Allotment gardens in Berlin

Blogger Carolin Engwert from Berlin cuts plants in her allotment garden in Schöneweide. (Archive)

In allotment gardens, city dwellers can get closer to nature and grow their own fruit and vegetables. The way to your own plot is via an application.

The allotment gardens in Berlin fulfill several functions at the same time. They are used for recreation and offer contact with nature. They are used to grow healthy fruit, vegetables and herbs for home consumption. Allotment gardens are also great meeting places in the neighborhood, enabling numerous social contacts in the anonymous city. And the ecological significance is also enormous: allotment gardens are species-rich biotopes in a densely built-up urban area.

History of the Schrebergarten

The rise of the allotment garden (German: Schrebergarten or Kleingarten) in Berlin and other German cities began during the two world wars. It was primarily about food security. The urban population was predominantly poor and malnourished, and agricultural produce was often no longer available in city stores or was sold for high prices on the black market. So the production of fruit and vegetables in the city's gardens and allotments became essential for survival. The existence of allotment gardens was enshrined in law. There are still about 880 allotment garden areas in Berlin today.

How to apply for an allotment garden in Berlin

If you want to lease an allotment garden in Berlin, you have to apply to the Kleingartenverband (allotment garden association) located in the desired district. A list of Berlin's Kleingartenverbände can be found on the website of the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment. Please note: there are waiting lists almost everywhere. In some cases, applicants have to wait several years to be awarded an allotment garden.

How much does an allotment garden in Berlin cost?

Anyone wishing to lease an allotment garden has to reckon with one-off and ongoing costs. The acquisition costs vary depending on the value of the arbor on the plot and the plant growth. They are determined individually by the respective district association when the tenant changes. The average price is around €4000 for a 24 m² arbor. The conclusion of a sublease agreement is associated with further one-off costs such as admission fees, levies, etc. The running costs average around €700 per year for rent and public charges, the association's membership fees and the consumption-based operating costs (water, waste water, electricity).

These rules apply in allotment gardens

Numerous rules apply in the allotment garden sites. Tenants must comply with the provisions of the Federal Allotment Garden Act. In the allotment garden sites of the district authorities, the administrative regulations of the Berlin Senate also apply. One of the common regulations is that the allotment gardens may only be used for the cultivation of fruit, vegetables and flowers, and for recreation. Commercial use and exclusive use as an ornamental garden or leisure garden is not permitted. Residential use is also prohibited. As a rule, tenants must grow fruit and vegetables on one third of the area. There are regulations on the type of planting, distances between plantings to adjacent plots, hedge heights, etc.