Regionalparks in Brandenburg and Berlin Strategies for Sustainable Development in the Metropolitan Area

Home , Babelsberg Park, Barnim, Birkenwerder, Briese, Fieldstone church, Glienicke Palace

Senate Administration for Urban Development of the State Berlin

Ministry for Agriculture Environmental Protection and Regional Planning of the State of Brandenburg

Joint Spatial Planning Berlin-Brandenburg Contents

3 Foreword

4 The Regional Park Philosophy A Space Grabbing Idea

16 Regional Park Krämer Forst Frogs in Sleeping Beauty

24 Nature Park Barnim A Golden Link in the Chain

32 Regional Park Barnimer Feldmark Love at Second Sight

42 Regional Park Müggel-Spree “21 Club”

50 Regional Park Flutgrabenaue Waiting for ...

56 Regional Park Teltow Park Calm and Bustle

64 Regional Park Potsdamer Havelseen Splendid Views

72 Regional Park Döberitzer Heide Open Landscape

80 Outlook

82 Bibliography, Photo Credits, Mastheads

2 Foreword

Nowhere else in Europe does the city end so zens because they are not only participants abruptly and the countryside begin so sud- but actors able to take the initiative in the denly as in the transition between Berlin and process.In this way, the regional parks may be Brandenburg.Early on both states agreed on exemplary, offering a model for other regions the concept of a ring of regional parks around to follow. the German capital in order to develop both carefully and sustainably this common peri- In Brandenburg and Berlin, the future will phery.It is intended that the people accept depend on anchoring the structures which the regional park as their living space, identify have arisen out of the common efforts within Wolfgang Birthler Peter Strieder with it and support its positive development. the regional parks themselves.In addition, co- The beauty and uniqueness of the cultivated operation among the regional parks must be landscape near the city in this regional park encouraged.We want to persuade the private ring is to be preserved.Tourism and recrea- sector, associations and business organisati- tion are to be promoted and the economy is ons to participate and support co-ordinated to be developed in a manner compatible with regional development.The most convincing the landscape. arguments are visible success in implementation.By documenting the many activities and Since 1998, the State Development Pro- successes in the regional parks, this brochure gramme (LEPro) and State Development Plan will do precisely that: advertise, convince, and for the closely overlapping areas of Branden- provoke the undecided into action in support burg-Berlin (LEPeV) have both defined the of these goals. creation of regional parks as a binding common planning objective.The regional park At European level, efforts are being made to concept was initially only a framework to be determine how the near-urban landscapes fulfilled by regional and local actors in the can be protected and at the same time used sense of a local Agenda 21.In the meantime, advantageously by the inhabitants.Great Bri- nearly every region is in the process of suc- tain, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and cessfully implementing the concept.Many Germany have developed the „SOS“ project permanently established working structures for regional planning for this purpose. have been founded as a result. „SOS“ stands for „sustainable open space“.In Brandenburg and Berlin the near-urban Planning and design can be more effective by sustainable open space is being developed co-ordinating all regional park activities and above all in the regional parks.This is a bundling both public and private resources. development we want to support with all our The developments are supported by the citi- strength.

Wolfgang Birthler Peter Strieder Minister for Agriculture, Environmental Senator for Urban Development Protection and Regional Planning State of Berlin State of Brandenburg

3 A Space Grabbing Idea Regional Parks in Brandenburg and Berlin

Not any old park: the Palace Park of Sans Souci has been listed as World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO since 1991. Photo: Uhlenhut

Everything is a park, isn’t it? half of Berlin from its surroundings.When the Everyone knows what a park is.Entrance, exit, wall fell it gave rise to a situation unique fence or hedge around it and in the middle among all the world’s metropolises – a city’s something pretty: laid out borders and beds edge as sharply defined as had it been or simply beautiful landscape. With paths for cut with a knife.Whereas the other large strolling, rest cure meadow, or duck pond, cities spread widely into their surrounding and perhaps a fountain.Yet today, many region. things are called “park”which are not parks at all:There are waste disposal parks, industrial Unequal Partners parks, commercial parks, residential parks. It is just here that Berlin and Brandenburg And then there are amusement parks, natio- have to completely redefine their relationship nal and nature parks.But what is a regional to each other.It is a relationship which has park? been characterised by tension and scepticism A regional park is an idea.A regional parks a nurtured by the GDR’s obsession with the strategy, a development concept.That sounds quite abstract and pretty hard to grasp. In order to explain what a regional park is we must take a brief look back in German history. A forest of building cranes behind the Krämer Forst: All manner of The City’s Edge building activity can be More than ten years ago, the wall fell which found right in the regio- separated East and West Germany 28 years nal parks around Berlin. Photo: Meißner long.Twenty-eight years it cut the western

4 Only an organically expanding development adjusted to the landscape and natural conditions can guarantee that what is unique in the region will be preserved.

capital and neglect of the Berlin surroundings.Regional identity and the growing self- confidence among the local governments are not very compatible with a metropolitan area which sees the outer region as a mere green appendage to the city.No matter how important the functions of green and recreational space, drinking water reservoirs and fresh air dispensers are for Berlin, the Brandenburg communities are concerned mainly with their own independent and particularly economic development. And then they compete with each other: each wants to have the largest part of the tax pie.

