FEZ Berlin - Aerial View
Photo: Michael Lindner
The FEZ Berlin: Adventure - Education - Fun
Located in Wuhlheide Park, the FEZ is the biggest and most diverse centre for games, education and adventure in Berlin. Comprising 13,000 m² of indoor space and an additional 175,000 m² in its substantial outdoor grounds, the FEZ has been entertaining its guests for generations with its unique mix of play areas, extra-curricular programmes and cultural acitivities.
The FEZ Team is divided into:
- the teams for children's, youth and family events: Event Management, Astrid Lindgren Stage, Alice Museum For Children, Orbitall Space Centre;
- the team of the Berlin State Academy For Music;
- the teams for the swimming pool, communications, administration, rental services, visitors' service, event equipment and design, quality management, facility management and construction.
Without the togetherness and the close cooperation between these teams, the FEZ's extensive events programme would not be possible. The FEZ Berlin is a non-profit organisation which receives support from the State of Berlin in the shape of an annual grant.
Our Founding Principles
In accordance with the requirements of the KJfz-L-gBmbH social agreement, we carry out youth work (see § 11 of the of the SGB VIII / German Social Code VIII) as a form of extra-curricular youth education.
Specifically, this includes:
- General, political, social, health, cultural, scientific, historical and technical education
- Youth work in sport, leisure and social acitivities
- School and family-related youth work
- International youth work
- Additional recreational activities for children and young people
Particular areas of focus:
- Education for sustainable development,
- Analogue culture v digital culture
- Diversity
In these fields, we are constantly developing new concepts with reference back to our tried and tested models. Each project is designed to offer maximum experience value to our target groups of schools and families.
Our regular 'Do The FEZ!' format provides high-quality activities to stimulate learning and development in a fun way. These events predominantly targets the kindergarten and primary school age groups.
Historical Information
- 1919–1932: Creation of the Wuhlheide Folk & Forest Park
by the landscape architect Ernst Harrich. - 1950: Wuhlheide Park becomes a "Pionier Park" and is used for the very first gathering of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth).
- 1979: The FEZ building is opened as a "Pionier Palace" of the former GDR.
- 1989: Ownership is transferred to the GDR's Ministry of Youth and Education.
- 1990: With the fall of the Berlin Wall, a new concept is drawn up for the site, which is renamed the FEZ.
- 1995: The FEZ Berlin, Children's, Youth and Family Centre and the Berlin State Academy for Music form the KJfz-L-gBmbH as a wholly owned subsidiary of the State of Berlin.
Mission Statement & Values
As of January 2020
Our Vision
Our work focuses on the development of the next generation into responsible young adults and independent personalities. Aimed at all age groups from pre-schoolers to teenagers, our range of informal educational activities teach children a variety of skills. Encompassing courage, creativity, curioisty and confidence, we believe that these skills will help to equip young people with the ability to influence and determine their own lives and society in general.
Everyone is invited to come and learn about established cultural techniques in an increasingly global context and face up to the adventures of the future in an environment where analogue traditions meet digital modernity.
We adhere to an internal child protection policy.
Culture Of Respect & Appreciation
In accordance with out values, our internal work as well as our work with partners, guests and individual target groups is characterised by honesty, trust, cooperation, respect and appreciation. This is further ingrained by our internal codex of respect and appreciation which we have developed ourselves.
We ensure we are constantly aware of ongoing changes to working conditions and social developments and take these into account with regular modifications to our internal structures.
Diversity
Against the backdrop of humanitarian values, we feel committed to the principle of a diverse society. This aims to reflect the diversity of Berlin and is an important part of our work, both internally and with our external partners.
We are signatories of the German Diversity Charter and continuously strive to further develop the FEZ as an inclusive leisure and educational space.
Cooperation
We place high value on our work with regional and national partners who contribute to broadening the FEZ's range of content and strengthening our focal areas. We have developed processes to provide employment opportunities to young people so that they can benefit from our experience in education and event management. In turn, we benefit from the input and the enthusiasm of our young colleagues, thus enabling us to further optimise our activities and offerings for the public.
Participation
It is important to us that our partners and members of our target groups are always involved in our project development. The Youth@FEZ programme provides a forum for young colleagues (including volunteers in the European volunteer programme, people carrying out a voluntary year of social, ecological or cultural work and trainees) aged below 30 to participate in and contribute to our work. A Kinderbeirat (Children's Advisory Board) is soon to be established.
Our political and educational activities (particularly those for schools and those with young people as a target group) aim to promote awareness and understanding in the areas of democracy and sustainability.
