Urban Gardening in the Prinzessinnengärten in Kreuzberg
06 Apr 2017 | from Heinz
The Prinzessinnengärten are located on a wasteland at Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg. Since 2009, Kreuzbergers and other hippies have been meeting here to garden and socialize. The cooperative Nomadic Green developed a temporary project of agricultural use here. For decades, the area lay unused. Now herbs and vegetables are grown here, where the Wertheim department store stood before the war. The U8 subway runs directly under the square. In the 1920s, the subway connected several department stores, some with their own subway entrances, and was therefore an expression of mobility and urbanity in those days - what a contrast to today!
Postwar period and the fall of the Berlin Wall
After the destruction of the city and the division of Berlin, the area around Moritzplatz moved from the city center to the periphery of West Berlin. Kreuzberg became a retreat for young people with alternative lifestyles. After the fall of the Wall, nothing happened for a long time in this once central and busy Berlin location. It was only with the boom of Berlin in the last decade that the property returned to the public eye.
Berlin booms!
Even today, the area around Moritzplatz, with its mix of wasteland and businesses, is sometimes a reminder of Detroit, the eerie capital of urban gardening. But unlike Detroit, Berlin is booming today. That is unmistakable here, too. On the site opposite, Aufbau Verlag has created a new home for itself with an architecturally striking new building.
The future of the Prinzessinnengärten
Meanwhile, Moritzplatz and its surroundings have become a hotspot for Berlin's startup scene. With Berlin's upswing, the future of the Prinzessinnengärten is becoming uncertain. The exploding land prices make the area interesting for investors. So far, the Prinzessinnengärten have withstood the pressure of the real estate market. It is unclear how long it will be possible to continue gardening here in mobile containers. Anyone who wants to enjoy and visit this special urban project should therefore lose no time and make sure to include the gardens in their next Berlin tour.
For more information: prinzessinnengarten.net