Remaining Unmistakable Landscape beauty, regional particularity, tradition, and sightseeing attractions are an important component of each region’s identity.When commercial parks, shopping The charm of Branden- burg’s landscape: forest, centres, residential subdivisions and golf water, meadows courses spring up everywhere like mush- Photo: AGM rooms, it not only destroys the natural house- Parking at a shopping hold or beauty of the landscape.Lack of centre (Hönow, Märkisch- planning and co-ordination leads to over- Oderland): Nothing but supply.This oversupply comes at the expense parking spaces for cars Photo:Wita of the local governments and in the worst cases leads to investment ruins. Whereas surplus residential and commercial space only brings economic disadvantages, regional identity and landscape quality can become decisive local advantages. Lake, and the Havel lakes with the important Only organic growth adapted to the lands- cultural heritage on their banks are cape and taking account of the natural unmistakable. environment can guarantee that the unique regional identity will be preserved. Planned Development Instead of The aesthetic based on consumption-orien- Unplanned Sprawl ted functional building for shopping centres Brandenburg and Berlin recognised early the and discount markets looks the same every- necessity of co-ordinated planning.An inter- where. governmental agreement concluded in 1995 In this case regional identity has simply dis- committed both states to long-term, joint solved.However, the meadows and fields of state planning.In the beginning of 1996, they the Barnim, the wooded hills of the Mueggel created the joint Spatial Planning Depart-

5 “Nothing grows without care and the best of things lose their value when handled improperly.” peter joseph lenné

Peter Joseph Lenné (1789–1866) drew up Based on the interstate agreement between Bran- the plans for the beautification of the denburg and Berlin of Potsdam vicinity for Friedrich Wilhelm III of 1 January 1996, the joint Prussia.The plan was not only concerned Spatial Planning Depart- ment Berlin and Branden- with the royal gardens but, with the “econo- burg (GL) was created mically advantageous decoration of the field with its headquarters in marches”,the landscape in other words. Potsdam. It is the highest In 1875, there were political initiatives which state planning authority in both federal states promoted orderly urban architectural deve- responsible for state plan- lopment in Greater Berlin based on inter- ning and the space community co-operation.Even then, some of utilisation in the entire area of both states. the political authorities thought this was best achieved by a merger of cities and counties where there was competition in the assignment of construction ground. In 1911, the initiatives resulted in the formation of Local Administrative Union Greater Berlin which not only took care of traffic routes and building planning but, above all was responsible for securing and developing open spaces.Looking ahead, large areas easily reached by rail were acquired for their ecological and recreational value.In 1914, it was possible to buy 10,000 hectares of forest. Agricultural land was bought both to supply the city’s population and for sewage drainage.The Berliner Stadtgüter was created to administer the more than 27,000 hectares. One of the gentlest and ment (GL).In this way the two states co-ope- Even today, the city of Berlin still owns valua- most attractive use of the rate although the merger referendum in 1996 ble lands in Brandenburg. landscape: hiking, here in the Nature Park Barnim failed to attain the necessary majority.Joint When the consolidated local government of Photo: NP Barnim planning is intended, among other things, to Greater Berlin was founded in 1920, the admi- prevent Berlin’s edge from rapidly “catching nistrative union became redundant.The Ger- up”with those less desirable qualities of other man capital developed into such a powerful large cities with their sprawl and “commercia- economic area that the local governments lisation”of the landscape.The joint Spatial and the surrounding counties in the new Planning Department Berlin Brandenburg is hinterland joined together to create the State intended to enable sustainable, socially Planning Association Brandenburg Mitte. and environmentally acceptable, planned Residential park near development.The immanent threat of a Bergfelde: living in the wildly sprawling suburban zone on the city’s country is attractive periphery was counteracted early with the when the qualities of quiet nature and beauti- regional park strategy. ful vistas are retained and not lost to endless Foresight with Tradition new construction. Photo: Münch Ideas for a city-countryside design have a tradition in the Berlin and Potsdam region. Already as early as 1833, landscape architect

6 Plan Corpus Some of the positive examples of joint open The Joint State Develop- ment Program for Berlin space development from this period were and Brandenburg has restoration of public access to the banks of been in effect since numerous bodies of water and “contraction 1 March 1998, by virtue of an agreement between plans”for certain communities.They effected the states.The LEPro is excessively large construction areas and the framework for struc- placed special emphasis on adjustment to tural concepts, the imple- prevailing natural conditions as well as the mentation of zoning pro- cedures and the adjust- development of green links (links to green ment of the states’ central areas).It is thanks to the special situation in building plans.The core Berlin after the Second World War and the of the LEPro follows the form of the so-called prescient policies of the turn of the century decentralised concentra- that the capital and neighbouring Bran- tion (p. 8 on the far right). denburg have retained such attractive, diffe- In § 13 of the LEPro, a chain of regional parks rentiated, and generous landscape extending has been named which even into the extremely compact urban the local inhabitants.No one else knows Most open spaces in the are intended to develop precincts.Today no other European conurba- the strengths and risks in the region better regional parks are used and maintain a green for agriculture. The belt around Berlin inclu- tion enjoys such landscape quality. than its inhabitants.Modern planning is a photo above shows ding the relevant parts democratic process and not something extensive cattle farming. of the Berlin municipal The Regional Park Idea Develops which takes place over the heads of those Photo: Uhlenhut area. Despite decades of interruption caused by effected. the division of Germany, the planning The regional park concept emerged out of tradition, coupled with its content and many the discussions about the future spatial of its objectives, formed nearly a seamless development, cross-state zoning and state fabric from which to overcome the effects of planning and started directly after the “turn decades of Germany’s division.However, the around”in East Germany.A 2,000 km2 co-operation between the two states, Bran- ring of regional parks surrounding Berlin is denburg and Berlin has to be re-organised planned which also includes areas on the and new strategies have to be found. edge of Berlin. At the same time, the planning culture has In 1998, both Berlin and Brandenburg states made a decisive turn: instead of only making agreed the regional park concept as a concepts at planning at policy level and common goal for regional state planning in imposing them from the top down on the spaces where they are closely interlaced. people, the conviction has emerged that good planning is from the bottom up.It rela- The Strategy tes to those who are directly effected and Regional parks should “grow from below”. involves them.The best development is that Only when the idea “ignites”the enthusiasm which has been initiated and is carried by among the participating local communities

