fertigte Lotta Bernendes-Pätz einen Audioguide zu den 17 Stolpersteinen in Neustrelitz an. (Foto: ZVG / Lotta Bernendes-Pätz)

Der zugehörige Flyer vermittelt erste Informationen zu zwei Opfern des Holocausts. Lotta Bernendes-Pätz hat die zugehörigen Informationen aus den Neustrelitzer Archiven selbst erarbeitet. (Foto: ZVG / Lotta Bernendes-Pätz)

“Nie wieder” – das war gestern schon!

Einen großen Teil ihrer Arbeitszeit verbringt sie außerdem im Märtyrerdorf von Volos. Es handelt sich bei Märtyrerdörfern und -städten um Orte Griechenlands, an denen während der NS-Zeit in großem Ausmaß Kriegsverbrechen stattgefunden haben. “Ich wurde hier am Holocaust-Gedenktag an die Hand genommen und herumgeführt von einem alten Mann, der sagte, dass ich die erste Deutsche sei, die er in dem Dorf sähe”, erzählt Lotta. Nahezu alle Männer des Dorfes sind während des Zweiten Weltkrieges hingerichtet worden. Der alte Mann sei ihr mit großem Respekt gegenübergetreten. “Eigentlich habe ich erwartet, dass mir wegen meiner Herkunft auch mal der eine oder andere Spruch droht”, gesteht sie. Bisher sei ihr aber nur Freundlichkeit entgegengebracht worden. “Das ist schon verrückt, bedenkt man, was gerade in Deutschland los ist.”

In Volos erlebe sie tagtäglich, wie weit die NS-Verbrechen reichten und die Menschen bis heute prägten. Die jüdische Gemeinde in Volos beispielsweise habe mal aus mehreren hundert Mitgliedern bestanden. Nun seien es kaum mehr hundert. “Man wiederholt es ja, auch in der Schule, immer wieder als Floskel: Das darf nie wieder passieren”, so die kaum 19-Jährige unvermittelt. “Um das zu erreichen, müssen wir aber alle auch aktiv etwas tun.” 

Sicherheitsmaßnahmen wurden verstärkt

Wie aktuell die Themen Antisemitismus, Rassismus und überhaupt Hass gegen Minderheiten sind, wurde ihr in vielen Situationen vor Augen geführt. Mit Ausbruch des Gaza-Israel-Konfliktes beispielsweise verlor ein Mitglied der Gemeinde seine Nichte. Der Nahost-Konflikt sei ein wahnsinnig komplexes Thema, so die junge Freiwillige. Sie könne dazu kein Urteil abgeben. Was sie aber erzählen wolle, ist, wie groß ihr Schock darüber ist, wie selbstverständlich Antisemitismus und Rassenhass im Kontext solcher Ereignisse auch in Deutschland und Griechenland wieder hervorbrechen. Am 6. Januar beispielsweise sei das Holocaust-Gedenkmal der Stadt Volos mit NS-Symbolik und rassistischen Sprüchen beschmiert worden. Die Sicherheitsmaßnahmen seien nun erneut verstärkt worden. Überall seien Polizeibeamte, Kameras in den Büros und Kontrollen. Für sie sei das ein komisches Gefühl, denn: “Ich gehöre ja keiner Minderheit an.” Sie sei weiß, privilegiert und christlich. Es sei verstörend, mitzubekommen, wie schwer es manche Menschen hätten.

Eine Ausstellung zum Thema NS-Vergangenheit in Volos hat Lotta mit erarbeitet. “Die aktuellen Entwicklungen in Deutschland beweisen es”, so die 19-jährige. “Es wurde noch nicht genug über dieses Thema gesprochen.” (Foto: ZVG / Lotta Bernendes-Pätz)

“Auch wenn es seltsam klingt, weil Betroffene diese Option ja überhaupt nicht haben”, so Lotta, “manchmal muss ich mich von diesen Themen abwenden und einfach Zeit mit Freunden in der Stadt verbringen.” Die schönen Seiten des griechischen Lebens kennenzulernen, sei ein wichtiger, glücklicher Ausgleich.

Im Mehrgenerationenhaus wurde zusammengelegt

Um sich für das freiwillige Jahr überhaupt zu qualifizieren, müssen die Anwärter und Anwärterinnen ein Praktikum absolvieren. Lotta hat sich für ein Praktikum im Mehrgenerationenhaus Neustrelitz entschieden. Weil ihre Oma dort so gerne Zeit verbringt. 

“Viele der Menschen dort haben Familiengeschichten, die sie mit dem Thema verbinden”, erzählt sie. “Da war dann eben auch mal der eigene Vater zumindest nicht gegen die Nationalsozialisten.” Einige hätten sich dem Thema nicht stellen wollen, andere seien der Ansicht gewesen, dass es am Ende gar nicht so schlimm gewesen sei, gerade in Griechenland. Sie habe dafür großes Verständnis, so die Abiturientin. “Schön war, dass am Ende doch alle für ein Gespräch offen waren.” Mehr noch: Überraschend und spontan legten die Besucher des Mehrgenerationenhauses zusammen, mal nur ein oder zwei Euro, mal einen Zehner. Nun sind sie ganz offiziell Sponsor der Abiturientin für dieses Jahr der Friedensarbeit. Im Gegenzug erhalten sie darum regelmäßig Berichte aus Volos. “Wir zeigen sie dann immer auf einer Leinwand in unseren Räumen und reden im Anschluss darüber”, erzählt Astrid Matz, Koordinatorin des Projektes Mehrgenerationenhaus in Neustrelitz. Der nächste Termin steht bereits ins Haus: Am 23. Februar ab 10 Uhr wird der neueste Bericht vorgestellt.

