Germany
Living & learning together within Europe
SINCE WHEN?
1/2008
WHY?
Our activities and projects will hopefully be a contribution to helping eliminate discrimination and inequality in society, education and in the world of work. Furthermore, we would like to achieve equal opportunities for everyone.
Discrimination and inequality due to gender, origin, age, health restrictions, insufficient education and qualification or other social factors should above all be combated in a sustainable manner by the promotion of lifelong learning, the support of affected people as well as by educational work.
We would like to help promote mutual understanding and learning from each other as well as cooperation between the people in Europe.
FOR WHOM?
The following groups are particularly affected by discrimination and inequality. Our goal is to promote their integration into society by means of the activities and measures provided by our association:
• socially disadvantaged young people
• older people
• less-qualified workers
• migrants, as well as immigrants
• women
• families
• people with disabilities or people with health restrictions
WHAT?
The main emphasis of GLLs work is to encourage engagement for others and to increase a sustainable commitment to society. True to the meaning of name of the organisation (Living & learning together within Europe) Perdita Wingerter and the other active volunteers/citizens from Passau and lower Bavaria - created without any governmental or money from local community – a very active and lively organisation, where people with different background (old and young, migrants, unemployed, handicapped, academics and non-academics etc.) work together to reach the goals of the NGO:
a) fighting racism and promote diversity and tolerance,
b) promoting volunteering, and active citizenship,
c) equal opportunity for everyone,
d) social and professional integration of disadvantaged, and
e) the promotion of the European idea and cooperation within Europe.
GLL initiates cooperation, activities and projects among the different individuals, organisations and communities who are all working to eliminate discrimination and inequality, wherever it appears.
It seems to be very theoretical, but GLL does a lot of very practical things. To give you an idea about their wide field of activities: they run
a) a volunteer advice service and a volunteer online service, provide training for volunteers, annual volunteer fair,
b) mobile film competition and workshops on tolerance and diversity, intercultural film festivals, intercultural workshops by migrants for kids, international women’s club,
c) a social day for boys,
d) online information platform for migrants, an inclusive music project, shelter work for long term unemployed,
e) Grundtvig learning partnerships, Eurodesk service center80% of our work is done voluntary, meaning without any money. And Mrs. Wingerter does the management of the NGO voluntarily too.
BY WHOM?
Perdita Wingerter and the other active volunteers/citizens from Passau and lower Bavaria - created without any governmental or money from local community – this very active and lively grassroot NGO. It is open to everyone, who is willing to promote the goals of the NGO, so ttherefore the members of the organisation are local communities, districts, social organisations, private companies, decision makers and citizens. At the moment we have over 75 members.
Our volunteer board has five members.
About our head office:
We have only one paid staff (Irmi Sedlmayr), working 10h/week (bad paid, and usually more hours). All the others are volunteers, who maximum get a honorarium, if some of the projects include money. So Perdita works as a volunteer manager, Stephie did an internship and like it so much, that she stayed as a volunteer working as transnational assistent.
We have one part-time position for a “Bürgerarbeiter” (citizen labour, long-term unemployed person, who gets paid by us and we get the salary back by German unemployed service), we have two part-time volunteers under the national volunteer service (their monthly compensation in paid by national government), 1 regular unpaid part-time volunteer, and regulary we have several interns.
WHY “WORDS CONNECTING GENERATIONS”?
Our organisation “Gemeinsam leben & lernen in Europa” provides volunteer programmes for active seniors on local and European level:
- on local level we run 2 courses on volunteer project management and counsel and support senior volunteers to implement their own volunteer projects (e.g. founding a volunteer centre, a self-help group for elder people with depression, cultural programme for an international women club, reading helpers for kids, support network for asylum-seekers, education programmes for seniors …). We have now this course running under different funding, and we have volunteers in the age-group 28-70.
- on cross-border level we organise an exchange programme for elder volunteers with Czech republic
a) Our training program and our support and counseling services help seniors to set up their own projects and initiatives and to be more professional in their volunteer work.
b) Our exchange programme with Czech Republic opens new horizons for the involved elder volunteers as well as the involved organisations. It enhances the transfer of individual and organisational ideas, know-how, professional skills, methods, and practice in the voluntary sector of both countries.
Other projects, which might be in interest to this project: we organised
- a mobile film competition and several workshops on tolerance and diversity for young people,
- several intercultural film festivals,
- several intercultural workshops run by young and elder migrants for kids
Country: Germany
Region: Lower Bavaria
Town / city: Passau
Website: www.passau.de
Short historical background:
Passau in the southeast of Germany is located at the Austrian border. Passau with its unique charm and its atmosphere is one of the most beautiful and spectacular German cities on the Danube. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau is worldwide known as "The Three Rivers City".
The earliest evidence of human settlement dates back to the Neolithic. Passau was part of the Roman Empire for more than 400 years. In the 2nd century BC, many of the Boii tribe were pushed north across the Alps out of northern Italy by the Romans. They established a new capital called Boiodurum by the Romans (form Gaulish Boioduron), now within the Innstadt district of Passau.
Passau was an ancient Roman colony of ancient Noricum called Batavis, Latin for "for the Batavi." The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe often mentioned by classical authors, and they were regularly associated with the Suebian marauders, the Heruli.
During the second half of the 5th century, St. Severinus established a monastery here. In 739, an English monk called Boniface founded the diocese of Passau and this was the largest diocese of the Holy Roman Empire for many years.
In the Treaty of Passau (1552), Archduke Ferdinand I, representing Emperor Charles V, secured the agreement of the Protestant princes to submit the religious question to a diet. This led to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. Passau was an independent prince bishopric for over 600 years. Finally in 1803 Passau was annexed into Bavaria. The setting of the Old Town, created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, shows soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes.
During the Renaissance and early modern period, Passau was one of the most prolific centres of sword and bladed weapon manufacture in Germany (after Solingen). Passau smiths stamped their blades with the Passau wolf, usually a rather simplified rendering of the wolf on the city's coat-of-arms. Superstitious warriors believed that the Passau wolf conferred invulnerability on the blade's bearer, and thus Passau swords acquired a great premium. As a result, the whole practice of placing magical charms on swords to protect the wearers came to be known for a time as "Passau art." In 1662, a devastating fire consumed most of the city. Passau was subsequently rebuilt in the Baroque style.
The Old Town of Passau, rebuilt in the 17th century by Italian baroque masters after a devastating town fire, is outstandingly beautiful. In the heart of Passau rises the Cathedral of St. Steven with its three characteristic, green onion-domed towers, in which the world’s largest cathedral organ sounds..
Most of the sights are in Passau’s Old Town: many churches, the New Bishop’s Residence, the magnificent gothic Town Hall and most of Passau’s museums.Picturesque places, romantic lanes and enchanting riverfront promenades invite visitors to take a rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Sitting high above the rivers, the majestic fortress "Veste Oberhaus" on the Danube’s side and the Pilgrimage Church "Mariahilf" on the Inn’s side frame the city outstandingly beauty.
Passau was secularised and divided between Bavaria and Salzburg in 1803. The portion belonging to Salzburg became part of Bavaria in 1805.
From 1892 until 1894, Adolf Hitler and his family lived in Passau. The city archives mention Hitler being in Passau on 4 different occasions in the 1920s for speeches.
During World War II, the town housed three sub-camps of the infamous Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp: Passau I (Oberilzmühle), Passau II (Waldwerke Passau-Ilzstadt) and Passau III (Jandelsbrunn).
On May 3, 1945, a message from Major General Stanley Eric Reinhart’s 261st Infantry Regiment stated at 3:15 am: "AMG Officer has unconditional surrender of PASSAU signed by Burgermeister, Chief of Police and Lt. Col of Med Corps there. All troops are to turn themselves in this morning." Passau was the site of a post World War II American sector displaced persons camp.
More information about Passau:
https://www-polisci.tamu.edu/upload_images/31/DanubePassauCityonThreeRivers.pdf
Number Inhabitants:
Around 51.000
Main employer/ industry, most popular profession:
Passau has become the economic, cultural, and communications centre of southeastern Bavaria. Industries include a bell foundry, brewing, and the manufacture of clothing, bicycles, organs, and electrical engineering products.The biggest employer of Passau is the Zahnradfabrik Passau (gearboxes and steering axels) with 4.000 employees. Other larger employers are a callcenter and the University. Around the University some SMEs developed, e.g. MSG, IT-businesses, MyMuesli, ICUNET (intercultural consulting).
There is also a tourist trade based in part on the city’s role in passenger boat traffic on the Danube.
In the region there are:
• around 90,000 companies with more than 385,000 employees
• Above-average rate of self-employment.
• Predominantly medium-sized business entities in diverse economic sectors.
• Key sectors: automotive industry, electrical engineering, metal and plastic processing, service providers working in close association with companies
• Products for the construction industry, glass industry, food production, woodworking industry
• A highly attractive tourist region: Bavarian Forest, the Danube River, and an abundance of spas, health resorts (Bad Füssing, Bad Griesbach, Bad Birnbach) and golf courses.
Neighbourhood of prominent global players
• BMW with 26.000 employees in its Dingolfing and Landshut plants.
• Numerous suppliers for the automotive industry in the Munich-Dingolfing-Regensburg-Ingolstadt area ("just-in-time" system).
• Other major employers: Dräxlmaier (automotive supplier), Vilsbiburg;Hatz Dieselmotoren (diesel engines), Ruhstorf; Kermi (heaters, shower cubicles), Plattling; Lindner AG (interior fittings), Arnstorf; Linhardt GmbH & Co KG (metal working factory), Viechtach; Loher Elektromotoren (electric engines), Ruhstorf; Mann + Hummel (automotive filters), Marklkofen; Rodenstock (eyeglasses), Regen; TWD Fibres (textiles), Deggendorf; Vogt AG (electrical engineering), Obernzell; Zwiesel Kristalglas AG (crystal glass), Zwiesel
Strenghts, potential and opportunities:
• Neighbour to Austria, EU member country, and the Czech Republic, a prospective EU member country.
• Formerly an agricultural dominated area, currently a growing industrialized region.
• Availability of industrial and trade sites at low prices.
• Above-average population growth rate, resulting in a large number of highly motivated workers.
• Below-average unemployment rate during the summer months.
• High quality of life and low living costs in a recreational environment with a large variety of cultural high lights and leisure facilities i. e. golf courses.
• University of Passau (Neuburger Round Table Discussions on "Science and Praxis", focussing on computer science and international relations), universities of applied sciences in Landshut and Deggendorf (with the clusters light construction and microsystems technology) Center of Excellence for renewable raw materials in Straubing
• Long lasting economic and cultural relations with countries in southeastern Europe (especially those states located in the geographic area of the Danube River).
• Reliable, cost-efficient production of high quality items (continually increasing number of system providers).
• One of the foremost centers of tourism in Germany (recreation area Bavarian forest and spas in the “rottal”).
• Highways connecting the following cities: Nuremberg-Regensburg-Deggendorf-Passau-Linz-Vienna and Munich-Deggendorf.
• Railroad tracks connecting following cities: Nuremberg-Regensburg-Passau-Vienna, Munich-Landshut-Plattling.
• Main-Danube waterway with ports and logistic facilities in Deggendorf, Passau and Straubing.
• Short distance and easy access to Munich International Airport.
Challanges:
• high concentration of economically weak sectors
• lack of services which support industry
• the few, mostly small, industries and businesses in the area near the border are concentrated on supplying locally
• limited purchasing power due to low wage levels
• limited economic power
The fundamental causes of the limited economic power in the peripheral region of Eastern Bavaria are:
• general transport deficiency
• limited variety within the industrial sector
• highest share of employment in economic groups with the most competitive disadvantages (e.g.: human-capital-intensive sectors)
• few jobs in industry
• below-average share of employment in capital- and technology-intensive economic groups with competitive advantages
• limited dynamics of job development
• limited share of highly-qualified employees
• limited entrepreneurial potential
