NEW FORUM VOGELSANG: BEhINd thE ScENES

No. 6 · 2013
ip.news
© vogelsang ip
News from the International Place in the Eifel National Park
CONTENTS
SURPRISING FINDS DURING THE
CONSTRUCTION WORK
Because the snow kept melting in one spot on the
“Adlerhof” this winter, although the area around
it was still always covered with snow, dr. helmut
Luley, department head Preservation of historical
Monuments at the Rhineland Regional Office for
the Preservation and care of Field Monuments,
and Vogelsang historian, Klaus Ring, were convinced that “there must be a cavity here.”
......................................... .
THE BUILDING SITE AND
ITS PROSPECTS
Not only can the visitors enjoy an impressive panorama of the National Park from
the “Burgschänke” viewpoint; they can also experience the “the redevelopment
of the listed monument” first-hand. Information boards give a preview of what the
future Exhibition & Learning Centre will look like.
Presentation of the “Forum Vogelsang” building
site in the form of photos showing today and
tomorrow. Which challenges have been overcome and what still has to be accomplished
up until the opening?
....................................
NEW FORUM VOGELSANG:
BEhINd thE ScENES
the conversion of the “Forum Vogelsang“ is in full swing, the goal is within
arm’s reach: A tour of the historical site or a hike through the National
Park will give you a foretaste of the future of the International Place.
In the scope of an “Architectural dialogue” in June
2013, the responsible architects informed interested technical planners how they are pursuing the
same goal despite having slightly different perspectives, namely to transform the International Place
vogelsang ip into a future-oriented learning place.
A “unique task at a fascinating place“ is how the
architect from Berlin, henner Winkelmüller, describes in his own words the conversion of the Forum
Vogelsang into a Visitor centre comprising of two
large exhibitions, a restaurant with a panoramic
view and the adjacent conference hall. For him
the redevelopment of existing buildings means
integrating new functions into the existing building
(sections). his solution: “Inlays”; new spaces with
their own logic and function are incorporated, these
inlays will make it possible to experience the transitions in the historical building structure. Furthermore, penetrations between the floors and in the
facades will make it easy for the visitors to find their
way round. the planned external escalator will also
be able to carry people with physical disabilities to
the tower, so that they too can enjoy the view of the
surrounding area. A great deal has already been
accomplished, but many visions still have to be turned into reality (k Page 3).
“how does a material change, if we continue to
work with it?” A.W. Faust, the commissioned landscape architect from sinai, Berlin, asked himself,
also regarding the stone slabs in the “Adlerhof”.
Which temporal stratum should we take as the
standard? Unfortunately, the possibility of reusing
the existing damaged slabs for the new Forum was
ultimately ruled out for several reasons. An optimal solution is currently being worked out together
with the Office for the Preservation of Monuments,
whereby sticking to the available budget also plays
an essential role in the matter.
dr. Jürgen Krause of the Aachen-based engineering company, Kempen Krause Ingenieurgesellschaft, was also amazed what challenges and surprises the redevelopment of the existing building
at Vogelsang involves. As the structural engineer
of the project, his tasks involve among other things
the statistics. What the National Socialists considered to have been “built for eternity”, often didn’t
comply with modern safety standards. the height
offset between different individual parts of the
buildings was too large, the existing floors were in
some cases too thin; ceilings and foundations had
to be renovated, etc., etc… All of these aspects
had to be resolved to ensure the safety of the
visitors.
What are the ideas behind the National Park
centre exhibition?
Nationalpark
Eifel
..........................................
N
Page 6
VIEWPOINT AND TRAIL
Sport facilities,
swimming pool
„Fackelträger“
„Thingstätte“
„Kameradschaftshäuser“
Turm
CIRCULAR TRAIL
Nationalpark
Eifel
„Hundertschaftshäuser“
Shell constructions, initial fire protection measures,
geothermal drilling, roof renovations (k Pages 4
and 5) – overall, approximately half of the work
has been completed. this site, where the architecture once served the purpose of indoctrination and
where even nature bowed down to the gestures of
leadership, will in future accommodate a Visitor Information centre, an NS documentation Exhibition
and the National Park centre – in the new “Forum
Vogelsang” as a symbol for openness, dialogue and
encounters.
Whether you want to join a tour of the site, set off
on a hike around the Eifel National Park or take
part in a wilderness trail – come and pay us a visit
and at the same time you can experience the final
stages of the building measures, and see how all of
the involved parties overcome the last hurdles!
Pages 4 + 5
ROOM FOR THE WILDERNESS
„Adlerhof“
„Burgschänke“
VIEWPOINT
„Krankenhaus“
CIRCULAR TRAIL
Belgian barracks
“Van Dooren”
VISITOR CENTRE
Belgian army’s
P
cinema
See the essential
sights!
On the approx. 2 km long trail around the
building site, you can gain a complete
H
impression of the historic “Ordensburg“
Belgian
petrol station
estate.
