himmelbeet Community Garden
Berlin, Germany · Operator: himmelbeet gGmbH (non-profit)
Overview
A flagship community garden in Berlin's Wedding district. Forced to leave its original site to make way for a football education centre, it relocated after a citizens' campaign to a permanent site on Gartenstraße in late 2021. Combining gardening, a café and education programmes, it is a hub for urban greenery and social inclusion.
Citizen participation
An intercultural garden opened in 2013 in the diverse Wedding district. Residents rent raised beds by the year, tend communal beds, and take part in workshops and the garden café. Guided by the motto 'the good life for all', it emphasises inclusive participation regardless of ability or background.
Operating model
Run by a non-profit gGmbH, financed through bed rentals at fair prices, the garden café, grants and donations, plus educational programmes and partnerships with welfare organisations.
Impact
Widely cited as a model of inclusive green-space management in a multicultural neighbourhood. The campaign around its relocation sparked debate in Berlin about reconciling urban development with community gardens.
Land tenure
The original site near Leopoldplatz was interim use and had to be vacated; since 2021 the garden has a permanent home on green space along Gartenstraße.
Crops
- vegetables
- herbs
- fruit
- flowers
Scale
About 200 rentable raised beds plus communal beds; moved in 2021/22 from Ruheplatzstraße near Leopoldplatz to a permanent site on Gartenstraße near Humboldthain
Sources（3）
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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