Hidden amidst the Spree’s embrace lies Baumgarteninsel. A tiny island a secret jewel in Berlin’s Köpenick district.
Baumgarteninsel wasn’t always an island. Once it was known as Kietzer Wiesen. Köpenick’s washerwomen used these meadows in the 19th century. They bleached and dried laundry there. The Spree flowed north of the meadows. A small ditch a Katzengraben a cat could jump over drained the Wiesen.
Then at the end of the 19th century things changed. The Müggelspree was straightened. The Katzengraben was widened and deepened. This made the area an island. Later Baumgarteninsel was filled in. Small gardens were created.
Since 1922 Baumgarteninsel has been home to the Baumgarteninsel allotment gardens. This is thanks to the Gartenfreunde Köpenick gardening association. The colony was connected to the electricity grid in 1970. It was connected to the water grid ten years later.
Reaching Baumgarteninsel requires a boat. A pier for the Katzengrabensteg was built in 2001. However access was blocked. Residents protested against easy access to their peaceful haven.
A silver willow tree graces the southeastern part of the island. This tree is a natural monument. Imagine the peace and quiet there. Baumgarteninsel a tranquil escape in the heart of bustling Berlin. A testament to resilience. A small island with a big story.