Like overgrown hail- and districts who must give life to and stones, the white plastic active support for it can successful regional tarpaulins packed with development result.Five basic principles are mown grass on a pasture near Weesow. imperative for “growth from below”. Photo: Münch CO-OPERATION All those involved must co-operate with each other at the various levels.That means the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, various counties, government agencies and commu-

7 Berlin and the surrounding parts of Brandenburg must redefine their relationships to each other.

shaped by natural, cultural, ecological, social Decentralised concentra- and economic conditions.To preserve this tion is the orientation and political action framework heritage and to further develop it, while res- for the spatial-structural pecting its qualities is a task for the entire development of the states society.More than 80% of Brandenburg’s of Berlin and Brandenburg. It is a polycentric model. regional park areas are unsettled and used The basis of this approach either for agriculture or forestry.Most of the lies in a targeted develop- land is used for agricultural purposes.That ment of selected centres and issues. By stabilising means that whoever wants to talk about the industrial core and agriculture must talk to the farmers.In the preserving typical green question of future use, the landscape cannot and open areas spatial- structural inequalities can be treated like booty to be divvied up possibly be reduced. among the users so that they who yell lou- Decentralised concentra- dest get the biggest share. tion is mandated in the state development plans of Ecological, economic and social demands both states as common have all been integrated into the concepts development policy. A feast for the eyes, esp. nity authorities as well as the Berlin district for regional park development.Strategies in Spring and Autumn and administrations.Here the most varied actors and solutions were sought and tested also especially valuable; the high beech forests, are involved: community officials and mayors, together to enable a combination of various e.g. on the Liepnitz Lake farmers, nature conservationists, associations open space uses and functions.In the case of or in the Barnim Heath in and clubs, old established and newly-settled expanded settlement, the reciprocal effects Nature Park Barnim. Photo: NP Barnim residents, visitors, commercial interests, plan- on open space development were taken into ning offices. account. Experience shows that communications and co-operation are easiest to establish at the ”QUALIFICATION” OF THE LANDSCAPE same level.Involving higher levels is always To qualify the landscape means, analogous more successful when these feel that they to quantifying, to recognise and develop its are partners.The more intensive the discussi- potential.The beauty and particularity of ons and co-operation at the base are, the the region should be made useful and lively easier it is to overcome the hurdle to the next for the population.Development concepts higher level.The joint state planning depart- are then sustainable when they succeed ment of Berlin and Brandenburg and the in eliminating existing problems and preser- exchange of experience among the indivi- ving existing qualities.When those people dual regional parks help in this process. who once came to the area because of its quiet, beautiful vistas and nature find only a INTEGRATION few years later that further construction Each region possesses a mosaic of various has left nothing, then that it is then already landscapes.They are part of a heritage too late for a reorientation.Whoever under- stands the potential in Brandenburg’s In Winter, the landscape landscape and wants to harvest the fruits of full of lakes is just as stimulating as in the this capital will treat it carefully. warmer seasons. The illustration shows the frozen REGIONAL ACTION Havelland canal north of Nauen. When various local activities in the regional Photo: Meißner park are combined to one common whole, the strengthens the region’s self-confidence and increases its influence.Particularly the conflict potential between Greater Berlin and

8 Agriculture is of increasing importance for landscape care. In the landscape conservation area “Schnelle Havel”: sheep grazing is the gentlest means of mowing grass. Photo: Liebke

the adjacent Brandenburg communities can More than DM 5.0 million turnover was be disarmed while common perspectives are generated.This has been only a first step but developed. nonetheless an important one.The aim is to Regional action helps to create and maintain create long-term employment and jobs. jobs.That doesn’t mean only tourism.Alone Representatives from local government in1999, more than170 jobless were employed agencies and administration, local politici- through the associations active in the regio- ans, business people from the service sector, nal parks via job creation schemes for areas sports clubs and artists and cultural groups, such as tourism and landscape conservation. associations or private initiatives can all be important participants whose actions in the The rail connection as region can make a particular contribution to locational advantage: all the regional parks’development. regional parks are easy to reach by train. Here the stretch of tracks at NETWORKING Schönefeld Station. Networking in the regional parks should take Photo:Wita place in two senses of the word – linking paths, tracts, sights and localities, biotopes and bodies of water – on one hand.On the other, linking of all those planning and When irresponsible people simply throw their acting in associations, working groups, or rubbish around then it associations with special purposes.Network is a problem for everyone structures are to carry responsibility for the who wants to preserve and enjoy nature and regional park development.The foundation landscape. will be more stable to the extent that all Photo: Meißner development and activities in state, local government, commercial and social areas in one region are joined together.

9 needs – not as contradictions to be played off against each other – but as a unit.This unit has to be continuously recreated through the integration of different interests, esp.if the natural resources needed as the basis for human survival are to be preserved. In the eight regional parks, the goals are to develop in an environmentally compatible way the economic potential, create jobs and recreational opportunities.In addition, the Landscapes like in a natural characteristics are to be taken into picture book: a sunflower field in bloom (above) account while protecting the landscapes par- and a blue sky with white ticular qualities and the local flora and fauna. clouds (left). Impressions The functions of each region as the centre to please any visitor. Photos: K TVD (above), The Offer of life for both established and new residents, Uhlenhut (left) The conception to create eight regional parks as beloved excursion destinations and as around Berlin is above all an offer from the the green lung are all to be promoted in the states of Berlin and Brandenburg to the regional park development. local government units, to the people living The Berlin districts and Brandenburg local and working in the effected region and governments themselves are to be the finally also to the visitors and customers.It is bearers of this sustainable development. an offer to protect and preserve the quality However the establishment of the parks will of the region and to develop the “talents”for not result in the creation of new reserves or the benefit of residents and visitors. sanctuaries.Neither new landscape or addi- Nonetheless, the differences between the tional nature conservation areas are to be interests and development notions among proclaimed.The regional park’s sustainability those established in the area and those concept serves the interests of the participa- visiting can be significant and even contradictory. The trail network is a Here the regional park forums serve to dis- decisive factor for experiencing a regional park, cuss and balance the differences as well as to whether by foot, bicycle, formulate common aims and to monitor by horse or by water. the concrete implementation of projects.The Photos: K TVD, joint state planning department provides Uhlenhut (below) support, e.g.for drafting concepts and loca- ting financial potential.

