About Us

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German-Polish Youth Office (GPYO)

Two countries, one goal! We bring together young Germans and Poles. We would like them to enter adulthood without prejudice against one another, able to build a united Europe. Our main activity is to provide support for various youth initiatives, including theatre workshops, sports camps, and ecological projects.

History in a nutshell

The fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany urged Polish and German heads of state to attempt to restore relations between the countries. The German-Polish Youth Office (GPYO) was jointly established in 1991 by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland. After World War II and difficult post-war years, young people from Germany and Poland were given a chance to learn about the culture and everyday life of one another, overcome prejudice and develop friendships.

GPYO as an international organization

The GPYO is a legal entity with international legal status and two head offices, one in Potsdam and one in Warsaw. Member contributions from the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland are the main source of the GPYO budget.

Our projects

To ensure high quality of the projects we support, we offer a number of publications concerning various issues of youth initiatives. Furthermore, we organize our own projects, including courses, study tours, and contact exchanges.

Some Background
Establishment of GPYO

On 17th June 1991 the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany signed the Treaty of Good Neighbourhood and Friendly Cooperation and the Formation Agreement of the German-Polish Youth Office: the shared idea of Helmut Kohl, the then Chancellor of Germany, and Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister of Poland, came to life.

Reconciliation through youth exchange

The fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany urged Polish and German heads of state to attempt to restore relations between the countries. The role of the German-Polish Youth Office was to encourage the development of friendly relations. After difficult and painful war and post-war times, young people from Germany and Poland were given a chance to get to know one another, learn about the culture of their respective neighbours, overcome prejudice and develop friendships. The German-Polish Treaty of Good Neighbourhood and Friendly Cooperation was a milestone in the post-war German-Polish relations.

Under the patronage of the presidents of Poland and Germany

The president of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, took over the patronage of the German-Polish Youth Office.

Our Structure
Council of Polish-German Youth Office

The highest body of the GPYO is the Council of the German-Polish Youth Office. The chairmen are the Polish Minister of National Education and the German Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The Council comprises 24 members (12 members from Germany and 12 members from Poland), appointed for three years by the governments of the two countries, who gather annually to approve the annual work programme and the budget of the GPYO.

Executive Board of German-Polish Youth Office

The Executive Board of the German-Polish Youth Office has two chief executive officers (CEOs), one from Poland and one from Germany, appointed for five years by the governments of the two countries. The German CEO is Stephan Erb.

Our Team

The GPYO offices in Warsaw and Potsdam employ about 30 people. Both teams consist of employees from Poland and Germany.

Organizational structure of the GPYO offices:

  • Executive Board
  • Office for school exchange
  • Office for non-school exchange
  • Office for coordination
  • Office for administration
Support for Projects
German-Polish Projects

We provide financial support for German-Polish projects and trilateral projects, including circus workshops, outdoor art activities, and meetings of football fans from Germany and Poland. The participants have the freedom to determine the content of the project. Due to the support of the German-Polish Youth Office for various initiatives, young people from the two countries can get to know one another and develop social networks.

We can support:

  • Youth projects…

….in Poland and in Germany, gathering young people between 12-26 years of age, 4-28 days long. We provide support for the organizers and interpreters/translators. The projects can involve courses, sport activities, and theatre workshops. Most importantly, the programme should promote teamwork.

  • Internships…

…for pupils of German and Polish trade schools, as well as students and graduates under the age of 26, 4 days-3 months long. Our support is available for individual and group internships in all fields.

  • Specialist programmes for organizers…

….or individuals involved in promoting German-Polish youth exchange. The programmes focus on various issues of cooperation between Germany and Poland. The organizers are free to suggest the structure and the content of a specialist programme. Example ideas include, history workshops, courses on intercultural communication trainings (language animation), and conferences promoting social networking.

  • Other projects…

…involving German-Polish cooperation, such as concerts, photo exhibitions, publications, etc.

 

Trilateral Projects

For many years the German-Polish Youth Office has been active in organizing youth exchange programmes between European countries, involving Eastern Europe in particular. It has been our contribution to European integration. Trilateral projects, eligible for the GPYO support bring together young people from Germany, Poland and any other third country.
We provide financial support for participants and supervisors from the third party. This includes: programme costs (accommodation, food, entry tickets, materials) and travel costs. We do not cover the total cost of participation.

Groups seeking a partner from Germany or Poland for a trilateral project are welcome to use our Contact Exchange.

Publications

Throughout 20 years of activity the German-Polish Youth Office has published more than 50 guidebooks, CDs, and educational materials depicting a variety of aspects of German-Polish youth exchange. Methodological, linguistic, and history publications can help participants and organizers prepare before they meet the partner group, and national publications serve to promote knowledge about the partnering country.

All publications are in German and Polish. Most of them are free of charge.

GPYO Projects

Every year we offer a few dozen projects aimed at organizers of youth gatherings, teachers, instructors, and trainers, including:

  • courses for organizers of youth projects focussed on methodological aspects, involving history, intercultural communication trainings (language animation), and work with children, as well as guidelines concerning financial support and keeping a proper account of the funds;
  • Contact Exchange: the GPYO aims at maintaining reliable partnerships, as well as establishing new ones. Contact Exchange can aid organizers of youth projects, teachers, instructors, and trainers seeking a partner group abroad;
  • gatherings promoting social networking between organizations and individuals involved in youth exchange and international projects for youths;
  • every three years we organize a contest for the German-Polish Youth Award. The award goes to the most successful German-Polish and trilateral youth projects;
  • the GPYO organizes various events promoting youth exchange; we participate in specialist fairs, open days, public events, etc.

GPYO Contact Details
Addresses of our offices:

Polsko-Niemiecka Współpraca Młodzieży
Ul. Alzacka 18
03-972 Warsaw
Poland
Tel.: +48 22 518 89 10
Fax: +48 22 617 04 48
E-mail: biuro[at]pnwm.org

Deutsch-Polnisches Jugendwerk
Friedhofsgasse 2
14473 Potsdam
Germany
Tel.: +49 331 284 790
Fax: +49 331 297 527
E-mail: buero[at]dpjw.org

Please refer to the GPYO employees with any questions regarding our support for projects.