P
public bus
500 m
Visits to the former NS Ordensburg Vogelsang with
its Visitor centre and Restaurant in the Kulturkino
(culturecinema), both of which are open daily, tour
sites and diverse events will be a welcome source
of entertainment for culture enthusiasts and National Park hikers. In the midst of it all, financed by
the EU, the Federal Government, the State of NRW
and the shareholders of the vogelsang ip gemeinnützige Gmbh, the Exhibition & Learning centre
of the International Place vogelsang ip is currently under development: the new Forum Vogelsang.
the conversion is half finished. In the course of the
conversion work some unexpected findings were
discovered. For example, exciting historical findings
were made during the so-called excavation of the
“Adlerhof” (k Page 2).
Page 2
Visitor Ce
until 201
CAR and BUS
pay machine
Wollseifen
view
TRANSIT
59
Map:
„Malakoff“
Where are things located? .......... Page 7
VOGELSANG IP
Nationalpark
Eifel
Nationalpark
Eifel
“In the scope of its commitment to the new ‘Forum Vogelsang‘,
ACCESS B 266
the State is making a huge contribution towards the preservation
of this significant contemporary witness, which documents the
National Socialists’ absurd image of mankind and their criminal
regime. It is right to preserve places such as the former Ordensburg Vogelsang as far as possible and make them accessible to
and experienceable for the following generations.”
Michael Groschek, Minister of construction of the State of NRW
Status as
building history
1
EDITORIAL
FINDINGS TELL STORIES
The Vogelsang historian, Klaus Ring, and the
archaeologists of the Rhineland Regional Office for
the Preservation and Care of Field Monuments
experienced a number of surprises during the
conversion of the historical buildings located around
the “Adlerhof”.
DEAR READERS,
as Mayor of the City of Schleiden, I am very
happy about the developments that have already
taken place on-site before the opening of vogelsang ip’s new Information, Learning and Exhibition Centre and its emerging prospects.
Please join me in reading the following pages,
which take a look behind the scenes of the building site that is located in the central building
complex surrounding the historical “Adlerhof”,
which you can visit and experience close-up
– in addition to the impressive monument and
the fascinating landscape of the National Park.
As one of the largest architectural examples
for “redevelopment of an existing monument”,
Vogelsang is at this present point of time unique
throughout Germany and it is definitely worth
visiting, for instance taking part in a tour of the
grounds or building site.
In the scope of a “Building Site Open Day”,
I gained a surprising insight into which renovation and conversion measures are necessary to
upgrade the structural requirements of the centre of the location so that they satisfy the future
demands. The renovation work is exposing the
history of the building; we are finally discovering
what is located behind the seemingly solid facades and walls and in the cellars and hidden
rooms of the “Ordensburg”.
After over 60 years the missing plastic eagles
were rediscovered in the excavation pit – just a
few metres below the natural stone slabs of the
“Adlerhof“, which is named after them (Eagles’
Courtyard). A cultural-historical, architectural and
future-oriented project, which continues to provide surprising, new cognitions that we have to
learn to deal with!
of the allied troops was completely knocked down.
Now, remains of the elegant marble floor were
found amongst the rubble as well as further material from the ceilings and doors, which means we
now have materialistic proof of the furnishing details of the “Commander’s Wing” that were hitherto only recorded on photos.
“We found piles of tin pots.
Today, one would say from
a catering kitchen.”
Basalt lava blocks artistically hung up on metal
brackets were also among the findings, which evidently formed part of the ceiling panels of a new
entrance portal, as Klaus Ring is convinced after
comparing the details with the historical photos.
However, according to the historian, the discovery
of old kitchen utensils was for him a much greater
surprise: “Piles of tin pots, cheap standard canteen material that quite obviously belonged to the
fittings of a kitchen, or today one would tend to say
of a “catering kitchen” underneath the conference
room.” This find has contributed towards a better functional understanding of the Commander’s
Wing in Vogelsang, which little was known about
until now. Furthermore, a battered safe surprisingly came to light, which most probably originated
from the offices of the Castle’s Commander.
Plastic eagles: Symbolic
documents of the failure
The two eagle torsos, base plates and further
fragments that were found in July 2012
The first surprise had already announced itself in
advance: Because the snow kept melting in one
spot on the “Adlerhof” this winter, although the
area around it was still always covered with snow,
Dr. Helmut Luley, Department Head Preservation of Historical Monuments at the Rhineland
Regional Office for the Preservation and Care of
Field Monuments, and Vogelsang historian, Klaus
Ring, were convinced that “there must be a cavity here.” Their assumption was confirmed in the
course of the excavation work at the “Adlerhof”
– and their expectations were exceeded by far.
