Germans discover "Heimat" in the garden

By Julian Mieth Oct 13, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - Gardening used to have a stuffy image in Germany but today it's enjoying a big comeback. People in the country's cities are rediscovering the pastime and are taking part in what's known as the Urban Gardening Movement.

From Berlin to Munich, and in small towns too, Germans are getting their hands dirty. Gardening has become such a big trend that some experts think its popularity is not just done to a desire to relax and escape routine, but that it also has political roots as well.

Prinzessinnen Garden is located in Berlin's working class district of Kreuzberg, adjoining a busy road and the entrance to a metro station. Neighbouring buildings are covered with graffiti. However, once inside the 6,000 square metre garden you leave the hubbub of city life behind. Prime examples of different vegetables are growing from wooden crates, plant boxes and sacks - and all of it organic.

Marco Clausen, one of the project's co-founders, says Prinzessinnen Garden is about more than just growing plants and vegetables. 'We also view ourselves as a social and ecological project,' he says. The gardens are used by locals as a place to meet and talk. 'Our aim is to bring people together,' he says.

Christa Mueller is a sociologist who has written a book about urban gardening. 'Urban gardeners want to have a political effect on their surroundings,' she says. She describes this new breed of gardener as being part of a 'post-democratic generation' who are no longer satisfied with criticising the system, but whose aim is to take matters into their own hands.

It's a phenomenon that has not gone unnoticed by nature conservationists in Germany. 'Environmental awareness has been on the rise in Germany for years,' says Herbert Lohner of Germany's nature protection organisation, BUND. Lohner says urban dwellers in particular are trying to exercise more control over their immediate environment. Planting tree cuttings in front of an apartment house is one way to do this.

One official body in the eastern town of Dessau has taken the concept of urban gardening to heart. Dessau in the state of Saxony-Anhalt has been on the decline for years and as a result areas of unused open space are dotted around the town. There is no money in the public purse to pay for the upkeep of these new green spaces and so Dessau's authorities have called on residents to help. Citizens, companies and project groups have been given permission to design and shape open spaces as they please.

Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport is another example of how urban gardening is taking off in Germany. Situated next to one of the runways is a raised bed area where Berliners can rent sections to plant flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Experts believe globalisation is also playing a role in the spread of urban gardening. They believe there's a growing perception in Germany that the world is becoming a confused place, where the desire for 'Heimat' - a home - is the reaction. Caring for a garden is the best way to achieve that feeling of 'Heimat'.

Sociologist Christa Mueller believes the growth in Germany's urban population will spur a need for new concepts to improve quality of life. Urban dwellers must be included in that process. 'The city of the future will be green,' says Mueller. She believes the interesting thing about urban gardening is that it brings different age groups and social strata together. 'Gardening has enormous potential to improve the way we live,' she says.