God’s Acre Cemetery, Herrnhut: Documentation & Maintenance at a Cemetery of the Moravian Church | OH-H08 | 2026-08-16 - 2026-08-29 | RENO,CONS,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: Since 2023, the participants have contributed to the documentation and maintenance of this unique burial ground, characterised by its distinctive layout, uniform gravestones, and the Moravian tradition of egalitarian commemoration. The 2026 project will expand these efforts, introducing a stronger focus on archival work alongside the ongoing conservation and maintenance activities. The documentation work will involve detailed recording of grave plate inscriptions and their conditions, improving existing archival records and supporting future conservation planning. Participants will photograph, transcribe, and assess the state of historic grave markers, working under the guidance of experienced documentation specialists. Maintenance tasks will continue to play a central role, including the cleaning of grave plates, careful removal of invasive vegetation, and minor conservation measures to prevent deterioration. These activities ensure the preservation of the cemetery’s integrity, respecting its function as an active burial ground while safeguarding its historic and cultural significance. Community engagement remains an integral element of the project, fostering a collaborative approach to heritage conservation.

Accomodation and food: Accommodation: 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: Herrnhut

Location and Leisure: Herrnhut, located in Saxony, Germany, is the founding settlement of the Moravian Church, established in 1722 by a group of religious refugees from Moravia under the protection of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The settlement became the spiritual and administrative centre of the Moravian Church, which later expanded across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Caribbean, forming a global network of Moravian communities. The town’s urban layout, with its central congregation building, communal housing, and green spaces, reflects the Moravian ideal of collective living, where architecture and town planning were used to reinforce the community’s spiritual and social values. A defining feature of Herrnhut is God’s Acre, the Moravian cemetery established in 1731, which became the prototype for Moravian burial grounds across the world. The cemetery embodies the Moravian principle of egalitarianism, where all individuals, regardless of social status, are laid to rest with the same type of gravestone. Unlike many historic cemeteries, which feature elaborate monuments and hierarchical burial arrangements, God’s Acre maintains a strict uniformity, with each grave marked by a simple, flat stone. Today, the cemetery holds over 6,300 graves, spanning three centuries of continuous use, preserving the memory of generations of Moravian community members who shaped Herrnhut’s religious and cultural history. In 2024, Herrnhut, along with other historic Moravian Church settlements, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the title "Moravian Church Settlements" as an extension to the already inscribed transnational UNESCO World Heritage site Christiansfeld in Denmark.

Airport: BER

Train/Bus station: Herrnhut Zinzendorfplatz bus stop

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