From October 13 to 19, 2024, Krzyżowa hosted the “Young Leaders” project, organized by the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe with financial support from the German Consulate. The initiative aimed to equip young leaders with essential skills and knowledge to foster effective and empathetic collaboration with youth and children who have experienced displacement, migration, or refugee status.
Key Objectives
The project focused on developing leadership competencies, gaining international experience, and acquiring practical knowledge in psychological and social support. Participants had the opportunity to exchange views and build connections with peers from various countries who shared similar life challenges. The program emphasized resilience, creativity, and nurturing self-confidence, empathy, and hope.
Read more: “Young Leaders” Project in Krzyżowa (October 13–19, 2024)
From October 21 to 26, 2024, 60 students from Środa Śląska (Poland), Kamionka Buska (Ukraine), and Saterland (Germany) came together for an engaging week at the International Youth Meeting Center in Krzyżowa. Through language and integration games, tours of Krzyżowa, and self-organized evening activities, they built meaningful connections and got to know one another better.
The program included excursions to Świdnica and the Polish partner town of Środa Śląska. During creative workshops, participants explored elements of folklore from their three countries, designing their own interpretations on bags. Scrapbooking sessions provided an opportunity to craft memory albums using various natural papers and materials.
Read more: Youth Exchange Środa Śląska – Kamionka Buska – Saterland
On Friday, October 25, 2024, we had the pleasure of attending the final gala of the international essay competition "Women in Resistance", held at the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum in Leipzig. This competition was one of the many initiatives within the three-year project “Female Stories Unheard – European Remembrance of Women in Resistance Against National Socialism”, carried out in collaboration with Bildungswerk Sachsen (Leipzig) and Antikomplex (Prague).
Out of the essays submitted, the jury selected 10 outstanding works, with three earning a spot on the podium:
🏅 1st Place: "Invisible Resistance: Batsheva's Story" by Shania Timpe (Germany)
🥈 2nd Place: "Dolly. Buried in Time" by Amelia Maj (Poland)
🥉 3rd Place: "I Am a Woman – I Know. A Lesson on Femininity" by Weronika Doburcka (Poland)
Read more: Final of the "Women in Resistance" Essay Contest
The school classes of Städtisches Gymnasium Thomaeum from Kempen and the Association of Local Initiatives Przystań (Port) from Ulanów spent their exchange week in Krzyżowa from 27-31 August 2024, parallel to the international chamber orchestra project Krzyżowa Music, because the encounter was dedicated to the medium of music and discovering other cultures with its help.
The 33 participants aged between 12 and 16 therefore also took part in the opening concert of Krzyżowa Music in the Peace church in Świdnica.
This time, the participants discovered Krzyżowa in a completely new way - through sounds, which they captured in small international groups at various locations in Krzyżowa, recorded on tablets and used to develop a composition, in which a wide variety of instruments were used and there were no limits to the group's creativity. The work of the small groups culminated in a concert of sound compositions.
Read more: School exchange Ulanów - Kempen