Aims and Methods The main aim is sustainable development in a “closely interconnected area”of Berlin and Brandenburg.The concept of “sustainability”,as it has been used since the 1992 Environment Summit in Rio de Janiero and in Agenda 21, means to assure an environmentally and socially compatible shaping of the region. Sustainable development includes three components, ecology, economy, and social

10 The prescient policies of state planners from the middle of the 19th century into the 20s of the 20th century and special situation arising out of Germany’s partition are all to thank for the fact that the direct surroundings of the capital has retained the attractive, varied and generous landscapes to this day.

Sun, sand and water – one of the nicest pleasu- res in Brandenburg and Berlin is to cool off in one of the innumerable lakes. Photo: Uhlenhut

Qualification of the lands- ting communities and districts themselves: Step by Step cape means to recognise only when one protects what one is marke- As soon as the regional park idea has “igni- and develop its potential. The beauty and pecu- ting is it possible to profit from it tomorrow. ted”a region and the districts and local liarity of the regions That is why balancing of interests, co-opera- governments have begun to implement spe- should be made liveable tion and sustainability offer the local com- cific projects, then the following steps are and useful to the inhabitants. Development con- munities the best foundation for a com- essential repertoire for successful regional cepts are future-oriented prehensive development which will survive park development. when they are able to into the future. eliminate existing pollu- ACCESSIBILITY AND INTERNAL tion and preserve existing The valuable, marketable “products”which qualities. Brandenburg has to offer its neighbour Berlin DEVELOPMENT include particularly, The eight regional parks can be quickly rea- • landscape beauty ched by city train and regional rail connec- Visitors expect that the • attractive residential location in green areas tions from the centre of Berlin.This provides information on hiking trails is comprehensive • high quality agricultural products. an environmentally friendly alternative to and reliable. In addition the car. An attractive network of paths in the to information about the The landscape’s potential is an ideal founda- regional park linked the rail stops with route, there should be advice about nearby tion for tourism and recreational activity. recreational facilities (e.g.riding stables, attractions, what is These are the main attractions for those excursion restaurants) sights, and residential offered locally, and moving there – the calm and an appropriately concentrations provides the opportunity to landscape and historical points of interest. green residential surroundings.Living in promote this environmentally-friendly Photo: ag.u green surroundings can only continue as an alternative and reduce the load due to auto- alternative so long settlement expansion is mobile traffic. adjusted to fit with the landscape and the The inner development of a regional park existing settlements. should begin with the construction of an It is necessary to preserve the existing quali- comprehensive network of paths for cycling, ties as a precondition for long-term marke- riding, hiking and waterways which can be ting success. gradually more closely interconnected.

11 Regional parks are to be understood as investments in the future and as approach to the problems arising from common responsibility for the use of the space, nature and the resources.

deciduous mixed forests.Agriculture, in particular, can play an important role in maintaining the cultural landscape.Every improvement in the quality of the landscape increases the demand to experience it.

BRANDING A sustainable economic use is easy to market. Agricultural products which come from a region in which the producers apply naturally compatible and landscape adjusted methods The “lange Hans” in Königs have a good reputation and enjoy increasing Wusterhausen.The figure is the result of an obses- demand.Thus the region itself can become a sion of Friedrich Wilhelm term for quality – with the regional park logo the so-called “Soldier-King”. as a brand and quality marking. In 1897, Friedrich III, King of Prussia, gave the rule To maintain traditions EXPERIENCE LANDSCAPE AND SEEK NEW The production of high-quality, regionally over Wusterhausen to and retain both the natu- DESTINATIONS typical products such as the Holzfäller bread his then nine-year-old son ral and cultural heritage The network must be laid out so that one can in the regional park Krämer Forst or the her- for Christmas. Friedrich belong to the most Wilhelm enjoyed being important preconditions also reach important destinations.It must bal liqueur “Feldmärker”in the regional park there and was in Wuster- for a positive feeling of lead one to where there is something to see Barnimer Feldmark, support regional identity, hausen often.The crown- home. The care and main- and experience.For that purpose, there needs too.Regional direct marketing is not only an prince made the so-called tenance of numerous toy soldiers which his field stone objects – here to be a guide system which not only pro- advantage for producers.Restaurants, hostels father gave him as guards a field stone wall in vides an easy orientation but also information and hotels also profit.An unique and attrac- and for drill exercises Schönfeld (above) – is also about the landscape’s peculiarities and tive farmers’market can quickly develop into into his life guard. Mem- as attractive for a visitor sights, historical background and other details a tourist attraction. bers of this unit became as the carefully restored known in as “Lange Kerls” facade of a farm house worth knowing.Signs, exhibitions, maps, (Tall guys) because of their (small photo, p. 13, right) flyers and brochures are an important aid MARKETING AND IMAGE FORMATION above average height. Photo: Münch, KTVD (right) to the visitor gradually getting to know the Do good and talk about it: the establishment His entire life, Friedrich Wilhelm was fascinated by region. of the regional parks needs to be accompa- people with above average nied by intensive public relations efforts. body size. He made every effort to recruit them, MAINTAINING TRADITIONS, A positive regional image has to be created spending enormous sums. THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE and propagated.This strengthens the In 1713, he renovated the Local customs, markets, festivals, traditional residents’identification with their region and old water castle and crafts, concerts and other cultural activities as awakens the interests of visitors outside the turned it into a Renais- sance-style hunting lodge. well as cultural and natural monuments have region.All communities profit from joint The renovation lasted a positive effect both internally and exter- marketing which brings the “pearls”of the five years. It is in this time nally.Local inhabitants identify with the trea- region together with the products and servi- that “Königs Wuster- hausen” came to be used sures and customs of their own home and are ces found there – and thus advertising for the instead of “Wendisch able to show these proudly to visitors.Such region as a whole. Wusterhausen” or only tourist attractions meet with growing interest Even now there are numerous pearls in the “Wusterhausen”. from visitors from outside. Brandenburg landscape which are virtually unknown outside the region. BEAUTIFY AND ENRICH THE LANDSCAPE It is just these jewels which give the entire There are many ways to enrich and beautify region its character, lending it wonder the landscape.Hedgerows and avenues can and variety.Every community can make its be planted anew or the gaps filled.Bodies of own contribution, can share its own gem, water can be renaturalised.Forests with pine whether it is the annual traditional costume monoculture can be replanted to near-natural festival, an historic town centre, old fruit

