Beneath our feet lies a story of transformation. It’s the tale of Prinzessinnengarten. This urban garden is not just a green space. It is a symbol of community and sustainability in the heart of Berlin.
Prinzessinnengarten, or Princess Garden, has a royal-sounding name. However, it sits in a very urban street in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. This area is known for its alternative culture and busy traffic near Moritzplatz. Once, this land was largely unused and cluttered. Then, two ambitious men named Robert Shaw and Marco Clausen envisioned something different.
In 2009, they started an urban gardening project here. Robert Shaw had lived in Cuba. He was inspired by the need-driven urban farming he saw there. Robert wanted to create a community garden in Berlin. He wanted to attach social activities to it. In July, the contracts were signed to rent the wasteland near Moritzplatz. Prinzessinnengarten was born.
The transformation began with a call for volunteers. About 150 people came to clear the rubbish. Now, every Thursday afternoon is garden day. Anyone can lend a hand. Sometimes, extra help is needed. Emails go out requesting assistance.
Prinzessinnengarten was founded with a dual purpose. It turned a wasteland into something beautiful and helped the poor neighborhood. The organizers partner with local schools and immigrant societies. Elderly women, some of whom barely speak German, have their own plots. They grow familiar vegetables. They harvest, cook, and sell the food at the bistro.
The garden is designed to be mobile. This is because they are renting the lot from the city. Everything is planted in sandbags, crates, boxes, or raised beds. The garden has become a meeting place for the diverse neighborhood. Older Turkish women teach German tech workers how to plant tomato seeds. Families bring their children to play among the garden beds. Younger people gather in the shade at night.
Prinzessinnengarten grows many vegetables. You can find fennel, carrots, radishes, and kale here. It also has herbs like tarragon, thyme, and basil. A beekeeper cares for 10,000 bees. They pollinate the abundant flower beds.
The garden runs on money from its vegetable stand and cafe. It does not receive funding from the city or private sponsors. The cafe is in a converted shipping container. It sells coffee, beer, and simple dishes. The dishes use ingredients from the garden.
This space hosts community events. It provides organic produce to Berliners. It also offers a serene place to relax. In fact, a motorway was once planned for this very spot.
Marco Clausen spoke of inspiration from the CPUL book when setting up Prinzessinnengarten. The garden’s story reflects broader developments in the district. It highlights the need for a different kind of city. It promotes new relationships with rural spaces. This is especially important given today’s social and ecological crises.
The Prinzessinnengarten Collective continues to share knowledge. They focus on ecological do-it-yourself methods. Sowing, planting, and harvesting are important. So are seed production, processing, and preserving vegetables. Beekeeping and worm composting are also key. They develop new DIY cultivation methods. All of this is done organically.
Children and adults can help in many ways. They can buy harvested goods. They can sponsor a vegetable bed. Or they can enjoy the food at the garden cafe. Prinzessinnengarten offers gardening sessions and workshops. Topics include beekeeping in the city and growing potatoes. Children learn that you do not need to live in the countryside to grow things.
As we leave Prinzessinnengarten, remember its story. It is a story of community, sustainability, and the power of urban gardening.