The cavity turned out to be “practically a complete basement,” commented Ring, which was full
of debris and ruins. This tangle of battered rein-
forced concrete beams, old roof supports and material from the ground floor provided the historians
with new cognitions about Vogelsang during the
NS era and especially about the “Commander’s
Wing”, which hardly anything was known about
until now. “In 1938 extensive renovation work was
carried out,” reported Klaus Ring, “the aim was to
add a stately reception area comprising of a large
conference room and lobby area in front of the
Commander’s offices. Until now this construction
phase is exclusively documented by photos from
the archive of the photographer, Hugo Schmölz,
who at the time supervised the building work on
behalf of the “German Labour Front“. After 1945,
this area that was completely destroyed by bombs
Piles of enamelled tin ware from the catering kitchen
were found on the floor in the basement.
The specialists from an excavation firm in Düren assisted
with the excavation work for several weeks on behalf of
the Rhineland Regional Office for the Preservation and
Care of Field Monuments.
The most important finding was nevertheless
the eagles: In former days, they conspicuously
dominated the image of the “Adlerhof” and they
can be seen on the heaps of rubbish from the destroyed Commander’s Wing on photos dating from
the British era during the initial clean up period
in 1946 or 1947. The two plastic sculptures were
rediscovered during the construction work, however they were no longer in one piece, they were
in bits and the heads were missing. Klaus Ring
quickly realised the high symbolic power of this
find for the future permanent exhibition “Mission:
Master Race” After all, what could personify the
failure of the Ordensburg project and of the entire
NS system more adequately and more tangibly
than the headless eagles of the “Adlerhof”? “The
decapitation of the majestic animal of National
Socialism by the vanquishers will be a coherent
final comment in the Vogelsang NS Documentation
Exhibition,” stated Klaus Ring.
I am of course delighted to see what effects the
measures are having for the region. Many companies from the area have been able to assert
themselves in the European tendering process
and as such are contributing significantly towards
this project.
I am also pleased that in spite of the undisputable restrictions caused by the building site, the
visitors’ interest in vogelsang ip has continued
to be overwhelming – approx. 170,000 visitors a
year, including visits from over 300 school and
youth groups annually. This demonstrates how
attractive this exceptional location is for our
region. It also proves that the programme of the
International Place – with its values openness,
dialogue and encounters and its objective of
occupying itself with past history – has been
wisely chosen.
Dear readers,
Please visit vogelsang ip, enjoy the landscape
around the future National Park Centre,
discover this historical place, occupy yourself
with its history and form your own impression
about the reconstruction work.
Yours sincerely,
Udo Meister
Mayor of the City of Schleiden
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IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
The battered steel safe of the Castle Commander also
emerged in the rubble.
VOGELSANG IP
“The ‘headless eagle‘ will be an expressive item in the future permanent exhibition and is a symbol for
the leadership and educational ideals of National Socialism. The aim of the former NS Ordensburg
Vogelsang was to shape people, nature and the political-social order and to develop the nationalsocialistic master race by means of drill, indoctrination and the conveyance of the NS ideology.
The permanent exhibition will manifest the ideological mania and destructive failure of this quest
for dominance.“
Professor Dr. Hans-Ulrich Thamer, Chairman of the Scientific Project Advisory Board of the
NS Documentation Exhibition Vogelsang
Perspectives
The conversion involves a great deal of work, but
the result will be a remarkable piece of architecture: A transparent glass building on the “Adlerhof” will mark the entrance to the Visitor Centre.
A stairway and an elevator will lead down from the
entrance floor to the central reception floor (-1),
which houses an information desk for the visitors. Here they will be provided with all information on the grounds and the exhibitions in several
languages and barrier-free, they can purchase
entrance tickets, have a look round in the vogelsang ip-shop and from here they can make their
way into the other parts of the building and to the
exhibitions. A diagonal passageway initially leads
from the Visitor Information Desk to a landscape
window in the National Park, from here the socalled “Eifel Panorama” is located to the right at
the entrance of the National Park Centre exhibition and the NS Documentation is on the left – all
in all, there is a conscious architectural contrast to
the historical architecture.
VISITOR CENTRE
Dates and Facts
© Clausen + Reitsma GmbH
7
© Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA
© Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA
4
Together the Forum and Kulturkino are
spread over a net surface of approx.
15,000 m², the Forum Vogelsang covers
11,500 m² of the space, whereby the
Visitor Centre including the shop and
the “Eifel Panorama” span 1,500 m²,
whilst the exhibition areas of the
NS Documentation Exhibition (incl. the
“Cult Room“ and the “Burgschänke“)
occupy the same amount of floor space.
The National Park Centre will span
approx. 1,900 m² of exhibition space.
A further 900 m² are planned for the
conference rooms. Last, but not
least 1,300 m² are dedicated to the
Vogelsang Restaurant including the
Panorama Terrace.