12 In most Markish villages, it is still possible to recognise the village structure typical for Brandenburg, whether it is a road, commons or round village.The village commons in Glienicke is a particularly beautiful welcome to the visitor. Photo: Münch

tree avenues, an idyllic lake, or an interesting the participation of many actors implemen- fieldstone church or an attractive hiking ting idea, strategy and concept of the regio- trail. nal park. Combination and addition of these basic Then a region is transformed into a regional elements increase the attractiveness of the park without entrance gates and fences – region decisively.Increased interest from rather as landscape space which is clearly visitors and potential new residents creates defined by participating local communities Inexpensive to each regional park: a big jobs and tax income.That in turn leads to and districts and the special landscape advantage for visitors new economic perspectives for the establis- qualities themselves.The following chapters and commuters is the hed residents.Only a flourishing local will show that the individual regional parks star-formed rail radials reaching from Berlin to economy and good perspectives for with are each in different stages along this the regional parks. assured income can counteract the flight route. The regional trains and of youth from the region.Thus strengthening S-trains in Berlin-Bran- denburg bring travellers identity and increasing attractiveness also fast, comfortably and contribute to the region’s social stability. inexpensively to their destination. Photo: Hahn The Regional Park Grabs Space The regional park acquires its spatial existence once the idea, strategy and opportunities have been accepted and the local communities and districts begin to work on their region’s identity, communicate with each other, co-ordinate and co-operate.That means that the abstract conception is transformed into a spatial dimension through

13 Overview of Regional Parks Brandenburg and Berlin

Krämer Forst The Krämer Forst, a large forest area consisting of pine and mixed deciduous woods, grows on the “Ländchens Glien”plateau north-west of Spandau.The Krämer Forst is surrounded by wreath of villages, comprising 14 medieval road and commons villages on the edge of the high plateau.On the north- east part of the plateau, there are large cultivated fields.The lowlands of the Havel- Döberitzer Heide land and Rhin fens adjoin the forest in the Surprisingly, it is the military activities for north-west and northern part. which the Döberitzer Heide had been reser- ved for a good 300 years which left Berlin and Potsdam with a uniquely large, unbroken, near-nature and uninhabited area.Here plants and animals found refuge from other areas where they were pushed out or became extinct.Military secrecy made the Döberitz Heath into a hermetically sealed area.Now it is being opened carefully and selectively to the public.

Potsdamer Havelseen This region is not only interesting because of the landscape which is shaped by the Pots- damer Havel lakes and the surrounding forests.It is also rich in cultural heritage which the famous building and landscape Teltow Park architects to the Prussian court created.This The most influential element of the Teltow makes the region unique.A chain of belve- Park landscape is the tables from the former deres – splendid vistas – make it possible to drainage fields to the south of Berlin.The appreciate the many impressive sights.A region’s very proximity to the capital made it wide variety of artistic activity testifies to the extremely interesting for settlement after the excitement created by this remarkable Wall fell.It is close to the fine and exclusive cultural landscape. residential areas in south-western Berlin, enjoys good transport connections and a mix- ture of hectic business and expansiveness and calm and is obviously especially attractive. 14 Naturpark Barnim Der gemeinsame Berlin-Brandenburger Naturpark erstreckt sich im Norden über das Wandlitzer Wald- und Seengebiet bis nach Liebenwalde und Eberswalde.Der von der Weichseleiszeit gerformte Naturpark ist von saftigen Wiesen,naturnahen Bächen, Söllen und Seen, Kiefern- und Buchenwäldern geprägt und stellt, ökologisch gesehen, eine besondere Perle in der Kette der Regional- parks dar. Barnimer Feldmark Directly after the large subdivisions of Mar- zahn and Hohenschönhausen begins this rural space which extends well into the Berlin city limits.It is characterised by wide open fields and single villages.An extensive network of rural roads and railway radials connect the villages to each other.Typical landscape elements in the Feldmark are field strips, avenues, hedgerows, small brooks and gullies and the commons villages often built around a pool.

Müggel-Spree The star-formed waterway system embedded in the pine forest between Köpenick and Fürstenwalde together with the Dämeritz Lake near Erkner is the core of an established excursion destination.Dominant landscape elements are the Spree which flows from east to west, the lake channels which run from Flutgrabenaue north to south, wooded ridges and dunes. The Großziethen fields extend well into the Berlin city limits from the south-east.South of Großziethen the agricultural landscape close to the city becomes increasingly differentiated cultivated landscape until it reaches the forest and lake district of the Dahme.The plans to transform the Schönefeld airport into the metropolitan airport Berlin-Brandenburg International have an enormous impact on the entire region. 15 The wealth of surface waters found in Branden- burg is not only attractive for people. It nourishes a particularly varied collection of flora and fauna. The illustration shows the landscape near Vehlefanz. Photo: Münch