Ende August wird Lotta Bernendes-Pätz das Freiwilligen-Jahr beenden und zurück nach Deutschland kommen. Studieren will sie, um eine Laufbahn als Journalistin einzuschlagen.

Dieser Bericht stammt aus dem Nordkurier und wurde von Maria Häfer verfasst und am 22.02.2024 veröffentlicht.

Hier finden Sie den Originalartikel: https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/neustrelitz/lotta-in-volos-was-macht-eine-neustrelitzerin-in-griechenland-2280974

Seit kurzem bietet Lotta auch einen Besuchsdienst für ältere Menschen an. Hierfür hat sie einen Flyer entworfen, den sie sich hier herunterladen und ansehen können.

From then on, the activities of the Jewish Museum of Greece continued to grow as a research centre with educational work on Jewish history and life in Greece today. The museum has frequent temporary exhibitions and a permanent exhibition that ranges from ancient inscriptions and Jewish artefacts, Torah cases, clothing and much more, to the documentation of the Jewish experience of the Occupation and the Holocaust in Greece. 

As one of the largest institutions representing Jewish life and history in Greece, it carries out many projects of national importance and in cooperation with branches of the Greek government and international cooperation. 

Activities for Volunteers:

Library (cataloguing books)
Archive (cataloguing historical documents)
Seminar assistance (taking notes, writing reports, welcoming guests)
Publicity (preparing social media posts, writing press releases) 

During the summer months, you may be asked to help at the reception desk, give short tours and look after visitors.

Requirements:

The museum is relatively small compared to other Jewish museums in Europe, but it is very busy and has many tasks and projects. Volunteers are needed to bring themselves actively forward and suggest their own ideas and needs. They should also have an interest in Jewish presence and history from ancient times to the present day and in educational work, as this is one of the main focuses.

Lechovo also suffered destruction and violence during the German occupation. To commemorate the crimes in the region and in the hope of a world in which solidarity and peaceful coexistence is possible, the cultural association Profitis Ilias initiated a hiking and mountain biking project, which aims to connect communities and to make the structurally weak region attractive for visitors: “Paths of Peace“.
There is also a small folklore museum in the village and the guesthouse Monopati.

Activities for Volunteers:

Community work ( supporting the cultural association Profitis Ilias with the preparation of cultural events in the village)
Publicity work to disseminate information about cultural and tourist attractions of Lechovo and the “Paths of Peace” (via websites and social media)
Translation work into German and English
Help with the digitization of the historical archive of the village
Maintenance and Repair of the “Paths of Peace”
Accompaniment of visitors on excursions
Help in the MONOPATI Youth Hostel, which is open to individual tourists and groups (for example: reception and housekeeping)

Requirements:

The inhabitants of the village are really friendly and open-minded, so the volunteer should be communicative and not shy about meeting new people. The volunteer should be practically oriented, enjoy landscaping and housekeeping activities and at the same time be interested in educational programs and content development.

Report from Johann Küstermann in Lechovo (September 2024 – August 2025)

Γεια σου! (Hello everyone)

Currently, I am doing a voluntary service with ASF in Lechovo, a small village in Western Macedonia, Greece.

On September 6 we arrived in Greece. Then, after a few days it was time for me to travel to Lechovo. In the following weeks, I met more and more people from Lechovo. Everyone was very kind and helpful and expressed great gratitude that there was once again a volunteer in the village.

I work at two different places because, especially in winter, there is sometimes not enough to do at one of them. My first position is at the “Municipality of Amýnteo + Léchovo,” which is the partner organization of ASF. You can think of their work a bit like that of a community association. They organise occasional events for the village and run a small historical museum. There is also a house where other activities such as dance lessons take place. In this building, there is also a room available for youth meetings. In late November, I started offering an open program for the children and teenagers of the village. We have various games and craft materials to spend time together. Even before my voluntary service, I had already spent a lot of time working with children and youth, so this work is very enjoyable, but also quite tiring. One particular challenge is communication. We mostly speak English but also try Greek from time to time.

Especially in the beginning, I was also involved in improving the village’s appearance. For example, I repainted a small house at the village entrance and the base of a deacon station. Currently, I am still painting the railing of the local doctor. Since winter makes outdoor painting more difficult, the plan for the colder months is to visit and support the “Γιαγιάδες” (Grandmothers) in the village. However, it is still unclear exactly how and to what extent I will be able to do this, as my Greek is not yet sufficient.

I also work two days a week at Arcturos. This is an NGO in a neighbouring village. It was founded in 1992 and focuses on the protection of wildlife in Greece and surrounding areas. Arcturos was created out of the need to address the problem of keeping bears and wolves.

My work at Arcturos is very diverse. Often, I go with the animal caretakers. Since bears eat a lot and Arcturos cares for about 20 bears, I have often helped buying apples. My work is not limited to bears. I also help with wolves, lynxes, and jackals. Another important task at Arcturos is the care of the Greek Shepherd Dogs. Unfortunately, I don’t help much with this because Arcturos usually employs volunteers who have a great interest in this work.

