In spring 2025, our Erasmus+ project „Vienna goes Brussels“ ”, became “Vienna & Munich go Brussels” for the first time: students from four middle schools in Vienna and four in Munich travelled together in several stages to Brussels to explore European institutions, experience democracy first hand, and strengthen school partnerships.
The programme included visits to the European Parliament, personal conversations with Austrian and German Members of the European Parliament, interactive experiences at the Parlamentarium and the House of European History, as well as city explorations and peer activities. In workshops, the students reflected on key topics such as European values, democratic participation, human rights, and the role of young people in shaping the future of Europe.
A festive reception at the Vienna House and the Bavarian Representation concluded the journey. New friendships, intercultural dialogue, and direct encounters with European politics strengthened the students’ awareness of a shared European identity. Further mobilities within the framework of this initiative are already being planned.