“Who was Alwin Bielefeldt?” you might ask. Right here before us stands a plaque dedicated to this remarkable man. It commemorates Alwin Bielefeldt a German administrative lawyer and a pioneer of the allotment movement. The plaque itself isn’t flashy. It’s a simple bronze rectangle on a modern building. Yet it tells a powerful story.
Bielefeldt’s career started in the Imperial Insurance Office in Berlin. He rose through the ranks. He became a key figure. He even presented the German social security system at the 1900 Paris World Fair. There he discovered a project in Saint-Étienne creating gardens for workers. Inspired he established Berlin’s first allotment colony. His work went beyond Berlin.
In 1906 tragedy struck. The director of the Hanseatic Cities’ State Insurance Institution died. Lübeck’s Senate appointed Bielefeldt his successor. This brought him to Lübeck. He continued his work promoting allotment gardens. He believed that these spaces were vital for both public health and social harmony. A committee was formed. It included Senator Ewers and Senator Vermehren. Their goal was to establish more allotment gardens in Lübeck. Their efforts produced around 2000 gardens by 1928.
Bielefeldt’s influence extended beyond gardens. During World War I he led the central office for vegetable cultivation. After his retirement from the Insurance Institution in 1924 he remained active in allotment associations. He became the honorary chairman of the Reich Association of Allotment Garden Associations. He also helped establish a savings and loan bank for the association.
Despite his accomplishments his later life was difficult. After the Nazis came to power he withdrew to Berlin. He felt defeated by their violence. He wrote in a letter “I have fulfilled my social duty and preserved my character in the fight for my ideals”.
This plaque in Lübeck serves as a silent tribute. It honors a dedicated public servant and a visionary. It’s a small but important monument to a man who shaped the city and the lives of its people. It is a reminder of Alwin Bielefeldt’s legacy. A legacy that continues to bloom in Lübeck’s allotment gardens.