Lakeside view, outdoor terrace
Also an attractive destination for hungry hikers or
National Park visitors: The future Vogelsang Restaurant with its “lakeside view” facing the North in
the direction of the “Kermeter”. Its outdoor terrace facing the West offers spectacular panoramic
views over the Urft Dam, but also of the deserted
village called Wollseifen.
2
Seminar extension, new rooms, entrances
with inviting architecture
From the opening onwards the visitors will be
able to access the new Forum Vogelsang from the
“Adlerhof“, which will accommodate all important
elements: On the right the entrance to the new
Visitor Centre with its glass construction is the
central starting point. The entrance to the new restaurant with its Panorama Terrace that looks over
the National Park is located slightly to the left, under the “Wandelhalle” (lobby). A new passageway
leads through the building to the left into the future conference area, which has a central hall that
holds up to 250 people. The passageway will be
the same shape as the panoramic windows in the
exhibition areas and at the entrance to the Vogelsang Restaurant. These windows will be special
structural elements that project out of the existing
facades in an inviting manner.
8
Tower, 360° view, elevator
An external elevator in the tower will also be able to
carry people with physical disabilities up to the tower platform. From here, they can enjoy the breathtaking 360° panoramic view over Vogelsang’s historic hillside and far into the Eifel National Park.
5
© Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA
3 QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE “ROOM OF SILENCE”
An interview with architect Henner Winkelmüller
1. Mr. Winkelmüller, why is there going to be a
“Room of Silence” at vogelsang ip?
Henner Winkelmüller: “Visitors of all origins and
religions react in different ways to the oppressive Nazi history, which is extremely present at
this perpetrator site. Some people are shocked or
overwhelmed and sometimes the actual family history of the visitors is effected. Which is why
among other reasons the ‘Church in the National
Park‘ and the Jewish Community asked if it would
be possible to create a place of retreat.”
2. Where will the room be located
and how will it be designed?
Winkelmüller: “The ‘Room of Silence‘ has to be
easy to find and will be located directly at the
entrance of the new Visitor Centre, i.e. it will
have a central location. Furthermore, the room
will have a special architecture, it will namely be
designed in the form of a snail’s shell, because
we thought it was important that the ‘Room of
Silence‘ should be designed so that people have
a place to reflect in peace without outside influ-
ences or stimuli. So, we would like to create a
room that is introverted, without it having a deterring effect. This is why we opted for a solution
without an outward side window. So that this
room within a room doesn’t take on the appearance of a cellar, indirect daylight from above will
provide a positive, warm light effect as well as an
introverted and contemplative atmosphere,
where one can spend time deep in thought.
These were the most important criteria for us.”
3. What materials will be
implemented there?
Winkelmüller: “People will spend most of the time
seated in the room, which is why we propose to
implement seats made of warm woods that invite
the guests to spend time there. The seating
will be arranged along the walls to match the architectural snail-like movement, but there will also
be seating in the interior of the room. The reason
for these different seating options is to allow for
individual spatial requirements. In concrete terms,
it will allow people to sit opposite each other, or alternatively to sit in front of a wall on their own.
The surfaces are to reinforce the atmosphere of
inner reflection. We therefore found it important
not to use any of the heavy and patterned materials that were frequently found in the former
“Ordensburg”. Vogelsang is characterised by its
strong natural stone walls made of greywacke. We
want to create a relatively neutral room that is furnished with natural materials.
The walls will be painted in light, friendly colours,
will have smooth surfaces and will exhibit soundabsorbing properties, so that there is no echo in
this closed room. The room will be barrier-free
and no symbolism will be used inside, so that it is
really open to everyone!”
Thank you for the interview!
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
3
PERSPECTIVES
thE BUILdING SItE ANd ItS PROSPEctS
CURRENT TOURS
state of co
the educational and tour programme of
vogelsang ip has not been affected by the
building work in the centre of the estate.
And indeed even the building site itself is
worth visiting! In the scope of special onehour building site tours on selected dates,
the visitors can make their own impression of the respective building progress.
the building tours grant the visitors a firsthand insight into the building measures whether it is the excavation pit for the
Visitor centre, renovated roof structures,
the conference centre extension, the
future exhibition rooms or even the elevator
in the tower. Last, but not least, a specially
constructed viewpoint at the “Burgschänke”
offers an outlook over the surrounding
landscape, while the tower is still closed
due to the construction work (k Page 8
under Event tips).
Burgschänke” viewpoint, open 365 days a year
see page 2
Concrete rep
ceilings and
Rainwater
percolation pit
New building:
Conference room and
outdoor catering
Underpinning of
the existing building
nailed to the rocks
1
NS Documentation Exhibition “Mission: Master Race.
