Leibnitz loses with WAVE: youth center closes after 14 years!

Leibnitz loses with WAVE: youth center closes after 14 years!

The city of Leibnitz is saying goodbye to its popular youth center WAVE, which has to close its doors at the end of the year after 14 years. The decision to close was made by the municipality and will officially take place on December 31, 2025. This news is particularly difficult for the two long-time employees Max and Martha. In their emotional farewell, they thank the young people and supporters for the years they spent together, in which WAVE was much more than just a youth center. It was a place of encounter, creativity and community that offered the young people a home. WAVE has established itself as a central point for culture, education and social projects in the community.

However, the end of WAVE does not just mean the loss of a meeting point. Through the closure, the municipality hopes to be able to save 150,000 euros annually, which some political leaders consider to be justified. Nevertheless, there is resistance: a petition was launched that urgently appeals to the municipality to find a binding solution to preserve the youth center. The initiators of the petition are convinced that WAVE is indispensable for local youth and promotes their social integration.

Open youth work in focus

In Austria, youth centers like WAVE play a crucial role in open youth work. This type of work takes place not only in youth centers, but also in youth clubs, cafés and public spaces such as parks and train stations. It includes social work, educational opportunities as well as cultural and health promotion and serves as an important socialization site for many young people. This is supported by the initiative of the nationwide Open Youth Work Network (bOJA), which acts as a competence center and is intended to ensure the quality of open youth work. Such facilities are financed by the federal states and local communities, which share responsibility.

The closure of the WAVE youth center raises the question of the future of open youth work in Leibnitz and beyond. While Max and Martha do their best to continue to support young people until the end of the year, it remains to be seen whether the demands of the petition will be heard and whether there will actually be a solution that preserves WAVE's legacy.

If you would like to find out more about the open offers in Austria, you can find further information on the [bOJA] website (https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/agenda/jugend/jugendarbeit/offene-jugendarbeit.html). The initiators of the petition also invite you to actively support the preservation of the WAVE and to raise your voice for the youth in Leibnitz.