“Is civil society’s scope for action growing, or is it shrinking?” This was the question at the start of the 2019 Cultural Award ceremony “Civic Engagement for Gardens, Parks and Squares”, hosted by the German Society for Garden Art and Landscape Culture (DGGL e.V.) at the Allianz Environmental Forum in Berlin on April 6, 2019.
“Is civil society’s scope for action growing, or is it shrinking?” This was the question at the start of the 2019 “Civic Engagement for Gardens, Parks and Squares” cultural award ceremony, which was hosted by the German Society for Garden Art and Landscape Culture (DGGL e.V.) at the Allianz Umweltforum in Berlin on April 6, 2019.
60 projects applied, demonstrating that many people in Germany are committed to parks, gardens and squares as cultural living environments and meeting places. The range of projects submitted was surprising and showed once again that civic engagement is deeply rooted in our society today. The three prizes and four recognitions make it clear that, regardless of whether we are talking about traditional or new forms of engagement, the scope of civil society must be constantly re-explored. In order to expand the scope, the actors often need a great deal of patience, special skills to activate and inspire a larger citizenry, and also the goodwill of those with political responsibility.
Two of the award winners, among others, have demonstrated this staying power: The Munich architect couple Petra Lejeune-Grub and Hermann Grub have been campaigning for nine years for a tunnel solution to “reunite” the English Garden. With their commitment, they have convinced Munich’s citizens and politicians alike of the merits of the project.
The prize for “classic civic engagement” was awarded to the voluntary members of the Seifersdorfer Thal e.V. association. They have been maintaining and developing the English landscape garden of the same name near Dresden since 1981. They are not only committed to the preservation of listed gardens, but are also committed to landscape conservation and nature conservation in the Seifersdorf Valley and the adjacent landscape area.
Stadtparkverein Hamburg e.V. received the cultural award for “Nature Conservation and Sustainability” for its “Ecological Park” project . The focus of their work is to harmonize ecological and monument conservation concerns in one of Germany’s largest public parks. The jury considered the effort to balance often conflicting demands and thereby promote a contemporary development of the park to be exemplary for an integrative approach to the competing demands placed on inner-city green spaces, particularly in times of redensification and climate change.
Recognitions
The first award went to “Hannover Voids”, an association that is currently in the process of being founded. The DGGL recognized the innovative approach of the group of students, who “occupy” free spaces in the city centre with installations, performances and many other activities. With their commitment, Hannover Voids want to make unnoticed places visible as spaces of opportunity and work with others to make them more liveable.
Increasing interest in and appreciation of the Herrenhausen Gardens is the aim of the Hannover Garden Guides. To this end, the volunteer “Herrenhausen fans” – all of whom have undergone specialist training beforehand – have been available to the public at weekends in the Great Garden for several years. They answer interested visitors’ questions about the garden monument or give practical tips for their stay. They received recognition for their “special mediation strategy”.
The third award recognized the “differentiated use of plants” by the Kloster Kamp volunteer working group. In the fragrant and blooming herb garden, which has been open since 2012, aromatic and medicinal herbs in particular form the framework of the planting. In 2016, the garden was named one of the “50 Most Beautiful Gardens 2016” in a nationwide competition.
Last but not least, the Förderverein historische Parkanlagen Wuppertal received recognition for the development of its local “comprehensive network structure”. The association has been committed to “Wuppertal’s green spaces” since 2004. Among other things, the members organize lectures and guided tours, maintain a comprehensive website with information on green places in and around Wuppertal and support the restoration of listed garden monuments.
Author:
Dr. Anne Haß-Wiegand completed her doctorate at the University of Kassel. Her work focuses on the history and structure of environmental sciences, the history of ideas of nature and the philosophy of science of interdisciplinarity. She has been a volunteer sponsor for Amsoc – sponsorships for children of mentally ill parents – for eight years.
