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The House on the Hill is the heart of the Krzyżowa remembrance and education work. The members of the Kreisau Circle met in the former home of Helmuth James and Freya von Moltke during the Second World War.The building was completely renovated in the '90s and ceremonially opened as a memorial and residential building in 1998. Over the past decade or so, the technical condition of the building has deteriorated significantly due to humidity and under the influence of weather conditions.Therefore, in 2022, a technical dossier was started, which will form the basis, planned for the following years, for the renovation of our memorial.

External construction work will begin later in 2023. The foundations will be drained and insulated, and the roof and elevation renovated. Therefore, guests visiting the Krzyżowa Foundation must expect restricted access to the House on the Hill from July onwards. Work on the interior will continue in the coming years. In addition, renovation and modernisation of the educational area and revitalisation of the garden are planned.

The big challenge for Krzyżowa now is to secure the necessary funding. The Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation, the Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Foundation and the Georg Zinner Foundation have already pledged the initial funding, while funds are still lacking to complete all the necessary construction and renovation work and the new exhibition and educational space.

Read more: The House on the Hill is being renovated

On 20 April, the programme 'Facts about the World' aired on TVN24 BiS showed material presenting the robbery of children from Ukraine by the Russians, showing some parallels between the contemporary situation and the crimes committed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The material was based on an interview with Dr Tomasz Skonieczny, an employee of the Krzyżowa Foundation.

Read more: For TVN24 BiS, PhD Tomasz Skonieczny talks about stolen children from Ukraine

From 9-11 June 2023, the Bosch Alumni Forum met for the second time in Krzyżowa. This time the focus was on the topic: Envisioning the Future in Times of Emergencies. Approximately 60 former scholarship holders of the Robert Bosch Foundation from all over the world came together in Krzyżowa with their families. Some of the staff and Board members of the Krzyżowa Foundation were also present. Together, topics and methods from among the group were discussed in open forums and thus perspectives and experiences were exchanged. The question came up whether the crisis-like nature of the present is the new normal or whether stability over so many years was also the old abnormal. Despite such gloomy topics, optimism dominated and many saw new opportunities emerging from the crises. What is certain is that new key skills and approaches are needed to prepare societies for the new challenges. 

Read more: International Bosch Alumni Forum in Krzyżowa

Annemarie Cordes

*29 July 1951 ꝉ 22 May 2023

"Was it courage? Or maybe it was something much simpler: sometimes you just have to start without knowing where the journey will lead". With these sentences ends Annemarie Cordes' account of the founding evening of the Kreisau-Initiative association on 10 November 1989, when, in the spirit of change and vibrant excitement following the fall of the Berlin Wall, people from West Berlin and East Berlin who were interested in the Kreisau Circle met for the first time. Annemarie Cordes enthusiastically followed the spirit of the period. She trusted in the beginnings and, together with a group of like-minded people, decided to turn the idea of establishing a European educational and meeting place in Krzyżowa into a reality. The result was almost 35 years of social activity, a lifetime project.

Read more: (†) Annemarie Cordes