The first highlight of my voluntary service was the Pita-festival. This is a festival, especially celebrated in Lechovo, and is organised by the village association. As the name suggests, the festival is all about Pita, a traditional Greek dish made of puff pastry filled with various ingredients. At the Pita-festival, you can find all sorts of creations, some of which are made by the local grandmothers. Along with Greek wine and live music, there is also traditional Greek dancing. It was simply wonderful to see how not only the village but also people from the surrounding area came together to celebrate before the coming autumn. Of course, I also sampled the variety of pitas and enjoyed the evening.

In the past months, I focused especially on improving my Greek, as it is essential for work in the village and especially when interacting with older people. I have also visited the surrounding cities.

Greetings from Greece!

Report from Durkje Salman in Lechovo (February 2022- February 2023)

Since February 2022 I have been volunteering in Lechovo. Lechovo is a small mountain village in the northern part of Greece. Life here may seem traditional and different from the rest of Greece, but the past year was an amazing experience. The volunteering project in Lechovo is completely new and I was the first volunteer to go to Lechovo. This meant that I helped build up the project and had to figure out what to do and what the community of Lechovo needed from me.

Over the past months I have been doing a lot of different work and projects. Some of the most important projects were the categorising of the English library, the digitalization of the museum objects and working on a website for Lechovo. These projects were very important for the preservation of the history of Lechovo, but also thinking about the future and the needs of the village.

Lechovo has a long history, with lots of culture interwoven into it. During the Second World War the Nazi occupation forces burned down parts of the village. Therefore, Lechovo is a so-called ‘Martyr Village’ and a good understanding of this is required from the volunteers. I helped with the remembrance of the Second World War events, and also wrote and talked about it for websites and documentaries.

Furthermore, my work centred around the cultural activities of the village. The village exists off a lively community with a lot of cultural traditions and celebrations. The Cultural Association ‘Profitis Ilias’, for which I also work, is in charge of the organisation of most of these activities. Meaning that over the past year I helped organise multiple celebrations, such as Carnival and the traditional Panagiria, worked with the traditional dancers of the village, and learned some Greek traditional dances myself, and learned a lot more about the importance of keeping their culture alive.

Except for these projects and the cultural activities, I also engaged in a lot of other (work related) activities. We organised multiple activities for and with the children, such as Christmas crafts, but also clean ups of the village, to make them more environmentally aware. For the youngsters we also organised an exchange with Berlin, in cooperation with the former Concentration Camp Ravensbrück, to incite awareness about the Second World War in Greece and other countries.

The project, and my work, have been centred around the history of the village and its culture. Therefore, the volunteer work was closely tied to the community, which means that I also became part of this community. This has been very rewarding, since the people are very welcoming and friendly. I learned a lot from my interactions with the people. Such a close interaction with the villagers is something that has made my past year in Lechovo extremely special and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Report from Luise Steeck in Lechovo (1.9.22-31.8.23):

Me and the other voluteer in Lechovo are working for the cultural association Profitis Ilias. As the new volunteer I still have to adapt to the village life, find a way to be helpful for the community and learn the Greek language.

The past weeks I did all kinds of work. Mostly we were working in the small museum of the village and digitalized the artefacts which are up to 500 years old. Additionally I worked for the community center and painted the fence of the local school. We also participated and helped at different cultural events the past days as the parade on οχι-day or the local pita festival organized by Profitis Ilias.

For the next weeks and month there a more activities planned. I started visiting some elderly people at home to help them with daily tasks such as going to the local mini market, which could be a challenge for them since Lechovo is a really mountainous place. This visit gave me the possibility to get to know their life history and I am looking forward to learn and talk more as soon as my Greek improves. We also want to offer different activities for the community as for example creative activities for kids and German lessons for everyone interested.

Lechovo is a beautiful place, especially right now in autumn the nature and the mountains around look amazing. The people are incredibly open and welcoming and always down for a chat. I already got to experience a lot of Greece and its culture during my time here, nights at the bar, talks with the locals, the pita festival, visiting the panigiris at the nearest cities or travelling to Thessaloniki and I am really thankful for that.

In cooperation with:

Kehila Kedosha Janina – the Jewish community of Ioannina – is alive and active to this day. It operates a synagogue and a museum and offers a variety of cultural and religious activities.

Above the town on a mountain range lays the village Ligiades, also known as the “balcony” because of its location. On October 3rd in 1943, the inhabitants of Ligiades went to the mountains to harvest walnuts. Back in the village mostly children and elderly people remained. In the afternoon, the first Division of the German Wehrmacht raided the village and carried out a massacre among those left behind. According to eyewitnesses the village burned for the whole night and the smoke could still be seen in Ioannina days later. Only the school and the church were not burnt down, which is the reason why the cultural centre is located there today. The Germans killed 82 residents, including 34 children under the age of 12 and only 5 people survived the massacre. They destroyed and burned the houses and made the survivors homeless. The Wehrmacht cited an assassination attempt by partisans on a German officer two days earlier as a pretext. German officer two days earlier. Lingiades is visible from everywhere and was probably chosen for this reason. Ligiades is just one of many Greek villages where brutal war crimes were committed against the civilian population during the German occupation. Today it belongs to the Association of Martyrs’ Communities in Greece. There is a memorial in the village where wreaths are laid and the names of those murdered are read out every year at a ceremony on 3 October. In the evening the documentary film “To Balkoni” will be shown for those who are interested in a small museum, which is runned by a cultural association and used as an educational place for seminars. The documentary film “To Balkoni” commemorates the victims of the Wehrmacht crimes.

