Public Vitality Camp

Berlin’s Teufelsberg continues to develop as a platform for dialogues on the future. From 17 to 19 September 2026, this historic site will open its buildings, open spaces and various levels for the first Public Vitality Camp.

In the run-up to the Berlin House of Representatives election, people working on social, institutional, technological and environmental challenges will come together.

The camp is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Planetary Civics Inquiry in close collaboration with the Teufelsberg’s strategic team, which is contributing to the development of the programme.

Together, they are creating a real-world laboratory to explore how people, institutions and communities can remain capable of taking action under increasingly difficult conditions and develop new modes of collaboration.

From the hill to the city and back: the dynamics of the camp

To make the interplay between strategic reflection and concrete urban practice tangible, the camp physically moves through the Berlin area:

• Kick-off on the hill (Thursday, 17 September): The programme begins on the historic Teufelsberg. The location offers space to step away from familiar ways of thinking, launch the first sessions and bring together disparate realities.
• Work in the heart of the city (Friday, 18 September): On the second day, the camp leaves the hill and moves directly into the urban space for the whole day. At ‘medulla’, the workspace of nextlearning e. V., the questions developed are linked to the day-to-day reality of urban life in Berlin.
• Closing event on the mountain (Saturday, 19 September): For the grand finale, the camp returns to Teufelsberg to combine historical reflection, experiencing nature and civil society’s work on the future, to consolidate the results and reach concrete agreements.

From an event to a shared workspace

Many conferences generate attention, foster exchange and spark new ideas. The Public Vitality Camp takes up these issues and trials a format that extends beyond the three days of the event. In the 100 days leading up to the camp, specific challenges, practical questions and partner constellations were prepared.

At the various stations, participants work in small, interdisciplinary groups on selected issues. Over the following 100 days, viable approaches, relationships and projects are to be further developed and established in Berlin. In this way, the camp becomes a temporary social infrastructure.

What participants can expect

The programme combines the historic buildings of the former Teufelsberg listening post and the urban workspace at ‘Medulla’ (a workspace in Kreuzberg) with open-air working formats. The surrounding natural environment itself becomes a space for experience and reflection.

The sessions will be held in German or English and will cover topics ranging from urban resilience, climate risks and crisis communication, through public infrastructure and democratic capacity for action, to new forms of collaboration between institutions and civil society.

All Things Urban is supporting the Public Vitality Camp as an official media partner.

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