The NS Ordensburg Vogelsang”; image rights: Grafische Werkstätten Feldstraße + Studio Kaiser-Matthies
see page 3
2
final
New building: the seminar and conference area; image
rights: Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA
see page 6
3
NS-Documentation
„Burgschänke“
Eifel Panorama;
image rights: Clausen + Reitsma GmbH
see page 3
4
Visitor Centre; image rights: Mola + Winkelmüller
Architekten GmbH BDA
4
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
1
Restaurant with
panoramic view
NS Documentation
Exhibition
Seminar and
conference area
1
2
The excavation pit at the “Adlerhof”
Gutting work and roof repairs
A building site tour
Geothermal energy
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE AND
STAGES – WHAT IS ON THE BUILDING
PLAN UNTIL THE OPENING?
onstruction
Panoramic
window glazing
58 geothermic
drill holes
(100 m deep)
Underpinning and roof
renewal, new supports,
cellar floor lowered
pairs,
floors
External elevator
in the tower
All-round repairs,
roof structures and
roof cladding
Excavation pit for
the Visitor Centre
the conversion work started off with demolition and gutting work. Most of these tasks
have in the meantime been completed. “At
the moment,” explained vogelsang ip-Project
Manager, Lothar Winkler, “we are working at
full speed on the shell construction. during the
course of the work, we noticed that the concrete of some of the storey ceilings is in a much
worse state than we thought. Wooden roof
structures had to be renewed as well.” these
necessary maintenance jobs have increased
the planning efforts and the time that has to be
invested. concrete constructions, supports, beams, ceil-ings and wooden constructions in the
roofs are currently being put back into shape;
walls are still being broken through for windows
and inlays. After the electric and sanitary installa-tions, the heating system, the telecommunications and multimedia technology have to be
installed, then the rooms have to be fitted out
with the furniture and exhibition inventory. the
foundations and the ground floor ceiling for the
seminar area are finished. 58 drill holes, each
of which is 100 metres deep, will enable the
Forum to be cooled and heated using geothermal energy and heat pumps in future.
5
see page 3
Historical findings
(i.e. eagle torsos)
picture taken in June 2013
Old visualisation “Room of Silence”; image rights:
Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA
6
see page 6
state
National Park Exhibition “Wilderness (dream)
rooms”; image rights: TRIAD Berlin
Eifel-Panorama
6
3
National Park
Exhibition
7
Visitor Centre
4
7
8360° view
see page 3
1NS Documentation
“Cult Room”
Restaurant with panoramic view,
image rights: vogelsang ip
Room of Silence
8
5
see page 3
360° view from the tower, elevator,
image rights: vogelsang ip
© Mola + Winkelmüller Architekten GmbH BDA, Berlin
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
5
perspectives
6
Beech forest wilderness in the Eifel National Park.
ROOM FOR THE WILDERNESS
The future Eifel National Park Centre with its
exhibition “Wilderness (dream) rooms” in the
East Wing of the Forum will be one of the two big
attractions at the International Place vogelsang ip.
What are the ideas behind this?
The permanent exhibition, “Wilderness (dream)
rooms” sponsored by the German Environmental
Foundation (DBU) has in the meantime reached a
well-advanced planning stage. Most of the design
drafts are already finished. Now the exhibition buildings and contents are being elaborated. “Our
key themes are biodiversity, wilderness and the
National Park. The challenge lies in presenting
such complex themes in an appealing and comprehensible way. In this connection our agency, TRIAD
Berlin, has proven to be an extremely professional
and creative partner,” explained Kathrin Doil, Project
Manager for the Eifel National Park Centre.
The National Park Centre enhances the already
existing offers of the National Park Gates. Local
phenomena are presented in these five small exhibitions located around the National Park, whilst
the central National Park Centre offers more of a
general overview. “We don’t want to just show particulars and details about the Eifel, we actually want
to draw attention beyond this to general phenomena and elucidate global connections. Whereby not
only ecological, also cultural-scientific cognitions
are to be conveyed. We want to attempt to address
our guests individually and sensitize them for these
important topics,” commented Doil.
The Eifel National Park started to turn “nature into
an experience for everyone” very early on. This
encompasses educational facilities such as the
wilderness workshop, the information points and
the National Park Gates as well as the barrier-free
natural experience room “Wild Kermeter”. The
National Park Centre that is to be opened at vogelsang ip will also offer a comprehensive adventure
and learning programme, which addresses all of
the guests equally. This means that the exhibition
will not only be accessible to people with physical
disabilities, but in line with the 2-sense principle,
all information will be easily comprehensible so that
it is also suitable for people with special needs.
“The aim is that all people, regardless of any limitation they might have, should be able to experience the National Park Centre to the full. This has
become a matter of course for us at the National
Park, even if major obstacles have to be overcome
in the planning stages,” reported Henning Walter,
Director of the Eifel National Park.
The principle of inclusion also applies for the future
educational and event programme. The diversity and beauty of nature should be conveyed and
made accessible to as many people as possible.
The National Park Centre at the vogelsang ip site is
thus an ideal starting point.