Activities for Volunteers:

Work in the Jewish Community of Ioannina:
Translation activities (German and English)
Maintenance of the website of the Jewish Community Ioannina and social media
Assisting with preparation of exhibitions and events
Help with documentation and archival and research work in the Jewish Museum, Digitization of documents from the community archive
Maintenance work at the Jewish Cemetery

Work in Ligiades:
Supporting the cultural association at events
Accompaniment of seminars and educational days with school classes or other groups
Presenting the documentary film “To Balkoni”
Help with the digitization of the historical archive of Ligiades
Assisting with the development of the Ligiades Museum and Cultural Center

Requirements:

The volunteer should be a communicative, historically-politically interested person. We expect respect, openness and interest towards our confessional partners in the Jewish community. A part of the work can be to accompany visitors and groups – this requires someone who likes to speak in front of people.

Report by the first ASF volunteer Helen who is working in Ioannina and Ligiades (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“When I first got to Ioannina, I was not quite sure what to expect, since the projects I was told about were just starting to take place and so there were some organisation issues that still had to be solved. It took some time to get used to the new environment and to get a solid working schedule, so in the beginning I found myself being confused and sometimes frustrated but after a short while I started taking part in various projects. One of my main purposes here is to exchange cultural differences. Thus, I started giving German lessons twice and English lessons once per day, from Monday to Wednesday. But other than that I include information about traditions and general culture, to not only focus on the language but to create diverse conversations. On Thursdays and Fridays I spend my time in the office of the Cultural Center, where I research, write and publish articles for the website about the Jewish community of Ioannina and Ligiades that I am currently working on.
Another project that I am currently working on is creating an interactive tour around Ioannina, featuring the most important parts of Jewish history there. Right now, the synagogue in Ligiades is closed for renovation, so there are not many activities taking place there. But I am really looking forward to explore this and other places connected to my work in the future. Further than that, I am very motivated to learn and also educate others about the history of Ligiades, because during some conversations with the locals, I noticed that not many of them know about its historical context. I feel like there is a lot of international apathy towards this issue and I see it as crucial to spread more awareness, regarding the political as well as the historical context connected to it.

In conclusion, I am very happy to be here and to be part of this project. Ioannina is a beautiful city and a great place to make long lasting experiences. Despite feeling a little bit lonely during the first weeks, I have made quite a few friends now and acquaintances, that I am getting along with well. The other volunteers and I also meet up regularly and it is good to have people to share your experience with. In addition to that, I have been taking Greek lessons for a few months now, which helped me a lot so far. Learning this new language is something I enjoy a lot and I am very glad to see a huge progress so far. I am looking forward to making even more memories, like exploring more of the country and getting new skills along the way.”

Report by the second ASF volunteers Yanes and Konstantin

The start in Ioannina was a bit bumpy. We were already informed in advance that the programme with the programme with the refugees was temporarily suspended by the municipality. On the way, it was explained to us that this was why we were both visiting the village of Lingiades and in the Jewish community of Ioannina. On the first evening we went directly to Lingiades, where we met Giannis, the president of Lingiades. He explained to us what our tasks would be and gave us the keys to the cultural centre. Our office is located in the cultural centre, which was originally the school of the village.

In Lingiades we are mainly working on the website, which is currently still offline. In addition there is a documentary film “To Balkoni” (The Balcony) in the (The Balcony) in the cultural centre of the village,
which deals with the massacre and the memory of it. We are supposed to show this when study groups, e.g. pupils or interested people come there. The name alludes to the location of the village, as it lies like a balcony over Lingiades and probably also the reason for the terrible deed. Unfortunately, the village cannot be reached by public transport, which is why we were therefore driven up by the police at the beginning. However, after the second time we got the the message that the car that was supposed to take us up was broken. Since then we have been working on the website from home and only go up on special occasions. Panos of Filoxenia is in talks with the mayor of the town to organise a new programme.

In cooperation with:

Kryoneri became internationally known when residents of the village where honored as “Righteous Among the Nations” by the Israeli Embassy in 2018. During the German occupation, villagers hid a Jewish family from Athens in their houses and in a nearby cave. FILOXENIA has set itself the task of remembering this history and has reopened the access to the cave via hiking trails.
Important to mention is the well connected lively village community. There is a cultural association, a youth club, an olive oil cooperation and a variety of activities, such as mountain biking for children and youngsters in the area.

Activities for Volunteers:

Development of the Website “Memory Alive”
Documenting the Role of the Greek Resistance in Rescuing Jews during the German Occupation 1941-1944
Maintenance of hiking trails in the area leading to the cave where a Jewish family was hidden in 1943-1944
Digitization of the village archive
Support of FILOXENIA and the hostel “Elisson” (in terms of content and housekeeping activities)
Work in the youth club
Community work – participation in events

Requirements:

The inhabitants of the village are really friendly and open-minded, so the volunteer should be communicative and not shy about meeting new people. The work with FILOXENIA can be manifol. The association is small and does not have a lot of members, which is why a lot of activities happen on a voluntary basis.
The volunteer should be practically oriented, enjoy landscaping and housekeeping activities and at the same time be interested in educational programs and content development.

