On 27.08.2024, the Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands e. V. (BKD), umbrella organisation of around 900,000 allotment gardeners in Germany, opened its new federal centre with the permanent exhibition "City | Nature | People" with invited guests from the allotment garden movement, the local authorities, science and European partner organisations from 9 countries.
https://stadt-natur-mensch.de/
Opening ceremony for the Federal Centre
BKD Association President Dirk Sielmann welcomed over 150 guests to the grand evening ceremony. He thanked the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) for funding the Federal Centre on the basis of a resolution passed by the German Bundestag, which made the building with its environmentally friendly timber construction possible in the first place.
https://kleingarten-bund.de/bundeszentrum/
International congress "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all"
At the international specialist congress "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all", the federation and the international umbrella organisation of the European allotment garden movement, the Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux, showed that they are facing up to social and climatic challenges and are proactively seeking solutions for the allotment garden movement. Topics such as the sponge city, new garden forms, biodiversity and the opening of the colonies as allotment garden parks - not only for members - were discussed scientifically in lectures.
The guests from other European countries and from all over Germany, who met at the federal centre during the European symposium "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all", were delighted with the successful event and wished the BKD and the allotment garden movement every success with the launch of the federal centre.
Two associations under one roof
The BKD presents itself in a spirit of optimism, to which not least the German allotment youth federation contributes with its commitment. Two federations under one roof that convey a modern, open-minded image of allotment garden culture and show that they no longer stand for a retreat into the private sphere of the allotment. The "Green Classroom" in the outdoor area will also be a new contact point for education for sustainable development for school classes and other interested parties from spring 2025.
The BKD and the Deutsche Schreberjugend are looking forward to many visits from the allotment garden associations and all friends of allotment gardening!
Author: BKD, Sandra von Rekowski and Eva Foos
Source: BKD
Under the motto "Allotment gardens: Diversity that inspires!" many allotment gardeners all over Germany again celebrated the Day of the Garden on 11 June 2023 with open gardens, festivities and activities for young and old and with guests from politics and administration.
Apart from a great biological diversity, it is above all the social and cultural diversity that characterises allotment gardening in Germany. Many millions of people of different generations, social backgrounds and countries of origin get involved year after year. In the 13,500 or so allotment garden associations organised under the umbrella of the BDG, they ensure that these green oases remain places that are hard to beat in terms of diversity.
At the suggestion of the BDG, the day has been celebrated since 1984, always on the second Sunday in June. Traditionally, each year one of the 20 regional associations organised in the BDG takes over the organisation of the central nationwide kick-off event for the green holiday weekend. This year there were even two: the Rhineland federation of allotment gardeners and the Westphalia and Lippe federation of allotment gardeners. Special occasion: Both federations additionally celebrated their 100th federation anniversary!
In the "Bunten Garten" in Mönchengladbach the two chairmen of the regional federations, Rolf Rosendahl (LV Westphalia and Lippe) and Michael Franssen (LV Rhineland) opened the festive event. The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst gave his video greeting and his appreciation for the allotment garden movement: "The allotment garden movement in North Rhine-Westphalia has constitutional status. This position is unique in the whole federal state." Dirk Sielmann, president of the BDG, underlined the important role of allotment gardens for urban development and the mayor of the city of Mönchengladbach, Josephine Gauselmann, in turn emphasized the interactive power of allotment gardens in her greeting.
The numerous guests from all over Germany were offered a colourful programme for young and old with specialist information, a "market of opportunities" with partners of the organised allotment garden movement, musical entertainment and various hands-on activities. A special highlight: the donation of a red maple for the colourful garden by the two regional federations and the joint planting of the tree with guests from the federation and from regional and local politics.
An extremely successful celebration of the diversity and continuing invaluable value of allotment gardening!
Eva Foos, BDG
Pictures: Hans-Peter Reichartz
Read more:
bit.ly/Tag-des-Gartens-Rheinland
https://bit.ly/Tag-des-Gartens-Westfalen-Lippe
The BDG as the umbrella organisation of allotment garden associations in Germany is getting a new federal centre in Berlin. This federal centre will be an open house with event rooms and an exhibition on the future development of allotment gardens in the light of climate change. After its completion all interested allotment garden associations are invited to visit the house and the exhibition.
It was foreseeable that the BDG would have to move out of its current premises. Either way, a new location had to be found, which ideally should also go hand in hand with new possibilities for the political representation of interests. The concept that the BDG then developed fell on receptive ears in the budget committee of the Bundestag and could be perfectly combined with the goal of the federal government to establish and promote an innovative timber construction method in Germany with concrete projects. The new Federal Centre has already become an important reference project for other future buildings made of wood, including the planned new construction of parts of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
After the topping-out ceremony on 11 November 2022, the new federal centre of the German allotment garden associations is now entering the decisive phase. If everything goes according to plan, the opening of the new house will take place in autumn this year and in 2024 the exhibition will gradually be ready and the federal centre will be open to the public. The outdoor area will be used by the German Schreber Youth as a "green classroom" for cooperation with schools, for example. All in all, this will open up completely new possibilities for the allotment garden movement in Germany to represent its political interests in the federal capital. In view of climate change and species extinction, it is all the more important to show the contribution of the 900,000 allotment gardens to the preservation of the green infrastructure.
Thomas Stölting, BDG
Image copyright: BDG, Gelhaar