© TRIAD Berlin
N
ational Parks and other nature reserves
make an important contribution to the
preservation of the biological diversity
and natural development of the environment worldwide. At the new National Park Centre
the visitors will be able to learn more about the
principle of the National Parks “Nature, nature, let
it be” and the cause and effect mechanisms within
wilderness areas.
Kathrin Doil, Project Manager of the
Eifel National Park Centre
Henning Walter,
Manager of the Eifel National Park
3
RANGER MEETING POINT, NATIONAL
PARK CARRIAGE, “EIFEL PANORAMA”
breaks through the historical building structure
and which allows abundant daylight to flood
into the basement. The window looks out over
the “Roll-call area” and over the hillside, which
houses the “Thingstätte“ (open-air theatre).
Primarily, however, the window offers a fantastic
panorama of the Urftsee and the Eifel National
Park. The National Park Centre is located to the
right of the landscape window, and the NS
Documentation Exhibition is on the left. The
entrance areas of both exhibitions not only
function as recreation and waiting rooms,
they are also used to present natural and
cultural-touristic highlights of the Eifel.
© Clausen + Reitsma GmbH
The NS Documentation and the National Park Centre will be the central addresses of
the new “Forum Vogelsang” in the future. However, the visitors will also be offered a
wide-ranging programme beyond this. Eifel holidaymakers will also find a pool of
ideas for subsequent visits in the Visitor Centre. A surprising additional service en
route to the exhibitions.
“Filmkoje” is the name of one of these six thematic places of retreat, where one can sit for a
while and gather information on the natural and
cultural landscapes of the Eifel. Young people
or people who are still young at heart can look
up the sights of the North, South and Volcanic
Eifel at “multimedia desks“ or find information
on the industrial history of the Eifel. Thus,
the “Eifel Panorama” provides stimuli for the
entire region, a lookout point and a small
taste of further possible experiences.
The entrance areas of the exhibitions grant the visitors insights and outlooks of the natural and cultural landscapes in the Eifel – in their function as an “Eifel Panorama”.
R
ight in front of the Visitor Centre the visitors already come across the “Ranger
Meeting Point” – the assembly point
for the guided tours with National Park
Rangers that are held every Sunday and for the
tours booked with forest guides. This, or to be
6
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
more precise the “Wandelhalle” (lobby) with
its fantastic landscape view, is also where the
historical daily site tours of the NS Documentation
start. The National Park Carriage to Wollseifen
will also set off from its own stop at the
“Adlerhof”.
If the visitors proceed from the “Adlerhof” via
the stairs or the elevator directly to the exhibitions on the basement floor, after passing
through the central Visitor Information office
they are automatically led to a large, landscape window of interesting architecture, which
Anyone, who has enjoyed their visit to the International Place vogelsang ip, has the opportunity to make an entry in the digital guestbook: on
the “Wall of Impressions”, either on-site during
their visit or afterwards per Internet. Several
hundred posts can be published on the metrelong screen.
VISIt VOGELSANG IP
Nationalpark
Eifel
Victor-Neels Bridge
Urftsee
0,7 km up to bis
zu16 % gradient
N
VISIt
VOGELSANG IP
Even during the construction
phase vogelsang ip is
continuing to offer its guests
tours, exhibitions, a viewpoint,
a circular trail and much more.
Indoor swimming pool
Sport facilities,
swimming pool
Wollseifen
3,0 km
„Fackelträger“
„Thingstätte“
„Kameradschaftshäuser“
Red Cross Museum
for international
law and human rights
Turm
CIRCULAR TRAIL
Nationalpark
Eifel
Forum construction work until 2014
„Hundertschaftshäuser“
the Visitor centre in the
Kulturkino vogelsang ip is
the starting point for
manifold experiences.
„Adlerhof“
„Burgschänke“
“Burgschänke” viewpoint
View of building site, “Adlerhof”,
tower, Urftsee, Eifel National Park
VIEWPOINT
„Krankenhaus“
CIRCULAR TRAIL
Circular Trail
through the central listed area,
2 km, steep inclines
(not suitable for visitors with
limited mobility)
Belgian barracks
“Van Dooren”
VISITOR CENTRE
the Visitor centre and the Restaurant at the
Kulturkino are open 365 days a year from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitor Centre in the CultureCinema
until 2014
public bus
H
Belgian
petrol station
500 m
Our team in the Kulturkino is glad to assist
with all inquiries about vogelsang ip and the
surrounding region. here you can book site
tours, further programmes and much more.
P
Belgian army’s
cinema
VISITOR CENTRE AND
RESTAURANT
CAR and BUS
pay machine
Wollseifen
view
P
TRANSIT
59
the vogelsang ip-shop is also located in the
Kulturkino. In the shop, Eifel brand products are on sale, as well as hiking equipment, a comprehensive selection of maps
and extensive literature, among others on
the history of the NS Ordensburg Vogelsang
and the exciting Eifel National Park region.