The Schwanenkrug in Schönwalde on the old Berlin-Hamburg post road is, just like in the old days when the mail coaches stopped here to change horses, an “And on this carpet of blooming edge inviting place to enjoy hospitality with rustic All the laughing villages, I can barely count” atmosphere. theodor fontane Photo: Münch

The fascination of ceramic table ware from the workshops of Hedwig Bollhagen lies in its simple aesthetic form and discreet decoration. Originally designed for everyday use, they have become a more costly collector’s items. Photo: Bollhagen

16 Frogs in Sleeping Beauty Regional Park Krämer Forst

“Hey Landlord, hitch up the horses, bring Travellers were certainly glad to have found fresh hay and water.And for the gentlemen accommodations in the “Ziegenkrug”before the best from your cellar and kitchen!”So it sundown, before darkness fell in the dense might have sounded when the last mail coach forest.For one the difficult and somewhat arrived at the “Ziegenkrug”in the middle of adventurous trip to the northern Hanseatic Krämer Forst.This large wooded area compri- city lay ahead.For the other, their destination ses both pine and deciduous forest plateau of was nearly reached, Spandau and Berlin lay “Ländchen Glien”north-west of Spandau.It very close by. was formed from the ground moraine of the Such post stations were the most important late Weichsel ice age.In the north are the places for spreading news in times before Rhin fens and in the south the Havelland fens. there were radio, television and Internet.This Until 1832, the old post road between Berlin is where one heard the most unbelievable and Hamburg ran through Spandau, Schön- stories or moving reports of human fate or walde and Flatow in the middle of this forest the stuff of world literature such as the Alex- area. ander Pushkin’s “The Postmaster”.The post

17 troops of Friedrich IV.Not only the chroniclers relate the Thirty-Years War, but Grünefeld, where Wallenstein (*1583–†1634) left his trail. In 1718, at the command of Friedrich When the Berlin-Hamburg Wilhelm I, the Prussian soldier-king, the Glien railway was opened in fens were reclaimed for agriculture.540 km of 1846, the old post road through the Krämer Forst canals were laid through the fenlands turning lost its importance.The them into meadows and pastures suitable difficult journey with the for dairy farming.In this way the region mail coach was replaced by the significantly more road in Krämer Forst did not enter world lite- earned its reputation as the “milk and butter comfortable and faster rature, rather took another turn.In 1829, the supplier”to nearby Berlin. railroad. paving of the chaussee via Nauen was begun: In 1806, Napoleon marched into Wansdorf. Today the former way station “Schwanenkrug” is The federal route B5 and the sandy, old The Wansdorf chronicle is full of eyewitness a rustic restaurant. post road drifted into obscurity.In 1846, the accounts.Six years later, on the way to his Photo: Münch (right), Post- railway line between Berlin and Hamburg Russia campaign, the “Great Frenchman”took museum (above) was opened.That sealed the fate of the forest up temporary headquarters in the Vehlefanz post road. bailiff’s house. Only a small clearing remains where the old However, as the old post road lost its signifi- Ziegenkrug once stood offering shelter to cance, the 14 villages in the Krämer Forst man and beast.Nonetheless it is an inviting seemed to recede into a kind of “sleeping resting place for hikers.The second important beauty”obscurity.According to legend, even inn on the old post road, the Schwanenkrug the frogs stopped croaking in Schwante.For in Schönwalde can still be found in its old the health of Mr von Redern, they had been glory.The single-story partial timber house damned to silence of a hundred years. with a portico under the eaves, dating from Supposedly the hundred years is not yet over. the 18th century is a rustically furnished After the Second World War, in the course of restaurant which continues to offer inviting Germany’s division and later construction hospitality. of the Wall, a radical disruption of all econo- Brandenburg’s sandy soils mic relations to Berlin occurred.An enormous are considered “poor” soil for agriculture.When From Battlefield to Milk and Butter population loss took place on account of there really is a pot of gold Supplier flight to the cities.As a result of the collectivi- at the end of the rainbow, Up until the 19th century, the region was sation, the farms were taken over to a large it should at least be easier to find in the flat land- rubbed again and again by the edges of world extent by agricultural co-operatives (LPGs). scape. history.The region was first settled by the Many of the numerous manor houses were Photo: Gering Slavs in the 7th century.In the “Eastward Expansion”of German farmers, they were pushed out during the 12th and 13th centuries.In 1412, the Battle of Kremmer Damm was fought.The Pomeranian dukes Otto and Casimir came from the Uckermark and invaded the Mittelmark.The forces of the Pomeranian commanders joined battle with the Märkish troops under Burggraf FriedrichIV. of Nuremberg, a Hohenzollern. Even today there is a great stone cross, erected in 1845, commemorating the death of Count Hohenloh, who served among the

18 Krämer Forst

The extensive farmland in the north-eastern part of the plateau form a stimulating contrast to the forests as well as to the wetlands of the Rhin and Havelland fens.

converted for public use, for example the school in Schwante.Alternatively they were converted into apartment buildings. After 1990, the successors to the former LPGs had to adjust to fully new, competitive conditions.At the same time, the local governments now had the enormous task of finding persons interested in them as commercial and residential locations. The regional park, Krämer Forst, between Spandau, Flatow and Kremmen, Börnicke and Hennigsdorf, Nauen and Oranienburg has been subject to carefully directed development since 1997.

