Grandhotel Cosmopolis e.V.

Grandhotel Cosmopolis e.V(GHC) is a unique place in Germany, located in the Domviertel of Augsburg, where up to 65 refugees live in an accommodation facility that also functions as an artistic hotel open to everyone. Inside this 2600 m² building filled with ideas, creativity, and personal stories, it is common to see people gathered around a table representing several different nationalities, making the place deeply intercultural and cosmopolitan. The Grandhotel brings together, under one roof, an asylum space for refugees, hotel rooms open to all, a café, creative workshops, a concert stage, the artistic creation room Mitmachwerkstatt, and a gastronomy kitchen. Each hotel room was originally conceived as a work of art in itself, designed by a different artist, reflecting the vision of the place as social sculpture, a living laboratory where art, solidarity, and everyday life blend together. Unlike traditional refugee accommodation centers, residents here do not live in isolation: they share the floors with travelers and artists, creating an open form of cohabitation where community is built through shared spaces, communal meals, and exchanged stories. Volunteers play an essential role in this innovative model: they support residents in their daily lives, take part in various projects and events, and help maintain an atmosphere of hospitality, creativity, and solidarity. Their involvement takes many natural forms- welcoming visitors in the café, supporting gastronomy and intercultural meals, helping organize cultural and social events (such as Fête de la Musique or Zuckerfest), contributing to communication and social media, participating in creative workshops in the Mitmachwerkstatt, improving the building through the sustainable Freshmopolis initiative, assisting residents with social support, helping with technical and IT needs, or contributing to funding research and application writing. As part of our project at Grandhotel Cosmopolis, volunteers who join us through programmes such as the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) or similar initiatives are generally involved in several different areas of the project. Within GHC, there are around ten different fields and activities in which volunteers can contribute. This is an important aspect of our approach: we encourage volunteers to explore different areas, gain new experiences, and support various parts of the project, depending on their interests, learning goals, and the needs of the organisation. This also allows them to develop flexibility, new skills, and a more comprehensive understanding of the project as a whole. Whether they accompany residents, animate a space, strengthen cultural life, or simply share their presence within this open cohabitation, volunteers learn to grow in an environment where encounter, listening, and inclusion are at the heart of everything. This rare and pioneering approach in Germany makes Grandhotel Cosmopolis a place where living and working together becomes an artistic, social, and deeply transformative experience.