Craving a slice of tranquility amidst Berlin’s hustle? Then NSG Malchower Aue awaits. This nature reserve offers respite and a fascinating glimpse into the region’s ecological history.
The story of NSG Malchower Aue begins in the Weichsel Ice Age. Around 10,000 years ago, melting glaciers carved a channel here. This channel eventually formed the Malchower See to the south. Over time, the depression gradually silted up creating a moor.
In the 18th century, a drainage ditch called Dorfgraben Malchow helped turn the moor into meadows. These meadows became part of the larger Malchow sewage farms, operating from 1884 to 1969. In 1931, the Wiesenhöhe allotment garden was established in the Malchower Aue. It expanded in 1951.
However, in 1979, the meadow usage largely stopped. Then until 1983, extensive peat extraction took place. Some excavation areas were filled with soil and rubble from the Hohenschönhausen-Nord housing estate construction site. Construction of the housing estate took place from 1981 to 1989. The remaining areas became open water.
A plan in 1985 proposed creating a Volkspark Malchower See by 1990. The NSG Malchower Aue was intended to be part of this park. The excavated earth was to become a winter sports hill with a lookout point. But the fall of the Berlin Wall changed everything. The housing estate was renovated from 1990 to 1997. The soil depot in the NSG Malchower Aue became a concrete rubble depot.
In 1994, the two resulting hills were covered with soil from the Linden-Center construction site. Then the landfill was closed. A storage area on Wartenberger Weg remains. To preserve the wet meadows, peat pits, and adjacent break forest, the NSG Malchower Aue became a protected area in 1995.
Today, the 22.2-hectare area includes remnants of the original wet meadows and alder forests. Seven ponds formed by peat extraction are now home to reeds and herbaceous grasslands. In the southeast, soil from the Hohenschönhausen-Nord housing estate was deposited in the mid-1980s. After covering this topsoil depot with mulch in 1992, thermophilic plants and semi-dry grasslands. These plants are unusual for wet lowlands, settled here. A viewpoint now sits atop the resulting rise.
Walk along the paths in the NSG Malchower Aue. Note the street names marked with green signs and white letters. These paths are for pedestrians and cyclists only. Look for Max- and Herta Naujocks-Weg. It leads from Dorfstrasse south around the Malchower See. Then it goes north over Wartenberger Weg and Margaretenbrücke to Astridstrasse.
The NSG Malchower Aue is home to over 300 higher plant species. Around 40 bird species, six amphibian species, and seven fish species also live here. You can also find larvae from about 20 different dragonfly species. Keep an eye out for grey thistle, pollard willow, harvest mouse, whinchat and swallowtail. You might spot penduline tit, European toad, common frog or three-spined stickleback. Other possible sightings include kingfisher, reed warbler, common blue, burnet moth, and goldfinch. Also look for scarlet dragonfly, tufted duck, reed bunting, white stork, green woodpecker, and nightingale.
In early summer, admire the carpets of water violet on the small water bodies. From early summer to autumn, the wildflowers add color to the meadows. In late August, the purple blooms of the grey thistle stand out in the wet meadows. The area boasts 318 recorded plant species, making it anything but barren.
So, breathe deeply. Take in the sights and sounds. Let the NSG Malchower Aue remind you that even in a bustling city, nature finds a way to thrive. This small piece of wilderness is vital for Berlin. It offers a glimpse into the past and a promise for the future.