Still like the good old days The landscape beauty of the Krämer Forst regional park comes not only from the large, virtually unbroken forest from which the park derives its name.On the slopes of the ground Velten.In September 1934, the artist Hedwig Contrasts – the compact forest area in the Kramer Hedwig Bollhagen was moraine plateau in the heart of the regional Bollhagen started her ceramic workshop is surrounded by wide born in Hanover in 1907. park and on its north-eastern “corner”,there which first brought renown to the Marwitz farmlands. Already as a youth she Photo: Münch had been fascinated by are large farming lands which form an craft.Schönwalde is also an exception.The ceramics and decided to exciting contrast both to the forests and to precinct “Schönwalde settlement”developed become a potter. She the marshes of the Rhin and Havelland fens. into a favoured Berlin suburb in the course worked in a Hessian firm, The forest area itself is surrounded by a of urbanisation.Its single-family villas and finished the fifth semester at a technical wreath of 14 medieval road and green villa- large tree stand give it a character quite diffe- school and attended ges distributed along the edges of the high rent from the other localities in the wreath lectures at the Cassel Art plateau.Similar to the ground moraine of villages. School. She still lives and works in Marwitz itself, the ring of villages has a diameter of Some of the medieval farm towns were foun- where she opened her approximately 15 kilometres. ded around the feudal country-seats of the small workshop in 1934. There is a connecting road between all the nobility.Vehlefanz,Velten, Groß Ziethen, Hedwig Bollhagen – villages.The road offers interesting views of Flatow and Börnicke and the Kremmen palace Werkstätten für Keramik, the farmland and Glien heights.A large belonged to the Koppke von Bredow estates. Triftstraße 60 portion of the historical settlement structure One can find several manor and mansion in 16727 Marwitz Tel: (03304) 39800, remains consisting of three or four-sided houses worth seeing in other villages such as Factory sales Wednesday farmyards and Märkish middle hall houses Staffelde,Wansdorf, Sommerswalde and 9 AM–5 PM, Saturday grouped around a common or village church. Schönwalde.A few of these may even be 10 AM–2 PM The old, to some extent restored, historically called “palaces”,such as those in Groß Ziethen interesting village cores still have a whiff and Schwandte.In Sommerswalde, the mer- of times past.Only the villages of Hennigs- chant Richard Sommer fulfilled one of his dorf and Velten have changed significantly. dreams.He was considered one of the richest These two villages underwent the trans- men in Berlin.Toward the end of the 19th formation into industrial sites bordering on century, he commissioned architect Paul Berlin in the wake of late 19th century Wallot to design small replicas of the Reichs- industrialisation.In 1872, clay quarrying tag and “red City Hall”in Berlin.In 1891, began in Marwitz.It was then baked into art construction of the Reichstag replica began.It or building ceramic, either in Marwitz or in was to be the main building in the ensemble

19 After the Second World War and in the course of the partition of Germany and later construction of the Wall around the western part of Berlin, there was a radical break in the economic relationships between West Berlin and the surrounding communities.

“Schloss Sommerswalde”.The replica of the “Red City Hall”was used for stables. In many other localities, there are field stone and brick churches worth seeing as well as a windmill or two.Beyond that, there are further landscape peculiarities to astound and enjoy, such as the 13 “thousand year”oaks in Staffelde or the nymphs and the Kremmer Lake. A number of barns were built on the southern periphery of Kremmen.Some of these were used in common.Together they form an impressive ensemble.When agriculture lost its significance, Kremmen’s barns lost their use and began to deteriorate.In 1998, many Berlin supported the communities and com- Today, there is a hotel in of the old barns were restored for Kremmen’s missioned the ComPlan and GrünPlan plan- Großziethen palace.The stately staircase and 700th anniversary celebrations.Today they ning firms to moderate the difficult starting ancient cellar vaults are comprise the Museum Barn and function as a phase to establish the regional park idea worth seeing. social and cultural meeting place, local locally.In 1997, they began, together with the Photo: Hasselbach museum and event centre for the entire local communities, to work out the guidelines region. for development of a regional park Krämer Forst.These were agreed at two regional park Principles by the Half Dozen forums.At the end of 1997, the following six The initiative for the regional park develop- fundamentals were adopted: ment came from the communities of Schön- • “Development from below”,local govern- walde and Brieselang in 1996.The Joint State ment and citizens take an active part in the Planning Department of Brandenburg and development. • Commonality and Co-operation,Thinking The Soldier-King ordered the fens around the Glien beyond agency boundaries. to be converted into • “The Krämer”recreation area next door. meadows and pastures. • “The Village Wreath”,excursion through the A 540 km long comprehensive trench system Krämer Forst formed the basis for the • “The Krämer”,experience the cultural region’s development into landscape the milk and butter supplier to nearby Greater • “Krämer and Fen”,network of landscapes. Berlin. In 1998, the development association “Förder- Photo: Agrarmuseum verein Regionalpark Krämer Forst”was founded.The founding members included the Since 1999 the Berlin communities of Schönwalde,Wansdorf, S-train runs again to Pansin, the Waldschule Krämer, the Agro Hennigsdorf. From here there are a number of Glien, an agricultural company with a cheese cycling and hiking tours manufacture and old pet breeds, and the which may be made exhibition and recreation centre in Paaren. through the Kramer Forest. Photo: IGEB Activities by the Hundred The development association has continuously improved the already extensive hiking and cycling trails.In Schönwalde, work on a new

