Amadeu Antonio Civic Education Centre
With the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre, the town of Eberswalde has created a centre for education, advice and social interaction in the heart of the town. The historic building – originally built as the Municipal Girls’ Secondary School – was extensively refurbished for this purpose, taking into account accessibility and heritage conservation, and extended with a modern, single-storey annexe. Particular attention was also paid to the requirements of sustainable construction. As a result, the entire building meets the requirements of the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV 2012). Education & lifelong learning, inclusion & voluntary engagement, as well as tolerance & living in diversity, form the cornerstones of the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre. By bringing together several municipal and independent organisations under one roof, new connections are forged and organisations are opened up to existing networking opportunities. The Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre is a central hub for all residents of Eberswalde. Regardless of age, educational background, origin, faith, gender or financial circumstances, everyone should feel at home and welcome here.
For the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre is:
- a place of education, lifelong learning and the acquisition of knowledge
- A place of support, advice and guidance
- A place for communication, interaction and networking
- A place where diversity, tolerance and awareness of discrimination are put into practice
Take a look at the latestbrochure for the Citizens’ Participation Centrehere.
The opening of the Civic Education Centre on 9 August 2014
The Municipal Girls’ Secondary School around 1920
Amadeu Antonio
Amadeu Antonio Kiowa was born on 12 August 1962 in Quimbele, Angola. After completing training programmes in Portugal and the Soviet Union, amongst other places, he arrived in the German Democratic Republic in 1987 together with 103 other Angolan contract workers. His wish to study aeronautical engineering did not come to fruition. Like many of his compatriots, he was trained as a butcher and worked at the Eberswalde Slaughter and Processing Complex. The cancellation of the contracts with the countries of origin in the wake of the political upheaval of 1990, the resulting unemployment and an unresolved residency status meant that the situation for him and his pregnant girlfriend changed abruptly.
On 24 November 1990, Amadeu Antonio was targeted on racist grounds and brutally beaten. He died on 6 December 1990 as a result of this violent attack and is widely regarded as the first fatality of far-right violence following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Naming the civic education centre after Amadeu Antonio serves as both a reminder and a commitment. It represents a clear commitment to moral courage and anti-discrimination. This gives rise to a cross-cutting responsibility for all those involved, who are committed to making this a place sensitive to discrimination; this is reflected both in specific programme formats and in our day-to-day interactions. Everyday racism has no place at the Amadeu Antonio Civic Education Centre.
In the entrance hall of the building, a commemorative plaque honours Amadeu Antonio. It was jointly drafted and designed by representatives of the African Cultural Association Palanca e.V., the ‘Light me Amadeu’ campaign, the Co-ordination Office for Tolerance and Against Xenophobia, and the town of Eberswalde.
Stakeholders
3rd floor
Parenting and Family Counselling Centre
The Parenting and Family Counselling Centre has been based in Eberswalde since 1996. It serves as a point of contact for parents, children and young people, grandparents and also for educators seeking professional exchange. The Parenting and Family Counselling Centre in Eberswalde comprises a team of five: three social workers with additional training in therapy and two psychologists, including a child and adolescent psychotherapist. The counselling and support services provided by the Parenting and Family Counselling Centre are confidential and free of charge.
2nd floor
Akademie 2. Lebenshälfte im Land Brandenburg e.V.
The ‘Akademie 2. Lebenshälfte’ is a state-wide, non-profit association which has also been active in Eberswalde since its foundation in 1994. It brings together people who wish to further their education, get involved and initiate new projects in the region. The Academy’s stated aim is to utilise, preserve and further develop the skills of older people.
Academy for the Second Half of Life in the State of Brandenburg e.V.
Brandenburg Consumer Advice Centre e.V.
Consumer advice centres are independent, predominantly publicly funded, charitable organisations. The aim of their work is to inform, advise and support consumers on matters relating to private consumption. They provide an overview of confusing offers and clarity on complex market conditions. At the Eberswalde advice centre run by the Brandenburg Consumer Advice Centre, local residents receive personalised and independent advice. In addition to traditional consumer law – ranging from sales contracts and cancellation rights to complaints – the Eberswalde branch of the Brandenburg Consumer Advice Centre offers advice on telephone and internet services, personal finance, pensions and insurance, travel and leisure, energy saving, broadcasting licence fees and nutrition. It also provides an initial consultation service on tenancy law.