Hi :))

Report by the ASF volunteer Renée Ziegler who is working in Kryoneri (01.09.24-31.08.25)

Kryoneri and the surrounding area has a lot to offer in terms of landscape and nature, which after 19 years of living in Berlin was a very pleasant and calming change from the usually stressful and hectic everyday life of a big city. The village is beautiful, not exactly big with around 900 inhabitants, but it has everything you need: a minimarket, two taverns, a pharmacy, a bakery, a café and a lot of events and cultural activities you can participate in. 

In Kryoneri I suppored FILOXENIA, a historically, politically and ecologically active organization. FILOXENIA also hosts national and international youth exchanges where I supported the planning and structuring when needed.

Whenever there were no seminars or groups that we had to support, I worked in the office or helped in the hostel that hosted the groups. In the office we concentrated mainly on video editing, which had been surprisingly fun. Apart from that, we also took care of FILOXENIA’s websites by keeping them up to date or doing aesthetic changes which had been our main focus during the winter. At the hostel, we usually helped with cleaning and tidying up after the groups haf left. We also had our own project throughout the year, which was a cook book I did together with Anais.

In the evenings I had tandem sessions with various people from the village, most of whom are children between the ages of 9 and 14. I would meet up with one of them for an hour a week and we would play games, talk or do little exercises with the aim of exchanging languages. It was a great way to get to know more people from Kryoneri.

Throughout the year I had a lot of memorable experiences. One of them for sure was the olive harvest end of 2024 where we supported the local farmers during the harvesting season. When you’re not from The countryside this is something you can’t experience that easily so I was very thankful that the farmers let us come along for the harvest. Also it was very fulfilling to work physically because at the end of the day you could see and feel what you had achieved. Another beautiful experience was the “Act Green” youth exchange with young people from all over Europe where I made some really good friends. 

Generally every exchange where I had the opportunity to meet new people was very special because I could exchange experiences, political views and could learn a lot about other cultures and realities of life. On top of that, each exchange offered a new perspective on topics like feminism or anti discrimination which as a result taught me to be more open minded and curious towards others. 

I also had the chance to participate in the cultural week of Kryoneri, where different kinds of activities that the village has to offer get presented every year. I was part of the dance group that performed traditional greek dance that we had practiced for multiple months. By that I could experience a part of the greek culture very near which was definitely one of my highlights. Of course I also got to see a lot of different places in Greece by traveling or doing day trips with FILOXENIA.

Because I lived and worked together with other volunteers, I could learn a lot about how to navigate a household and workspace in a practical and cooperative way, how to solve conflicts and how to motivate myself and others.

I am more than grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this year full of culture, new people and a life that was way different from what I knew before. I felt welcome from the beginning till the end and hope I could also give something to the community of Kryoneri. 

A highlight was a youth exchange that we accompanied was on the subject of film. The idea was for young people from the Bavarian young film scene and film-interested youth from Greece to come together, share their cultures and get to know each other while working together on a short film. It was so exciting accompanying the filming team, watching them and helping them in their work. We were able to be a part of all stages of the film and learn something from each category: music, acting, filming and editing. I was also able to learn something about working under extreme time pressure and remaining flexible, as well as how to communicate with people from different backgrounds.

Report by the ASF volunteers Anne Dahlhoff and Leon Kesper who are working in Kryoneri (1.09.22-31.08.23):

ένα θερμό χαιρετισμό 

A warm welcome – That’s how it felt for Leon and me when we first arrived in Kryoneri. Not only by the summer temperatures, but also by the people and the environment. Leon (18) is from Dortmund. My name is Anne (18) and I am from Essen, Germany. Together we are in Greece with the German organization Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF). ASF also calls their voluntary services “peace services”. Their work is based on solidarity with their partners in Europe, USA, Israel and Great Britain. They support peace and respect for human rights.

Here in Kryoneri, we work together with the Organisation „FILOXENIA“, that has many years of intercultural experience in educational work in the fields of ecology, history and politics.
Leon and I have a project based on Memory. During the nationalism, a Jewish family was hid in Kryoneri by the community. Every time German soldiers came to the village, the family hid in a cave nearby. Today, tourists can visit the cave. Leon and I guide them through the mountains and beautiful hiking trails to the cave. Clara, a short term volunteer and I were able to join a hiking group from Corinth for a day hike in the bush. The people were open-minded and fun to be around. 

In the morning, we usually work in the office on different topics. Together, we improved the Matsani Website, which represents the village itself. We translated the greek information into an English version. Therefore, the website becomes more transparent for a wider audience. Leon also works together with an IT Expert and updates the website regularly. 

Additionally, we use the time in the morning to prepare activities and games for the youth in the village. I created games, which are played in our weekly Tandem lessons. Every Tuesday and Thursday, teenagers between 12 and 14 come to the Youth Center to learn English and German. At the same time, we can improve our greek skills. 

Furthermore, we painted the stairs at the office as well as old cupboards. Although we had some challenging moments, we enjoyed the variety and distraction. In the end, we were proud of the results and can now walk our own painted stairs every day. As a group, we restored and painted the school walls. Leon did graffiti and Clara and I repainted old drawings. 

