Akademie Waldschlösschen


The Akademie Waldschlösschen is an educational institution near Reinhausen in Lower Saxony, between Göttingen and Heiligenstadt.

Building and History

In 1981, the Academy founders took possession of an unused historic building first constructed as the Waldschlösschen Spa Hotel in 1904. Once the building was repurposed, it was named Freies Tagungshaus Waldschlösschen and then, in 2000, renamed Akademie Waldschlösschen.
Due to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the opening of the inner German border located just five kilometers to the east of Reinhausen, the Waldschlösschen is now in Germany's geographic center. The landmarked building was expanded in 1990 and 2008 by the construction of annexes for meeting space and accommodations.
Since 2000, the Academy has been accredited as a Heimvolkshochschule under the terms of Niedersächsisches Erwachsenenbildungsgesetz. This recognition leads to a dedicated budget line within the annual state budget, in the same manner as Lower Saxony's 22 other accredited Heimvolkshochschulen. In 2003, founders Rainer Marbach and Ulli Klaum established the Waldschlösschen Academy Charitable Trust, which continues to oversee the Academy.

Mission

Although the work of the Akademie Waldschlösschen has not been limited to gays and lesbians as target groups, it was primarily founded as a "gay adult education center", which reflects its origins in the German gay movement of the 1970s. Since then it has developed into a national center for networking among and training of activist LGBT*I* workers. The history of the German gay movement is unimaginable without the Waldschlösschen. Ralf König has mentioned it several times in his books, for example, as the setting of Beach Boys.
The queer self-concept of the Akademie Waldschlösschen, developed from a critique of heteronormativity, is informed by the idea "that identities, norms, and values are not self-evident or natural, but are based on social factors and must be seen as constructed, in need of reconsideration and renegotiation." The work of the academy “is based on:
The Academy is of similar significance for AIDS work in Germany. Facing the many challenges of the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, the Waldschlösschen undertook a nationwide linking of the different AIDS support initiatives. This led to the founding of the national Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, which has been a frequent collaborator ever since.
The Waldschlösschen is also significant in that it has developed advanced training courses for both professional and volunteer staff members of the Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe by providing education and supporting the meeting and self-management of people with HIV and AIDS from all communities. Rita Süssmuth, a former president of the German Federal Parliament and former Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Women, Youth, and Health, has been quoted as saying, "To me the Waldschlösschen is important because individuals affected by AIDS receive vital support. People can network, which makes a decisive contribution to a positive way of life." A visible expression of grief for the victims of AIDS and a further sign of solidarity by the Waldschlösschen is its "thinking room" project, Namen und Steine, an art installation in the outdoor area of the Academy that displays the names of those who have died. It is updated yearly.

Educational Program

"The Akademie Waldschlösschen stands for the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity and supports the visibility and participation of such groups in society through education and networking. Working with an intersectional approach serves to strengthen the self-confidence, gender self-determination, and identities of those involved, and provides an open space for reflecting on its historical and social conditionality. This leads to an inevitable, broader opportunity to scrutinize the prevailing heteronormativity and its resulting inequalities in our society."
As part of its educational mission, the Akademie Waldschlösschen cooperates with individuals, groups, and networks which actively engage against homo-, trans*- and interphobia, as well as racism and hostility toward immigrants. Initiating and supporting self-help and interlinking civil and social structures are important aspects of this mission. In-service training – especially for those in social professions – are part of the program.
The workshop program of the Akademie Waldschlösschen is aimed at multiple demographics. There are offerings in areas such as "social activism and self-help", "daily living and health", "science, art, and language" as well as "diversity and ethics in the workplace". Offerings are targeted in particular:
Through the pilot project 'Akzeptanz für Vielfalt – gegen Homo-, Trans*- und Inter*feindlichkeit' included in the broader federal project 'Demokratie leben!', the Academy's aspiration is one of macrosocial alliance for acceptance of diversity – beginning in Lower Saxony, but ultimately as a movement nationwide.
The Akademie Waldschlösschen hosts numerous guest conferences alongside its own workshops, primarily in cooperation with universities, public agencies, and social institutions. Every year approximately 6,000 participants in 300 workshops visit the Academy, resulting in 15,000 overnight stays.

Charitable Trust Board

Members of the Akademie Waldschlösschen Board of Directors include the founders Rainer Marbach and Ulli Klaum.
The Board of Trustees consists of Silke Eggers, Stefan Reiss, Michael Bochow, Monika Börding, Klaus Müller, Joachim Schulte, Klaus Stehling, Renate Steinhoff, Thomas Wilde, Carsten Schatz, and – appointed as liaison with the German AIDS-Hilfe – Winfried Holz, with guest Hans Hengelein serving as host.

Publications

Since 1999 the Academy has published two series: the Edition Waldschlösschen and, through its own Waldschlösschen publishing house, the Edition Waldschlösschen – Material, which includes books and booklets that primarily document and consolidate materials from the institution's educational events.