Darmstadt in turmoil: Closure of the hut meets the youth hard!

Darmstadt in turmoil: Closure of the hut meets the youth hard!

Darmstadt, Deutschland - Since 1958, the hut in Darmstadt has been an integral part of the open youth and cultural work in Hesse and is considered the oldest youth center in the country. But now this important place is threatened. The Evangelical Deanery has decided to close the hut on December 31, 2023, since the urgently needed renovation of the building in the amount of around 200,000 euros cannot be financed, such as hessenschau.de. This decision makes many children, adolescents and young adults who regularly use the diverse offers of the hut.

The loss of the youth center has already triggered initial reactions. Sebastian Nieraad, singer of the band Scheiba, described the closure as a bitter blow for youth culture in the city. Caroline Prussia from the Evangelical Youth Development also criticizes that young people often fall by the wayside when savings. In a joint call, city council like Kerstin Lau emphasized the need for meeting places for a lively democracy and against social division.

protests and petitions

In response to the announced closure, a petition was launched, which has already been signed by over 1,600 people. The supporters express their connection and cultural value of the hut. The Darmstadt Greens have also critically expressed the decision of the Deanery and are calling for a review of the measures, such as [fre.de] (https://www.fro/rhein-main/darmstadt/protest- against- von-jugendhaus-huette-in-darmstadt-96368.html). A demonstration under the motto "The *Huette burns!" took place on June 24, 2025 to draw attention to the importance of the youth center.

The dean's synodal board unanimously made the decision to close after intensive discussion. The decreasing membership numbers and the falling church tax revenues mean that open child and youth work can no longer be maintained. However, your gaze is not only backward: Mayor Barbara Akdeniz announced that it would like to develop a new perspective for youth welfare in the city center. On June 30th, a meeting for the collection of ideas is planned for the future of youth work.

future uncertain

The future of the hut remains uncertain. The contract for the sponsorship with the city was terminated on June 30, while the city rejected a purchase offer for the rooms. Vice-Dean Sven Sabary assures that there will be no relevant layoffs, and the employees of the youth center are to be made alternative job offers in the dean's office. But the existing offers in the other youth houses of the Matthäus and Philippus community as well as in the family centers in Ober-Ramstadt and Pfungstadt are preserved, which offers a certain relief, but do not offer the same level of support for young people in the city.

The decision to close the hut raises once more questions about the future of open child and youth work. Professional knowledge shows how important such institutions for integration, participation and the personal development of children and adolescents are shown, as shown in the study "challenges of open child and youth work", published by [dji.de] (https://www.dji.de/ueber-uns/projekte/jugendhilfe-und--szial-wandel- unde-structures/jugendarbeit/erbuBüben-bei-beugenden.html).