The Bergkirchweih in Erlangen is a traditional festival, lasting 12 days and visited by 1 Million people per year.
Since 2016, a Refugee Forum is active, consisting of 15 people from different countries, operating as multipliers between other refugees and organisations of Erlangen. The aim is to communicate with individual stakeholders and to integrate refugees into the planning and working process of organisations, like Siemens, the City Museum or the Bavarian Red Cross.
In 2016, emerged the idea of a possible collaboration between the Refugee Forum, the Bavarian Red Cross and the Worker’s Samaritan Foundation for the medical service at the Bergkirchweih. Refugees were asked to be part of the medical operations, helping as translators and act as mediators for foreign visitors of the Bergkirchweih and the medical staff, the police or the organizers of the event.
The volunteers were trained in first-aid, received special and widespread information about the festival, the location and the traditions.