At the beginning of November, we helped an acquaintance of the village with the olive harvest. It was interesting to learn about the harvesting process and the hard work involved, as well as about the problems caused by climate change. We were exhausted after two days of work. Depending on how many olives can be harvested, the workers need several weeks. At the end we tasted fresh olive oil itself, with bread and a good pinch of salt. 

Max, another long term volunteer in Kryoneri and I give standard dance lessons once a week. Max is the experienced one and I always learn the dances just before the next lesson. I always wanted to learn standard dance, and now I can learn and teach at the same time. I also offer table tennis once a week. This is also fun for me, because I can be active myself and connect with more people from the village. 

Leon has soccer training twice a week with local team called Aetos Kryoneri. There, he gets to know many young people from the village and can improve his language skills. On the weekend, he always has a game. So far, they have always been friendly matches, and in mid-November the real season starts. Leon and I go to Pilates and Aerobic twice a week together with the other volunteers. Our Trainer Anna is excellent at her job and knows how to push us to our physical limit. Most of the time we have sore muscles on the following days, but we enjoy it anyway. 

In our free time we normally try to do trips around the country, relax on the veranda, sing and dance together, play chess, watch a movie together or spend an evening at the local tavern.

At the beginning of our time we had greek lessons once a week with the president of FILOXENIA, Katerina, and now continue practicing with a local every Wednesday during office work. Panos, the manager and general person in charge as well as Sia, our mentor, help us with our program and always try to get the best out of us. 

We are very thankful for the experiences we made so far and are looking forward to upcoming projects, interesting encounters and unforgettable experiences. 

Report by the first ASF volunteer Marlene who is working in Kryoneri (1.09.21-31.08.22):

An important concern of FILOXENIA is that this story shouldn’t be forgotten and that it should receive more attention outside the region, on which my activities are based to a large extent. The main task of my voluntary service is to develop the websites “Matsani” and “Memory Alive”, on which I document the history of the village and the civil courage of the villagers.
In order to obtain the necessary information, I have access to different text sources and also the great opportunity to speak with contemporary witnesses or their descendants. Most of the time I work independently but I can always contact the person in charge if I have any questions.

During the first two months, I mainly worked on small translations on the website “Matsani”, which represents Kryoneri as a whole village with all leisure activities, clubs and restaurants.
At the moment, my focus is on capturing Kryoneri’s moving story and its background on this website. In the course of the year, I will also report on various projects in which volunteers deal with the occupation in Greece.

Another part of my service is the digitization of the village archive, which contains documents that are more than 100 years old. And I also take care of the development and maintenance of the hiking trails that lead to the cave where the Kamhi family hid temporarily.

Almost every day I meet the youngsters from the region– in groups of two, we exchange cultural differences and everyday situations in English, German or Greek and learn languages in a playful way together. A “language tandem encounter” takes about an hour and is prepared by me.

In addition, I plan various leisure activities and events for young and old inhabitants of Kryoneri together with other volunteers.
In Kryoneri there are regular international exchange projects, which intensively liven up the village and are a cultural enrichment. The Hostel Elisson is an important place of contact for volunteers and offers space for encounters of all kinds. My colleagues and I also stay here.

Now during the summer my everyday life changes a bit. Besides working in the office, I spend a lot of time with the groups and youth exchange programs that come to Kryoneri. Most of the time this is connected with showing them the Karamanos Cave or talking to them about historical and cultural topics. I am looking forward to every new group that arrives because I get to know the most different people and it always remains varied. Apart from that, the other volunteers and I offer various leisure activities for the young people from the village, such as painting a wall, tie dying or different kind of sports.
During my free time I really enjoy to swim in the Gulf of Corinth or to explore Greece.”

In cooperation with:

 

Activities for volunteers:

Visitor service, reception, guided tours in the museum
Archive and library work, translation
Assistance in the preparation of the exhibitions and events
Probably one day a week: assistance and visitation services for the elderly people at the Kallimanopouleio nursing and senior citizens’ home

Requirements:

The memories of the massacre and the demands for reparations from Germany are very present nowadays and also controversially discussed in the community. The mayor of Kalavryta has also been Chairman of the Association of Greek Martyrs’ Communities for many years. Some people are still skeptical to work about working with Germans. But the museum and the senior citizens’ home, on the other hand, show great interest in working together.
The volunteer needs to be respectful, sensitive and reserved to the breaks and lines of conflict in the community. They should endure any aversions without taking them personally.
We are looking for a communicative, historically-politically interested person to work in the museum. A large part of the wok is office work ( with computers, scanners etc.). Volunteers can be used to accompany visitors an groups – this requires people who like to speak in front of groups. For the visiting services in the senior citizens’ home it is essential to be patient and to have the ability to listen to the life experiences of elderly people.

Report from the ASF Volunteer Jonathan Drewes in Kalavryta (1.9.22-31.8.23)

Arriving in Kalavryta

“I hope this is the right train. I better get off again. Am I going in the right direction?” were my thoughts as I sat on the train in Kiato and I was to begin my journey to Kalávryta, my project location for the next year. But after 15 minutes of waiting, the time had come and the train started moving. The scenic ride (mountainous landscape on the left and the Mediterranean Sea on the right) was very beautiful and took away some of my nervousness. Arriving in Diakopto, Dimos, a colleague from the museum, picked me up. On the way to Kalavryta we drove through the mountains and canyons while it was already getting dark. After some quick grocery shopping for the necessities I entered my apartment for the first time.

