Days together for seniors: meetings in the Strebersdorf youth center

Days together for seniors: meetings in the Strebersdorf youth center

In summer and winter – social contact is important for all generations. This is now particularly important in the Strebersdorf youth center in Vienna. The center is not only dedicated to young people, but also to older Floridsdorf residents and offers a space for encounters and community with the “Grätzltag” every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. “We want to offer seniors a platform to counteract loneliness,” says an employee at the center.

The youth center has discovered that the number of free meeting places for seniors is very limited, especially in Strebersdorf. In the afternoons there is not only space for conversations, but also creative craft activities and shared cooking activities. On these days, visitors are actively involved, where neighbors cook for their fellow human beings or table tennis sessions are organized for seniors. These offers help you make new contacts and deepen existing friendships.

Activities and outlook

The next Grätzltag takes place on December 2nd, where painting together is on the program. This is just one of many exciting activities still to come in 2025. A trip to the Christmas market will also be organized on an upcoming Saturday. The youth center is taking a break over the Christmas period, but has plans to return in January 2026 with increased activities, particularly in the areas of physical and mental health. Support from Vienna Health Promotion is sought in order to further expand the offerings.

The challenges that seniors bring with them, especially in terms of loneliness, should not be underestimated. Studies show that around one in ten older people in Germany is affected by loneliness, and the loss of social contacts in old age often has a major impact on the quality of life. Many feel subjectively dissatisfied with the quality of their social relationships, which, as a Forsa survey showed, regularly leads to feelings of loneliness in more than one in five people aged 75 and over. The youth center is actively committed to counteracting these circumstances and has also gained the support of the district leader Georg Papai, who came to the first Grätzel Days to present current developments and clarify questions from visitors.

Strengthen the community

The Strebersdorf youth center shows how important it is to promote community and create a space for conversation. The staff and volunteers have a knack for identifying participants' needs and gathering creative suggestions for future activities. From joint cooking and creative activities to exercise opportunities and discussion groups, Grätzltag has great potential to strengthen the neighborhood and make seniors visible in the community.

With these initiatives, the Strebersdorf youth center is sending a strong message against isolation - not only for young people, but also for the older generations, who can regain some of the joy of life and community.

For more information about the offers, visit the website MyDistrict and Youth centers.