75 years of the city youth parish office: a festival of youth and community!

75 years of the city youth parish office: a festival of youth and community!

Lindenau, Deutschland - On June 19, 2025, the Evangelical Stadtjugendpfarramt Frankfurt and Offenbach celebrated an important anniversary: ​​75 years of committed work for young people. The celebrations took place in and around the Youth Culture Church Sankt Peter and were accompanied by a diverse program that included both traditional and modern elements. The focus of the festival service was the commitment of the city youth parish for the participation of young people in the church and society. Professor Christiane Tietz, church president of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, held the sermon. She emphasized the essential importance of community and mutual help.

Special appreciation received the former city youth pastor Dieter Trautwein, who fought for the recognition of Oskar Schindler in the 1960s. Elke Voitl, the Frankfurt city councilor, gave the opening address. Among other things, she emphasized the importance of political education and mediation in child and youth work. Holger Kamlah, Dean of the Evangelical City Deanery, and other representatives of the Evangelical Youth also addressed thanks to the team of the city youth parish. City youth pastor Rasmus Bertram traditionally cut the birthday cake, while an exhibition illuminated the milestones of the work of the city youth parish.

young people in focus

As part of the celebration, there were numerous game and creative offers for the guests who were musically framed by the youth band "Se Band". The evening culminated in a disco party that created an exuberant atmosphere. The event ended with an evening blessing, designed by young people from the Evangelical youth representatives and again accompanied by "Se Band".

The celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the city youth parish can be found in a larger context of the anniversary of the Evangelical Youth in Germany, which also celebrates its 75th birthday in 2025. As part of this anniversary, the Working Group of Evangelical Youth in Germany (AEJ) organized a festive event on May 2, 2025 as part of the German Evangelical Church Day in Hanover. Here not only the story, but also the present and future of the AEJ was discussed. The AEJ chairman Hansjörg Kopp emphasized the importance of the volunteers and full-time professionals for the organization and emphasized the need to support young people in church, politics and society. Together with Minister of Youth Lisa Paus, important topics such as migration and racism were brought into focus.

For the Protestant youth, the cohesion of central importance is particularly important in a complex world. The AEJ, founded on December 2, 1949, has set itself the task of addressing the needs of young people through a Protestant network. The merger of 32 member organizations and other extraordinary members reflects the diverse layers of youth work.

The celebrations and the reflections over 75 years of commitment are not only a tribute to the past, but also an appeal to future generations to actively work for the concerns of the youth. Further information can be called up on the websites of the city youth parish and the Diakonie / Evangelical Regional Association Frankfurt and Offenbach. For the overview of the AEJ anniversary, the website ijab.de