First working day

The next day Dimos picked me up from home and we drove to the museum. Here I met the other three staff members and got a detailed tour of the museum. I was also shown what the daily routine tasks are, some of which I will also take on, such as reading and entering temperatures and humidity in the rooms or turning the TVs in the exhibition on in the morning and off in the evening.

Daily life and my job at the museum

I’m getting more comfortable with taking care of everything on my own (cooking EVERY DAY is more challenging than I thought, though!). Plus, I quickly realized how lucky I am with my balcony, which gives me a really good view of the city and mountains. It’s very chilly here in the morning, but as the day goes on, it gets warmer and comfortable (much to my confusion about what to wear). The colleagues at the museum are very kind and helpful and I feel well taken care of there. Currently, at work, I’m still studying literature about Kalávryta’s history, especially that during the German occupation with the books in the museum library, taking notes on it, and will give my first guided tour in English next Tuesday.

Time in Patra and setting up the traveling exhibition

Also, two weeks ago I was in Patra for four days setting up the traveling exhibition “Kalavryta: a city through history before and after the holocaust” at the Achaia Clauss winery together with Savvas from the museum and his father. The center of the exhibition are photos, mainly from the 20th century, which, along with accompanying texts in Greek and English tell about the eventful history of Kalávryta. Here the focus lies on the massacre that the German soldiers committed on the 13th of December 1943 in Kalávryta against the civilian population. For the four days we stayed with Savvas’ parents, where I was very hospitably received and ate a lot of good food. I enjoyed the time in Patras a lot and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to get to know Patras.

Report by the first ASF volunteer Paul who is working in Kalavryta (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“After my arrival, I was slowly introduced to the theme of the museum and had to do simple tasks such as putting up posters, small translations and everyday work in the museum. Gradually, I became more involved in the work. After a short time I was able to prove my knowledge of the local history and gave my first guided tour for a group of German educational travelers.
But also inter personally, I had very good experiences and was welcomed by everyone with open arms and a lot of helpfulness. I get along very well with my colleagues and we also do leisure activities together, such as trips to the seaside, or to Patras, the nearest city, as well as evenings in the local bars or eating together.”

In cooperation with:

Until 1999, Etz Hayyim was a desecrated house of prayer, which remained the only Jewish monument in Crete after the destruction of the Jewish community in 1944. It stood as a monument to the National Socialist extermination of 2,300 years of Jewish life in Crete.
From 1996 to the year of its re-inauguration in 1999, the building has been carefully restored. The philosophy behind this work is summed up in the Hebrew ’Am Israel Hayy’ – ’The people of Israel live’.
The synagogue is run by an association that focuses on the cultural heritage of the destroyed Jewish communities of Crete. The association also organises a variety of cultural events and educational programmes. Here, for example, lectures, readings and musical events take place.
The Synagogue Association is networked with other denominational, political and historical working groups and is committed to fighting against anti-Semitism, racism and other forms of group-based hostility to humanity.

Activities for volunteers:

Visitor support, assistance at events, attendance service
Cooperation with a volunteer of the Austrian Memorial Service
In combination with Etz Hayyim: Support for the initiative “Young Citizens of the World Chania”, which builds a small documentation centre based on the consequences of the German occupation on Crete and an open library (http://www.creative-intercultural-dialogue.org/neoi-polites.html)

Requirements:

Etz Hayyim is a small institution of international renown. “Young Citizens of the world” is a small political-artistic initiative with a very familiar working environment. The volunteer needs a reliable, independent personality and should be able to cope with chaotic situations. Respect for the confessional partner is also a basic requirement. This project is appealing for someone with an interest in Jewish history, culture and religion.

Report by the ASF volunteer Thora Bilz who is working in Chania (1.09.22-31.08.23)

When I first walked through the wooden door of Etz Hayyim synagogue, I thought “What a beautiful and comforting place”. The nearly two months I have spent in Chania since were an adventurous, interesting and eventful time. In my first week I watched my colleagues give tours, talked to visitors and begun to read into Jewish life and history on Crete. It was a perfect quiet start before the exciting time of Jewish holidays followed.

The first holiday we celebrated was the Jewish New Year: Rosh Hashanah. We welcomed the year 5783 by hosting a big dinner attended by 100 people. While the guests took part in the service, we prepared tables and got the food from a nearby restaurant. There are certain symbolic foods served at a Rosh Hashanah dinner. For example: Eating a fish head on Rosh Hashanah symbolizes the desire to be “heads, not tails” in the new year. It was so interesting to listen to the rabbi explaining these costumes and trying these traditional foods. On the following day I heard the powerful and loud sound of the Shofar for the first time. A shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown on Rosh Hashanah (the day of the (shofar) blast).

In the next week we celebrated Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement and holiest day of the Jewish calendar. There were various services I listened to, I got to witness the fasting and its breaking and, in the end, got to hear the shofar again that symbolizes the end of the holiday. The next two weeks Sukkot and finally Simchat Torah followed. Sukkot is the harvest festival. We built up the Sukkah hut and I decorated it with fruits. In the next few days prayers that were marked by processions with the lulav (palm branch with myrtle and willow) and etrog (citron) were held in this hut. Simchat Torah was the end of our holiday marathon. It is celebrated with singing, dancing, and merry processions of people carrying Torahs.