1st floor
City Centre Parent-Child Centre
The Stadtmitte Parent-Child Centre supports families, single mums and dads, young parents and anyone hoping to become a parent in managing their day-to-day lives. After all, being a parent is rarely a walk in the park. Parents want to nurture and support their children to the best of their ability. In doing so, questions inevitably arise that can cause uncertainty and require advice and the experiences of others. The City Centre Parent-Child Centre is a place where parents can meet with their children in a relaxed atmosphere to share experiences and seek advice. Here, they can get to know families who may be in a similar situation. Parents also receive expert advice and support from the team. The Stadtmitte Parent-Child Centre therefore creates opportunities for families to engage, share experiences and receive support.
Stadtmitte Parent-Child Centre
Eberswalde Volunteer Agency
The Eberswalde Volunteer Agency has been in existence since autumn 2008. It was founded as a joint initiative between the Barnim Uckermark Community Foundation and the town of Eberswalde. The Eberswalde Volunteer Agency is an independent, cross-organisational information and advice centre dedicated to promoting civic engagement. It sees itself as a point of contact for the local authority, for clubs, associations and initiatives, for the business community and, of course, for interested members of the public. The Eberswalde Volunteer Agency is a professional point of contact for voluntary work and a platform for a culture of volunteering. It builds bridges between clubs, organisations and potential volunteers. The agency provides advice, offers initial guidance, matches volunteers with opportunities and supports them throughout their voluntary work. The Volunteer Agency opens up institutions and organisations to voluntary work, offers training opportunities and contributes to quality assurance in the deployment of volunteers. It also initiates projects and events and supports the development of new volunteer projects.
Ground floor
Eberswalde Municipal Library
A library with over 40,000 items: these include books, magazines, DVDs, board games, electronic games, music CDs and audiobooks. Items not held in the collection can be ordered via the German interlibrary loan network. Wi-Fi and internet workstations are available for registered readers. Users are welcome to enjoy a coffee, read a newspaper, listen to an audiobook or browse through a book at the municipal library. For children aged 0 to 13, there are two child-friendly rooms where regular events for our youngest readers take place, such as story times or picture book screenings. There is also a dedicated area for young people. This is divided into two rooms: one for studying and one for relaxing. The library also has console games available to play in the children’s or young people’s section. For adults, there is the ‘Knowledge Station’ – a room with internet workstations, non-fiction books and facilities for printing, photocopying and scanning.
“Haus der kleinen Forscher” Day Care Centre
‘You and me – we’re little explorers of the world!’ Under this motto, up to 100 children learn and live at the House of Little Researchers. Here, they are busy exploring and experimenting – naturally, in line with the children’s age and stage of development. Even the youngest children are encouraged by the varied wooden play panels in the play corridor to explore their environment with their own hands. Together, the little explorers discover the world and take a close look at everyday phenomena in nature. To this end, the nursery has its own children’s laboratory and a portable experiment table for fieldwork. As part of the Amadeu Antonio Civic Education Centre, another key focus of the nursery’s work is on raising children to be aware of and combat prejudice. However, communication between parents and teaching staff is also vital; after all, both are the most important educational partners who can recognise the children’s interests and inclinations and support their development in the long term. The nursery has been officially certified by the nationwide foundation “Haus der kleinen Forscher”.
“Haus der kleinen Forscher” Day-care Centre
Consultation room
Café
Hall
Room hire
The Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre has two functional rooms available for hire by individuals and groups. Both rooms are situated on the second floor and feature large, south-facing windows that have been restored in accordance with heritage conservation standards.
The hall at the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre measures 150 square metres. It is equipped with a projector and an audio-visual system. It currently seats up to 97 people. The seating arrangement is adapted to suit the specific requirements of each event. Options include table-style or tiered seating, as well as customised seating arrangements. A mobile raised platform is available.
The hall is the former assembly hall of the building, which was originally constructed as a school. The extension, dating from the 1950s, features new parquet flooring and an acoustically superior, listed ceiling latticework structure.
The consultation room, which is also available for hire, measures approximately 35 square metres. It is ideal for group meetings, seminars and consultations, and is equipped with suitable presentation areas and facilitation equipment. The consultation table (standard configuration) currently seats up to 16 people.
In addition to the consultation room and the hall, the café on the first floor of the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre can also be hired for events, seminars or similar purposes. The café can currently accommodate up to 35 people.
Bookings and allocation of the hall, the consultation room and the café are handled by the Amadeu Antonio Community Education Centre’s in-house coordination team.