For five decades, children and adolescents have been able to spend their free time in the Donaustadt in the Hirschstetten youth center, an institution of the Viennese Youth Center Association. In addition, there is today the 8,000 square meter actin park- a sports and leisure area that the team of the youth center is supported pedagogically and is a popular meeting place for the entire neighborhood.
Exactly in this park, immediately in front of the youth center, was invited to a large summer festival on August 30 on the occasion of the 50th birthday. In addition to numerous children and adolescents, the guests also included local councilors Lukas Burian (in representation for Vice Mayor Bettina Emmerling), district manager Ernst Nevrivy, youth center chairman Marina Hanke, youth center managing director Manuela Smertnik and numerous former and current companions.
Play, fun and memories
The festival offered a varied program with many different hands -on stations. Whether bouncy castle, face painting, magic show, football darts or bicycle workshop-there was something for everyone. With a photo show and at the museum stand, you could also remember and exchange stories. There was a refreshment at the lush buffet, although a big birthday cake was of course not missing.
Vice Mayor and youth councilor Bettina Emmerling congratulates the Hirschstetten youth center for the anniversary and thanks for the important work: “The youth center Hirschstetten has been showing for decades how valuable open youth work is for our city. Here, places of encounter are created where children and young people not only spend free time, but also be heard, find advice and help shape it themselves. I thank the entire team. ”
How important youth work is for the district also knows District head Ernst Nevrivy: “The Danube city is growing continuously and is now the most populous district of Vienna because we also offer a lot of quality of life. It is important to create attractive places and offers for children and young people. The youth center Hirschstetten is one place and therefore extremely important for the district.”
Marina Hanke, chairwoman of the Viennese Youth Center Associationunderlines the importance of the facility for the young people, but also for the community: “The youth center Hirschstetten has a special role here. In the park and in the surrounding settlements, many different people with different needs come together. The team of the youth center functions here in its social space function as an important contact for all sorts of concerns.”
A look back
In 1970 there was only fields and meadows where the Hirschstetten youth center is today. But soon municipal buildings stood in the sky with seven to nine floors. The school opened in 1973, in the basement of which the youth center was also located from 1975. The first rooms were rather modest. In the 1980s, significantly larger and lighter youth café and disco areas were available after a few conversions.
Another important stone started at the end of the 1990s: the conversion of the aging school sports facility into a freely accessible, multiple-use-use sports and leisure area. The Hirschstetten youth center took over the moderation of the redesign process. However, the project could only succeed through the good cooperation with the schools, magistrates and experts as well as through the participation and integration of young and adult residents from the surrounding settlements.
Inside and outdoors: Free meeting place for young people
Today the Actin Park is considered a showcase project for participation. It is a central meeting place for young and old, which has been made up together again and again in recent years. The team from the youth center still plays an important role. They set games and participation offers, initiate youth adequate as well as community-oriented events, convey in conflicts and pay attention to respectful coexistence of different groups.
The park is closely linked to the offers of the youth center, where there is a disco, a recording studio, a dance and sports room and a youth café on 450 square meters. Everything voluntarily, anonymous and without consumption compulsion.