While I really liked the services and Torah readings and am so glad that I got to know all these Jewish traditions, the thing I enjoyed most about the holidays was talking to Jewish people from all around the world. We had so many different people joining us for the holidays that were open to share about their lives and the history of their families. It was so interesting, and, I think, very special.

The last two weeks I became a member of the tour-giving team of the synagogue. I gave tours in English and German, talked to visitors and took care of the Etz-Hayyim book shop. I look forward to all the interesting projects coming this winter and am grateful that I get to spend one whole year at this beautiful place!

Report by the first ASF volunteer Carleen who is working in Chania (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“My working day begins at ten o’clock with the preparation of the synagogue for visitors, e.g. preparation of items for sale. Afterwards, the team discusses the tasks for the day at breakfast together.
I am currently working with Theo, my Austrian co-volunteer from GEDENKDIENST, on a historic city rally for a youth exchange with students of the FU from Berlin, where young people from Chania and the students get to know each other.
During our working hours the synagogue is regularly visited by people of different nations, to whom we show the premises and also give short guided tours according to their interest. That is why I invested time in the first few days to study the history of the place and the Jewish community of Crete.

Every Friday evening the Sabbath is celebrated in the synagogue, where I help with the preparation and follow-up, as well as participating in prayer. Even if this is not part of my working hours, it has always been exciting and beautiful experiences for me so far, because one is received in a friendly way by the community and thus gets first impressions of Jewish culture. During the first weeks, I also had the opportunity to get an insight into the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Sukkot. To better follow the prayers Theo and I participate in Hebrew Reading lessons.

I also renew our website, write articles for our newsletter or help with all kinds of current projects. Apart from all that I also take part in community events like Passover. Due to that, I have learnt a lot about Jewish culture and I hope to further enrich this knowledge in the next months!”

In cooperation with:

Activities for volunteers:

Library (Cataloguing of books in German and English)
Reception service, taking care of visitors
Assistance at conferences and art projects (in winter with Greek school classes)
Housekeeping activities / hotel and kitchen
Support of the neighboring monastery of Gonia at events
Possibly visiting services in a retirement home of the Orthodox Church of Kastelli
(Annousákeio), where 70-80 elderly people live (www.annousakeio.gr/en/)

Requirements:

It is a denominational (Christian-Orthodox) project. Volunteers should be interested, open and respectful towards their partners. The activities are varied. Volunteers are needed who are active (even in the household or in the kitchen) and who are interested in educational work, theological questions, interfaith and inter religious dialogue.
The OAC is a relatively large institution, hierarchically organized and depending on the workload it can also be confusing for volunteers in the OAC. We are looking for independent people who are reliable.

Report by ASF volunteer Elina Pannier who is working in Kolymvari (01.09.2022-31.08.2023)

“My name is Elina and I work at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. The Academy is located in the western part of Crete, in Greece. I have been here for 9 months. Most of the time I work at the reception desk where my duties include checking in visitors, assisting with any issues they may have and being the friendly face of the academy. During the conferences, I often photograph the seminars and sometimes have the opportunity to join the conferences during their field trips. This has allowed me to explore and get to know the island better. Occasionally, I help in the kitchen or clean the rooms.

Four months ago, another volunteer joined me at the academy, and during the summer months, we expect more volunteers and interns. The academy is a great place to meet people from all over the world with different backgrounds. I have learned so much about a wide range of topics through the conferences. At the end of each conference, we have a Cretan night with live music and a traditional dance band. During the winter season, Crete becomes much quieter, including the academy. As a result, my duties during this period are a bit different. I mainly work in the library, cataloging and organizing books. We also had school classes visiting us, so I was photographing them as well. For six months, I attended Greek lessons twice a week in Chania, the nearest town. Two other volunteers in Chania also participated in these Greek classes.

In our free time, we often explored the island together, went to the beach or enjoyed the delicious Greek cuisine. Recently, the other volunteer and I started attending traditional Cretan dance classes. I live alone in an apartment on the academy campus. My neighbors include my mentor, the conference leader, our superintendent, an iconographer, and their families. In addition, our alumni secretary also resides on campus. I visit her often to chat in a mixture of Greek and German while we enjoy cookies and coffee. My apartment consists of two rooms, a kitchenette and a balcony with a view of the sea.”

Report by the first ASF volunteer Malena who is working in Kolymvari (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“During the first month I mostly worked on the reception, helped in the kitchen and took care of the Social Media accounts. Many international groups came in September and October, so I had the opportunity to join some excursions around the island ( for example boat and snorkel tours or exploring hidden beaches) and to meet different kind of people.

Now in winter most of my work takes place in my office where I sort documents and billets but I also have some things to do in the in-house library. Two times a week I participate in Greek lessons in Chania together with Carleen ( who is also an ASF volunteer) and other students.

I really enjoy living right by the sea and to have the possibility to explore the Crete nature. Sometimes I am a bit bored because I didn’t really get to know some Young Greek people yet but I am sure that will change in summer and I am looking forward to the next months of my voluntary service.”

In cooperation with: