Kindergarten und Bildungsstätte Hedwig e.V.

Since 1991, the non-profit association "Kindergarten und Bildungsstätte Hedwig e.V." with 80 members in Germany, Poland and Switzerland has been pursuing youth care and youth welfare in the spirit of international understanding by providing financial and organizational support for a charitable kindergarten and educational institution in Muhrau (Morawa) in Lower Silesia/Poland, about three hours' drive southeast of Berlin. In cooperation with the non-profit foundation "Fundacja sw. Jadwigi" (St. Hedwig's Foundation), which was established in Poland in 1995 and runs a kindergarten in Muhrau (Morawa) for the care of children from socially disadvantaged families and an educational institution focusing on German-Polish youth encounters and the organisation of courses and seminars in the fields of pedagogy, education, language acquisition, nature and culture. The range of offers has been continuously reviewed and developed with regard to quality and sustainability. An essential criterion for success is the reconciliation between Poles and Germans, peaceful coexistence in Europe and the reduction of existing prejudices, starting with the children. The association has been active for many years as a coordinating and sending organisation in the European Voluntary Service. The deployment of volunteers has been an essential pillar of our work in two ways since the 1990s. The non-profit project depends on this voluntary commitment. In addition, the young volunteers themselves are important actors in the dialogue between Europeans and generations, who constantly bring new impulses to our work. The business in Berlin is run by a volunteer board of directors. Marie-Therese von Werner, the chairwoman of the Friends of the Association, lives in Berlin and manages the association based here. The association raises public and private funds and has thus been an important financial pillar for intergenerational German-Polish encounters for almost 30 years. The association can rely on a network of over 800 supporters. The patron saint of the association is the former Duchess of Silesia, Hedwig, who lived around the year 1200 and earned herself great respect for her charitable commitment, especially in the care of the poor. She was later canonized by the Catholic Church and is an important and unifying figure in both the once German and now Polish Silesia. The House of Muhrau (Morawa), where the Foundation and its activities are housed, has a special, socially influenced tradition. Until 1923, Maria von Kramsta lived there, who was known for her charitable work during her lifetime. She established numerous social institutions such as hospitals and schools in the Freiburg (Swiebodzice) and Striegau (Strzegom) area. The House of Muhrau was open to people who came to her with their requests and concerns at any time. After she died childless, the house passed to her nephew Hans-Christoph von Wietersheim-Kramsta, who also worked for the social welfare of the local population until the expulsion in 1945. During communist times, the house was used partly by the Polish civil defence, partly as a village school and as a children's holiday camp. Melitta Sallai, born in the house of Muhrau, resettled in 1992, became Polish and is an important contemporary witness for the young generation. In the kindergarten 36 children are looked after under the direction of Arletta Drozdowicz. The educational institution, run by Marzena Muszynska-Szwegler, organises courses and seminars (including overnight accommodation and meals) as well as German-Polish, tri- and international meetings, projects and seminars. The success of our work and of the project in Muhrau (Morawa) is reflected in numerous awards of the Foundation, including the German-Polish Prize of the Governments of the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany in 2001 and the Silesian Culture Prize of the State of Lower Saxony in 2015. Mrs. Melitta Sallai was appointed honorary citizen of the city of