OLMUN - International Debates and Social Interaction Since 2001

Having been founded by the former high-school student Gero Elerd, the first Oldenburg Model United Nations Conference took place at the “Altes Gymnasium Oldenburg” with about 100 participating pupils. Admittedly most participants of the first session in 2001 were originally German, but nevertheless, a delegation from St. Petersburg provided a certain international flair to OLMUN. Growing to 450 participants in 2006 and to 850 in 2013, the conference developed to become the largest of its kind in Germany. With more and more participants, the number of committees has also increased from 3 in the beginning to currently 10 committees, offering a considerable diversity of topics.

One of OLMUN’s special features is that from the first session on, the conference has been – and still is – completely organised exclusively by high-school students. The Inner Circle, consisting of approximately 50 students, plans and organises every aspect of this event. In 2005, the OLMUN association was founded with major involvement of Kersten Stamm to create a reliable base for the annual organisation of the conference.

Of course, some teachers are involved as well, but only in their function as MUN-Directors, who serve as connecting links between OLMUN and the schools. On the one hand, they provide help and preparation for their own students, and on the other hand they serve as reference persons for the Inner Circle. This form of cooperation does not only secure the status of OLMUN as a MUN conference fully organised by their participants but also marks an unprecedented interaction between the schools.

Moreover, our membership in JUNON (UN Youth association), a union of several German UN groups, since 2007, means a further step towards national cooperation, gives us a chance to exchange experiences and to connect with other MUNs.

As more and more students from abroad started to attend OLMUN, the need for accommodation became more urgent. While the first international participants were part of an external exchange programme, the position of ‘Housing Coordinator’ was soon introduced to administer the increasing number of accommodations of international participants. Our housing programme, which allows foreign participants to stay with host families in Oldenburg, is a brilliant opportunity for intercultural exchange.

In 2020, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19-pandemic. As an alternative programme, an OLMUN@home challenge took place.

The following year the pandemic still did not allow for a large in-person-conference. Therefore, OLMUN decided to implement a hybrid-model – a conference that was in part online and in part in-person. Some committees were simulated online others in person.

Finally, in 2022, OLMUN could take place entirely in person again – even though the size of the conference was significantly smaller than before COVID-19.

Due to OLMUN being fully organised by high school students and almost all the experienced organisers graduating from school OLMUN faced the risk of discontinuation because of a lack of experienced students willing to continue the project. Nonetheless, the Secretariat of OLMUN 2023 rebuild a new Inner Circle and was able to successfully organise OLMUN 2023 as well as moving forward in closing the gap to pre-COVID numbers of participants.

With 600+ Delegates and 800+ total participants OLMUN 2024 will almost reach its pre-COVID size. We look forward to a wonderful event in June with many (international) schools re-joining OLMUN.

As OLMUN approaches its 25th anniversary, we proudly look back on our development and our status as one of the largest and best-known high-school conferences in Europe. Every year, we as a team strive to deliver a unique and educational experience to our participants, all while introducing innovative ideas. We have created countless professional learning opportunities, and friendships for a lifetime find their roots at the OLMUN conference.

List of the Secretariats of Oldenburg Model United Nations Conferences (This year's Secretariat)