The international youth meeting and training center House Across Borders is a youth hostel offering historical, social, and political education programs as part of the German War Graves Commission (German: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge). It was opened in 1993 near the German military cemetery in Lommel, where 39,111 people are buried who were killed in, predominately, the Second World War.
As professional historians and experienced teachers, we collect tangible memories of relatives in our archive and we help to bring history out of anonymity. Because history is more than just the past, we continuously make the connection with current political and ethical issues.
We are happy to provide our guests with an insightful and comfortable stay. Hospitality and warmth are key – and good food too. Welcome!
The “Across Borders” association builds a bridge between the past and the present and supports a culture of peace and non-violence. Linked to the Lommel war cemetery, the association primarily supports the educational work of the Lommel Youth Meeting and Education Center (JBS). The association does not pursue any economic interests, has no ideological or religious aims and is politically neutral.
The purpose of the association is the promotion and organization of projects and activities in youth and adult education that serve a transnational culture of remembrance and global peacekeeping. We look forward to hearing from you via JBS Lommel if you are interested in working with the association.
The Lommel Youth Meeting and Education Center (JBS) collects documents, photographs, letters, diaries and objects from people who found their final resting place at the war cemetery in Lommel. The collection comprises almost 400 bundles relating to individual people. These materials are the foundation of our educational work and can be viewed by family members, historical researchers and, as part of our programs, also by schoolchildren. In the interest of detailed historical research, we are constantly striving to expand the collection.
We would therefore be delighted if you could pass on information about war dead buried in Lommel. This can be documents (originals or copies) as well as personal objects (e.g. identification tags). Personal accounts of individuals from the circle of family and friends are also particularly important to us.
It is possible to do voluntary service at the Lommel Youth Meeting and Education Center (JBS). The voluntary service usually lasts 1 year, starting in September and ending in August of the following year. During this time, volunteers have the opportunity to live at the JBS Lommel. The voluntary service is funded by the European Solidarity Corps (Erasmus+) and is carried out in cooperation with the sending organization Internationale Jugendgemeinschaftsdienste (ijgd).
The tasks of volunteers include:
Further details and a testimonial from a former volunteer.
For further information, please contact the sending organization or JBS Lommel directly.
