Niederzwönitz: Conservation of Hydrotechnical Infrastructure and Historic Papermaking Technology | OH-H12 | 2026-08-30 - 2026-09-12 | CONS,RENO,CULT | Age: 18 - 35

Open Houses is a non-profit network dedicated to the preservation and reactivation of historic buildings and sites as shared cultural spaces. Rather than treating heritage as static or purely commemorative, Open Houses understands historic places as environments shaped through continued use, dialogue, and collective responsibility. The organisation initiates and supports projects that combine hands-on conservation with cultural, educational, and community-oriented activities, enabling sites to remain physically accessible and socially meaningful. The main objective of Open Houses is to reactivate historic sites as living parts of their communities, supported by international volunteers who contribute to their conservation and rehabilitation through practical engagement. The origins of the organisation date to the mid-1980s, when volunteer groups in East Germany began restoring endangered village churches. These efforts quickly evolved beyond repair work into the reanimation of the buildings as lived spaces for exhibitions, music, discussion, and communal engagement. This approach (linking practical preservation with active participation) remains central to Open Houses today. European Heritage Volunteers is an international programme network initiated and administered by Open Houses to extend these objectives across Germany and beyond. Conceived as a platform for capacity building in the heritage field, it brings together students, emerging professionals, and skilled craftspeople to participate in hands-on conservation projects, training courses, and educational initiatives at heritage sites. The programme combines practical work, such as traditional building techniques, landscape conservation, documentation, and maintenance, with structured learning components addressing heritage theory, site management, and cultural context. Implemented in cooperation with site owners, conservation authorities, and partner organisations, European Heritage Volunteers functions as a bridge between professional heritage practice and international exchange, fostering the transmission of traditional skills, interdisciplinary learning, and shared responsibility for the safeguarding of cultural heritage.

Work: The hands-on activities will centre on the conservation of the hydrotechnical and mechanical systems that historically powered paper production at the Niederzwönitz Paper Mill. Initial work will focus on the historic mill channel, where participants will clear washed-in sediment, vegetation, and debris to expose the structure and restore controlled water flow. Damaged sections of the wooden lining will be carefully dismantled and renewed using traditionally prepared timber elements fitted according to historic carpentry methods. A second focus will address the maintenance of the water wheel and associated drive mechanisms that convert hydraulic energy into mechanical motion. Participants will clean the wheel chamber, service wooden and metal components, and secure connections to ensure stability and legibility of the system as a functional technological ensemble. Additional work will involve the care of selected historic machinery, including basic cleaning, lubrication of moving parts, and minor repairs necessary for demonstration and preservation. Through these coordinated measures, the project safeguards the interaction of water management, power transmission, and production equipment that defined the operation of the mill. The educational programme will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of technical heritage conservation within its wider industrial and World Heritage context.

Accomodation and food: Accommodation: Participants will be accommodated in a summer lodge in the forest near the town. Shared rooms and essential facilities, including sanitary amenities and kitchen access, will be provided to ensure a functional and comfortable stay within the heritage setting. Food: The meals will be prepared together as they are part of the community life, what means that every participant will be responsible for the meal at least once during its stay. So, it would be very nice if the participants could bring typical recipes from home in order to introduce each other to the preparation of food from all over the world. Insurance: In cases of accident and liability all participants from foreign countries are insured by Open Houses. Nevertheless, individual travel insurance is recommended. Participants from outside European Union are insured in cases of illness, too. Participants from the European Union should bring their European Health Insurance Card. Finances All costs linked to the project are covered, including food, accommodation, insurance and transportation during the stay at the project. Travel costs to and from the camp place are not covered. Participants should organise their journey to and from the project place by themselves and on their own expenses. Furthermore, participants should bring their own pocket money.

Location: Niederzwonitz

Location and Leisure: The Niederzwönitz Paper Mill, located in the Ore Mountains of Saxony, is documented as a centre of paper production since the 16th century and represents an important example of early manufacturing traditions associated with the region’s mining economy. Its operation depended on a purpose-built hydrotechnical system of canal, weir, and water wheel that supplied the energy required for paper and later cardboard production, illustrating the close relationship between water management, craft production, and proto-industrial technology. The site forms part of the wider cultural landscape of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region, shaped by more than eight centuries of mining and related industries and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. The paper mill is recognised as an associated component of this context and is additionally included in the transnational UNESCO Tentative List entry “European Paper Mills (from the era of hand-made paper)” submitted in 2024, which highlights historic mills that demonstrate the technological and cultural significance of hand-made paper production in Europe. Today, the surviving buildings, water system, and technical installations provide insight into the integration of craft, industry, and resource management within the Ore Mountains and form an important point of reference for understanding the region’s broader economic and technological development.

Airport: DRS

Train/Bus station: Zwönitz Train Station

Requirements: Special requirements are sending a CV, application form, and motivation letter to office@heritagevolunteers.eu prior to selection there will be an interview. Candidates should be interested in the topic of the project / training course and demonstrate it in the motivation letter and interview.

Will be provided in the infosheet

Language: eng

Extra Fee: 100 EUR