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Darmstadt in turmoil: closure of the hut” hits young people hard!
Darmstadt’s oldest youth center “Die Hütte” will close at the end of 2023. Protests and petitions show the importance for young people.
Darmstadt in turmoil: closure of the hut” hits young people hard!
Since 1958, the hut in Darmstadt has been an integral part of open youth and cultural work in Hesse and is considered the oldest youth center in the state. But now this important place is threatened with extinction. The Evangelical Deanery has decided to close the hut on December 31, 2023, as the urgently needed renovation of the building amounting to around 200,000 euros cannot be financed hessenschau.de reported. This decision affects many children, teenagers and young adults who regularly use the hut's diverse offerings.
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 to youth culture in the city. Caroline Preuße from the Evangelical Youth Representation also criticizes the fact that when savings are made, young people are often left behind. In a joint appeal, city councilors like Kerstin Lau emphasize the need for meeting places for a vibrant democracy and against social division.
Protests and petitions
In response to the announced closure, a petition was launched that has already been signed by over 1,600 people. In this way, the supporters express their solidarity and the cultural value of the hut. The Darmstadt Greens have also expressed criticism of the deanery's decision and are calling for a review of the measures, as fr.de reports. A demonstration under the motto “The *hut is on fire!” took place on June 24, 2025 to draw attention to the importance of the youth center.
The deanery synod board made the decision to close unanimously after intensive discussion. The declining number of members and the falling church tax revenue mean that open children and youth work can no longer be maintained. However, they are not only looking backwards: Mayor Barbara Akdeniz announced that she wanted to develop a new perspective for youth welfare in the city center. A meeting to collect ideas for the future of youth work is planned for June 30th.
Future uncertain
The future of the hut remains uncertain. The sponsorship contract with the city was terminated on June 30, while the city rejected an offer to purchase the rooms. Vice-Dean Sven Sabary assures that there will be no redundancies for operational reasons, and the employees of the youth center will be offered alternative employment opportunities in the deanery. However, the existing offers in the other youth houses of the Matthäus and Philippus congregations as well as in the family centers in Ober-Ramstadt and Pfungstadt will remain, which offers a certain relief, but does not offer the same level of support for the young people in the city.
The decision to close the hut once again raises questions about the future of open child and youth work. Technical findings prove how important such institutions are for integration, participation and the personal development of children and young people, as shown in the study “Challenges of Open Child and Youth Work”, published by dji.de.