PEACE HOUSE – Where Refugees and Locals Meet as Friends

From Isolation to Belonging

Peace House Taunusstein is a multicultural community center just a short walk from the local refugee camp. It is a place where refugees and locals can come together for friendship, learning, and support — a space where community grows.

Across Germany, more than 3 million refugees and nearly 200,000 asylum seekers with unsettled status are living, many of them stuck in accommodations for years with few opportunities to learn German or integrate into society. Peace House exists to change that.

In partnership with our friends at i58, who already run several centers in Germany and along refugee routes, we were able to rent office space at Erich-Kästner-Straße 5 in 2023 and bring it to life. Today, Elijah und Verna are leading the work from Monday to Thursday with a team of volunteers. 

What a typical week at Peace House looks like

• Chai, coffee & biscuits: We welcome visitors with coffee, green or black chai, and biscuits — a simple way to build friendships.

• Games: From UNO to chess, volunteers play with both kids and adults.

• Children’s activities: Art supplies, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk make the little ones feel at home.

• German classes: Local Germans and volunteers teach classes to help refugees to practice German.

• Music: Wednesday nights, someone picks up a guitar or another instrument — and music fills the house with joy.

Living Integration

Peace House is more than a program — it’s a lifestyle of integration. Visitors not only receive help with German, paperwork, or doctor visits but also find a place of belonging. Volunteers can join by helping with childcare (so mothers have time to rest or handle documents), assisting in German classes (no teaching degree required), organizing creative projects or baking, and simply being present as friends.

We believe this project will continue to bring people in our city closer together, and we hope to see Peace Houses multiply in other places as well. If you would like to start a similar initiative in your area, we would love to hear from you and support you.