From 28/08 to 06/09 2026, thirty participants in the age 18-27 from all over Europe will get together in Weimar to dive into history of Europe in the second half of the 20th century. Applications for the International Summer Camp “Youth in Cold-War Europe” are open untill 17/05/2026.
The first edition of the international summer camp “Youth in Cold War Europe” took place in August 2025 in Weimar. Based on the positive experiences from the last summer, the International Summer Camp 2026 dives once again into the story of growing up in Europe during the second half of the 20th century. The central topic of the upcomming international gathering will be a social and political influence of popular music during the Cold-War period. In broader sense it is about how governments tried to shape young people’s behavior (through norms, ideology and control) and how young people adapted, pushed back or made their own choices anyway.
The questions in our focus are:
- How the governments reacted on the emergence of rock music and related youth sub-cultures?
- What choices did young people actually have in they wanted to listen rock music or to publicly express their music style?
- What happened because of those choices?
- What is the contemporary relevance of this topic?
With other words, the International Summer Camp is going to addresses the question of how governments sought to shape young individuals during the second half of the 20th century through laws, institutions, and state-run initiatives. At the same time, the project explores how young people and youth groups responded to state power, examining their options, decisions, and the consequences of those decisions. These two perspectives are intertwined using methods of non-formal education, making the content accessible and engaging for participants in the age-group 18-27.
The International Summer Camp aims to strengthen participants’ knowledge and competencies in the field of democracy education. It will explore the relationship between individual freedoms, social responsibility, and state authority, both from a historical and a contemporary perspective. Participants will reflect on the extent to which state authorities should influence individual behavior and decision-making.
Beyond the popular music from the Cold-War period, the topic of youth in Cold War Europe will be examined through diverse visual materials. This inputs will be transformed into discussions on visual (self-)representation, the construction of the “other,” and the ongoing presence of Cold War visual narratives in contemporary media.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
- Multimedia lectures on the mentioned topics
- Workshops & discussions on democracy, individual freedoms & state control
- Excursions & cultural activities in Weimar and beyond
- Creative sessions & interactive learning formats
- International exchange with young people
COSTS:
The participation fee is 100 EURO. The costs of accommodation, food and program activities during the International Summer Camp are covered. The travel costs for selected participants will be reimbursed according to the frame of the Erasmus+ programme.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
The application is open for residents of Croatia in the age-group 18-27, with English language competencies (B2 or higher) and interest in the topic of the international summer camp. The online application can be submitted until 17/05/2026 -> APPLY HERE!
In case you interested to join, but you are older than 27, please check our CALL FOR COLLABORATION
CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
-> boris.stamenic@retrovizor.hr
The project “Youth in Cold-War Europe” is conceptualized and coordinated by Markus Rebitschek (EJBW, Weimar) and Boris Stamenić (Retrovizor, Zagreb), with the financial support of the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany.
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