Voluntary Social Year of the „Jugendbauhütte Niedersachsen“ at the Tengshausen excavation, Wangerland

The NIhK has been involved in the organisation of the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) in the preservation of historical monuments in close cooperation with the Jugendbauhütte Niedersachsen since 2008. Since then, two FSJ students have been part of the NIhK team every year and have been able to gain a practical insight into the methods and projects of the institute. In addition to the practical work at the NIhK and the other workplaces, the participants of the FSJ are also continuously taught theoretical and practical expertise on a wide range of topics relating to the history of architecture, monument conservation, traditional craftsmanship, restoration and art history in several seminars organised by the Jugendbauhütte. This is the first time that such a seminar has been organised at an NIhK excavation. To this end, 22 FSJ students have travelled to Tengshausen, in the district of Friesland, on the North Sea coast together with the support team from the Jugendbauhütte to take part in the excavation of a medieval fortification that is the focus of a DFG-funded research project. On site, Dr. Ines Bruns and Dirk Dallaserra briefed them on how to carry out and evaluate geological drillings and geomagnetic prospections. Under the guidance of Dr. Stefan Krabath, Thorsten Becker and Jens Lühmann, they were also able to gain their own practical experience in the excavation of a historical castle complex that is no longer visible above ground. At the end of the daily fieldwork, the participants were introduced to the cultural and landscape history of the North German coastal region in lectures and excursions.