„Malakoff“
No through traffic
n fon 49 (0)2444 91579-0
www.vogelsang-ip.de
Gemünd
7,0 km
Dreiborn
6,0 km
Site Tours
Our Vogelsang guides will offer you insights into
the history, architecture, listed buildings and
the development of vogelsang ip also during the
construction phase of the “Adlerhof“.
 Dates: daily without advance registration, 2
p.m., additionally at 11 a.m. on Sundays and
public holidays
 Duration: 90 minutes
 Cost: EUR 5, reduced price EUR 4, children
under 12 free
 Meeting point: Visitor Information centre in
the Kulturkino vogelsang ip
 Info: Only in German, foreign language tours
can be booked
Bookable Tours
the site tours as well as special tours or excursions can also be booked separately for groups,
among others in several languages and “barrierfree”.
youth educational
programme
Extra-curricular learning at Vogelsang offers the
opportunity to understand the Nazi perpetrator site in its historical dimension as a training
site and political cultural site of the NSdAP and
also raises questions relevant to the present day
about today’s society and one’s own existential
reality. (k Page 8)
Red Cross Youth, Nature and
Environmental House
“Transit 59”
Nationalpark
Eifel
Nationalpark
Eifel
July 2013
ACCESS B 266
Status as of June 25, 2012
ADVICE AND BOOKINGS
Jennifer Hilgers
fon +49 (0)2444 91579-11
[email protected]
We recommend you to book individual
tours and programmes well in advance.
n www.vogelsang-ip.de
certs, musicals, theatre performances and
much more. the hall seats 1,000 people.
Additionally, seminar and conference
programmes are offered.
Event Management:
fon +49 (0)2444 91579-14
[email protected]
Red cross museum
Ranger tours: Discover the
wilderness
the circular hike guided by National Park Rangers leads over the dreiborn plateau to the deserted village of Wollseifen and back.
 Dates: Sundays, 1 p.m.
The Kulturkino vogelsang ip:
more than a cinema
With its event hall dating back to the 1950s, the
Kulturkino vogelsang ip is the venue for con-
the Red cross Museum vogelsang ip for international law and human rights is one of the largest
Red cross museums in Europe. the guests
can gain an intensive insight into the worldwide
humanitarian efforts of the Red cross.
 Dates: May to October 31, Saturdays and
Sundays as well as public holidays from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m.
 Cost: Adults EUR 3, youths EUR 2, children
under 12 free, families EUR 6, groups EUR 2
per person.
 Organiser and info: dRK Euskirchen, fon +49
(0)2251 79110, www.rkmvip.de
 Duration: 3 hours/6.5 kilometres, suitable
for children and all-terrain prams, includes a
steep incline
 Cost: Free with no advance registration
 Meeting point: Ranger hat in front of the
Kulturkino
Organiser and info:
Eifel National Park Forestry Office,
fon +49 (0)2444 9510-0, fax: -85,
[email protected]
n www.nationalpark-eifel.de
Carriage rides
From April to October, information is available
at: fon +49 (0)2472 5369, +49 (0)177 4478041
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
7
VISIt VOGELSANG IP
VOGELSANG IP REcOMMENdS
“You are heartily invited to learn more about
the history, organisation and the worldwide efforts of the Red Cross by visiting our
permanent exhibition “Human Rights and
International Humanitarian Law“.
EVENT TIPS
Our special exhibition “Detour Prague –
1989” comprising of reports from contemporary witnesses, photos and films is also
very moving. It reports about the fears and
plights of the GDR refugees in the Prague
Embassy of the Federal Republic.
BUILDING SITE OPEN DAy
technical planning representatives, architects
and site managers are inviting you to take a look
behind the scenes and inspect the architectural
changes all around the “Adlerhof”. the tour
around the building site is free of charge and
open to everyone. the tours are carried out at
times when the building site is safe to visit.
You can also gain an insight into our search
service. See how this contributes towards
uniting families after catastrophes in war
and crisis situations.

current dates:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/baustellenfuehrungen.htm
POETRy SLAM
Modern poetry at vogelsang ip, “Vogelslam 4.0
and 5.0”

current dates:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/vogelslam.htm
BAT EXCURSIONS
Bats lead a secret, nocturnal life and are only
rarely noticed. together with the building
complex of the former NS Ordensburg Vogelsang, the Eifel National Park is a paradise for
18 different types of bats. this signalises the
quality of the landscape.
the lecturer dr. henrike Körber endeavours
to allow the guests to experience the small
nocturnal goblins while they perform their
breakneck acrobatics and listen to the “language” of the bats using special microphones.
She will also share plenty of exciting details
about the lives of the highly interesting survival
specialists with you.

current dates:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/
fledermausexkursion.htm
“MENSch, hASt REcht!”
(MAN, YOU ARE RIGht!)
