Vienna celebrates 75 years of youth work: insight into the future of youth!

Vienna celebrates 75 years of youth work: insight into the future of youth!

The foundation stone for Open Vienna Child and Youth Work will be celebrated on June 24, 2025. The path there began 75 years ago with the founding of the “Vienna Youth Circle – Good Neighbor” association by the Allies, a decisive step towards promoting democratic structures and the fight against extremist organizations such as the Hitler Youth. This anniversary not only commemorates the beginnings of youth work in Vienna, but also the ongoing support offered to young people.

The celebrations took place on June 23, 2025 in the Vienna Museum and were opened by Mayor Michael Ludwig and Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling. The celebrations also included contributions from state youth officer Brigitte Bauer-Sebek and representatives from various children and youth organizations. A particular highlight was the keynote speech by psychiatrist Dr. Paulus Hochgatterer with the title “Youth Now”, which caused a huge stir.

Diverse offers for young people

Open child and youth work in Vienna is characterized by a unique network that now includes around 80 locations. There, over 800 employees work in more than 20 sponsoring associations, which offer support in around 160 parks and over 350 public places. These extensive offerings are the result of continuous development since the 1950s, when the first youth information centers were opened. The aim of this work is to support young people in their identity development and to offer them space to realize their interests, as geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at reports.

The city of Vienna has also supported associational youth work, which includes around 25 organizations. This collaboration guarantees that young people in difficult life situations are given access to leisure activities and social projects. In her speech, Vice Mayor Emmerling emphasized how important low-threshold access to these offers is for the integration of young people.

Anniversaries and traditions

The year 2025 not only offers an opportunity to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Open Vienna Child and Youth Work, but also the 50th anniversary of the basic “youth work” courses and 15 years of “Fair Play Teams”. These initiatives have proven successful in offering young people not only leisure activities, but also programs to promote democracy and prevent extremism. These successes underline the long-term impact of Viennese youth work, which has gone through various phases of professionalization and further development in terms of content since it was founded.

The emotional highlight of the celebration was the appearance of Holli and Holli Knolli, who brought a lot of joy to those present in their reconstructed costume. The festival thus became a promising outlook for the coming years and the ongoing good cooperation for the youth in Vienna. The city supports numerous associations that actively support children and youth work - a sign that the future of Vienna's youth continues to be very important.

For Vienna, open child and youth work is not only a dangerous opportunity to celebrate traditions, but also to focus on the development of young people and give them a voice. The challenges remain, but the commitment to the city's young people remains unbroken. A vision for a democratic, inclusive society that began over 75 years ago and is still alive.

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