MonumentCamp

With every crumbling wall, a piece of history is irrevocably lost. To counteract this, we need an awareness of the relevance of monuments and technical expertise.The DenkmalCamp provides both. Ten days of pure monument preservation - with this promise, it welcomes numerous motivated trainees from the finishing trade to Martinsdorf (Transylvania) every year. In the Romanian community, the young craftsmen and women work on the maintenance of local medieval buildings - something that would not be possible in Germany without further ado. The Martinsdorf/Siebenbürgen e.V. craftsmen's school is also on board. The camp is dedicated to an ongoing restoration process at the local fortified church, including the associated vicarage and fortified tower. The participants work hand in hand to renovate the medieval buildings. They learn techniques and approaches that they rarely come into contact with during their training, as well as the associated architectural history and building culture.

In its report on Open Monument Day, ARD accompanied the MonumentCamp participants as they restored the former fortified church and the historic vicarage using old techniques. The report in the Europe magazine and on the Instagram-page of the Weltspiegel shows everything that goes into monument protection.

Tackling with care

Under the guidance of experts in the field, the young craftsmen and women at the DenkmalCamp renovate interior walls, facades and cellars. Of course, this also includes traditional renovation and fine painting work. But above all it's about the unknown: gray painting, for example. At the end, the participants can paint profiles, rosettes and columns in such a way that they appear three-dimensional.

However, the Sto Foundation understands further education not only in the professional sense. We want to help the beneficiaries develop culturally and personally and encourage them to think outside the box. That's why the program at the camp leaves plenty of room for various excursions into nature and Romania's

cultural landscape in addition to the work on the church buildings - and of course for leisure activities together.

 In exchange with the accompanying specialists and local residents, the camp raises awareness of the cultural added value of heritage conservation. It also shows career prospects in a varied, creative and responsible professional field that would otherwise tend to remain hidden.

We are certain that the points of contact with monument protection and preservation at the camp will have a lasting effect. The specialist knowledge acquired arouses curiosity, interest and, at best, enthusiasm or passion for the idea of monuments.