Political education for youths at Vogelsang
the former NS Ordensburg Vogelsang offers
manifold opportunities to understand the Nazi
perpetrator site in its historical dimension as a
training site of the NSdAP. On the one hand, the
listed building and on the other the newly created NS documentation with its permanent exhibition “Mission: Master Race” form the fundamental cornerstones of the political education at
the extra-curricular learning place vogelsang ip.
In the course of the educational events, themes
such as the existential reality of the youths are
addressed. the youths are given the opportunity
to experience history individually – regardless of
their origins or level of education. In the course
of Study and Project days, the youths can work
through and study specific themes of the NS
documentation, to a large extent independently.
“What would I have done at the time?”
“What has Vogelsang got to do with me today?”
these are the core questions that they deal with
at the learning place. Everyone finds his own
answer to these questions.
DIRECTIONS
By bus: “Vogelsang Parkplatz” (car Park) bus
stop with the National Park Shuttle SB 82 coming
from the direction of Kall, SB 63 daily from the
direction of Aachen/Simmerath; Information is
available at www.vrsinfo.de, www.avv.de.
Rolf Zimmermann, director of the
Red cross Museum vogelsang ip
Special funding programmes make special projects possible: For example the “Erinnerung,
Verantwortung & Zukunft” Foundation (Remembrance, Responsibility, Future) is supporting the
“MAN, YOU ARE RIGht!” project, where youths
with and without migrant backgrounds develop
their own campaigns in creative project weeks,
actively and independently getting involved with
human rights issues. Own campaigns against
discrimination help the material covered to sink
in and demonstrate practical ways of fighting for
human rights in one’s own environment.
A further example is the project initiated together with the Youth-culture-Summer 2013 –
“RESPEct 4 ALL”– a cultural initiative of the
district of Euskirchen supported by the state
programme, culture Rucksack NRW.
vogelsang ip is the source of inspiration, the
presenter and the venue location for the project.
n Further information is available at:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/lernort.htm
RELIGIOUS VOGELSANG
the focal points of the 90-minute tour are:
traces of the national-socialist image of god
and humanity at Vogelsang, the role of the
church in the national-socialist regime and
its background, the christian relationship to
Judaism and the question what is the church’s
task today during and after the conversion of
Vogelsang.
And what we have in store for you at the
end of the exhibition tour gets my collector’s
heart beating fast: historical German Red
Cross vehicles and equipment implemented
between the 1950s and the 1990s!“
By car: B 266 coming from the direction of Einruhr or
Gemünd; Address for navigation system: 50.5683,
6.4366 (Vogelsang drive) or alternatively: 53937
Morsbach, Einruhrer Straße; then follow the signs to
“Vogelsang”. the central visitor’s car park is subject
to charges: EUR 3 per vehicle/day. coaches are free.
IMPRINT
PUBLIShER
vogelsang ip gemeinnützige Gmbh
Represented by: Albert Moritz (Executive director)
Kulturkino vogelsang ip
53937 Schleiden | GERMANY
fon +49 (0)2444 91579-0
fax +49 (0)2444 91579-29
[email protected], www.vogelsang-ip.de
MANAGEMENt
christin Wannagat
EdItORS
Kathrin doil, Petra Kleen, Birgit Linden, Albert Moritz,
Klaus Ring, Julia Schmidt, christin Wannagat
tEXtS
tim hannes Schauen, wortwerkekoeln
PhOtO cREdItS
Alle Bilder: vogelsang ip gemeinnützige Gmbh |
Roman hövel; außer: siehe Vermerke am Bildrand
GRAPhIc cONcEPt g29, Aachen
GRAPhIc IMPLEMENtAtION W-design, Simmerath
PRINtING Sieprath druck Service Gmbh, Aachen

current dates:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/
vogelsang-religioes.htm
All information is subject to alteration,
status as of October 2013
Partners of vogelsang ip gemeinnützige GmbH: _________
“RESPECT 4 ALL“
The Culture Rucksack in the district
of Euskirchen
Up until 2015, a free youth cultural programme for children from the district of Euskirchen
aged between 10 and 14 will be ongoing.
Stadt
Schleiden

current dates:
www.vogelsang-ip.de/
respect4all.htm
MUSIC EVENTS, THEATRE
AND CONCERTS
Major events and lectures are staged
regularly at the Kulturkino vogelsang ip.
Information is available online regarding
the scheduled events.
ALL EVENTS can be found at
www.vogelsang-ip.de
8
IP.NEWS No. 6 · 2013
Promoted by: ____________________________________________
the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to a resolution passed by
the German Parliament and with state urban development funding
following a resolution passed by the North Rhine-Westphalia Landtag:
CONTACT
vogelsang ip gemeinnützige Gmbh
Kulturkino vogelsang ip
53937 Schleiden | GERMANY
fon +49 (0)2444 91579-0
fax +49 (0)2444 91579-29
[email protected]
www.vogelsang-ip.de
OPENING HOURS
Grounds: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Visitor centre and Restaurant:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.