20 Krämer Forst

On the edge of the regio- hiking trail concept has begun.This includes View of the city of Nauen nal park, approx. 35 km Photo: Meißner north-west from Berlin expansion of the trail system and a more between the towns of ambitious sign system.Landscape planning Nauen’s old town has Kremmen and Fehrbellin students at the Technical University of Berlin largely retained its basic is the stork village Linum. have added two original projects to the medieval layout.Today it In 1999 13 pairs bred here is a landmark ensemble by the end of the stork regional park: a complete wedding pro- with both architectural season there were nearly gramme is to be offered in Paaren (in English and historical signifi- 50 storks in the village. = pairs, couples).Everything, from bridal cance.With around 11,000 The NABU station “Stor- inhabitants, the city is one chenschmiede Linum” pro- service to minister and registrar are available of the administrative vides more information. in what has been honoured as the most centres of the Havelland After nearly all the peat beautiful village in Brandenburg.The tour Various farms in the vicinity of Nauen grow county. was extracted from the From 1826 to 1993, Nauen area by the end of the “Berufe – Radeln”(Cycling to Crafts) leads the grain.Master miller PaulWolter inBuchow- was the county seat.The 18th century, it became through the places where there is a Karpzow mills the flour.Finally master baker city hall was built accor- an enormous pond land- locally-specific or typical craft, profession or Karl-Dietmar Plentz in Schwandte bakes ding to plans of the Berlin scape.The ponds are only architects Schulz and farmed to a limited extent activity to be seen or where there is an the bread according to a special recipe and Hartung to resemble the today. architectural remnant of one from the past. sells it oven-fresh in his shop.“The success North German brick A large number of them was so great that we have taken ”Holzfäller“ Gothic style. It was dedi- are inaccessible, having cated in 1891. In 1911, the been retaken by nature. Our Daily Bread . . . bread into the standard product line,”explai- steeple collapsed during a Here there are rare At the 1999 Regional Park Conference, the ned Martin Hasselbach, staff member of the heavy storm and remai- aquatic birds as well as regional initiative BRUCKER Land introduced Förderverein Regionalpark Krämer Forst. ned stuck in the Council beaver, fish otters and Hall. In 1992, the city hall many other animals. itself.They take part in the build up of regio- Overwhelmed by this success, other bakeries facade was restored for During the migration sea- nal economic activity within the county of have displayed interest in the development the occasion of Nauen’s son in Spring and Autumn Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich with their and marketing of further regional 700th anniversary. up to 80,000 wild geese regional products, such as bread, juice, meat specialities. and 20,000 cranes stop here.The ponds are safe and dairy products. Other companies are also participating sleeping places and the In the regional park Krämer Forst,“Holzfäller” actively in regional park development.Along fields provide abundant bread was selected as the regional product. with the producers of “Holzfäller”bread, a feed. In just two months the development associa- tax consultancy, compost and recycling tion had brought together all the necessary company and a wholesale producer of agri- participants from grain to loaf, from grain cultural products (esp.fruit) have been producer to baker.In October 1998, every- persuaded to participate.This confirms the thing was ready.Punctually, at the opening regional park philosophy that common tar- of the Museum Barn in Kremmen, Holzfäller gets and marketing strengthen the regional Avenue near Linum Photo: Uhlenhut bread was launched in the market. economy. Numerous private individuals have also become involved on behalf of the regional park idea.These include the recognised nature conservation association “Schutz- gemeinschaft Deutscher Wald”and the Johannesstift Spandau.

How much can the regional park take? The communities along the settlement axes Spandau-Falkensee-Nauen and Hennigsdorf- Velten-Oranienburg are generally more interested in increasing the number of new residents and businesses.The rural areas are more interested in developing the land-

21 View of the Kramer Forest Photo: Hasselbach

Photo right: Beaver and fish otters can be found on the Muhre. On their banks, on the Teufels- bruchwiesen rare orchids bloom. Along with the old post road, the Muhre is the second most important binding element in the regional park. It flows from the northernmost scape’s tourism potential.In different locations town of Leegebruch through Schönwalde within the regional park, different consequen- toward Brieselang in the ces are drawn with effects on the regional west. park idea itself.There are fundamental positi- Photo: Gering ons on the proposed construction of a test track by the railway car company Adtranz.The proponents of the project point to the economic impulse and expected increase in jobs in the region.The opponents of the test Data and Facts ring see above all the expected noise level Population as of 1999: approx. 25.000 inhabitants problems.Bodo Oehme, mayor of Schönwalde and chairman of the Regional Park Develop- County / District / Population Population den- ment Association does not see this as a diffi- eastern part of the regional park.The com- Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) cult problem.“The majority of the plete park map is to follow. HAVELLAND COUNTY development association has given its sup- Since Holzfäller bread was such a success, ...... port to the project, if the appropriate - there are efforts underway to introduce other Amt Brieselang Brieselang 6.828 380 compensatory measures are taken by indu- regional products.At a spring festival in April, ...... stry to benefit the region.”However, one has an ice cream based on regional production Amt Nauen-Land to just wait and see.Oehme:“up till now, was presented – for a refreshing start in the Tietzow 295 17 Börnicke 783 42 it has yet to be decided where the test ring summer season. Grünefeld 444 27 will run and whether it even comes here ...... at all.” Amt Schönwald Paaren im Glien 546 35 Perwenitz 456 46 Together we are strong Wansdorf 726 31 In the meantime, the membership in the Pausin 619 31 Schönwalde 3.793 204 development association has increased steadily.Now there are more than 40 mem- OBERHAVEL COUNTY bers.The association has intensified its public ...... Amt Kremmen relations efforts.The Internet site is being Flatow 639 24 prepared.The association had its own stand Staffelde 374 18 at the important annual Brandenburg Groß-Ziethen 241 19 agricultural exhibition in the Märkisch Exhibi- ...... Amt Oberkrämer tion and Recreation Centre in Paaren.A Schwante 1.610 99 further project is the creation of a hiking trail Oberkrämer (Vehlefanz, map based on aerial photography.The joint Eichstädt, Neu-Vehlefanz) 2.462 50 Bärenklau 1.158 142 project draws on the technical support of Marwitz 1.229 77 the Senior Technical College (TFH) in Berlin. Bötzow 2.115 112 A map has been completed for the north-

22 Krämer Forst

0 2 4 6 8 Access Contact Partners Museums Town Centre from downtown Berlin Förderverein Regionalpark Bockwindmühle Vehlefanz Kilometre Krämer Forst: (Vehlefanz) Residential Area Line and Frequency c/o Bürgermeister der Mühlen Museum Forest S Direction Hennigsdorf Gemeinde Schönwalde Breite Straße every 20 Min. Herrn Bodo Oehme 16727 Vehlefanz Lake RB / RE Direction Kremmen Sebastian-Bach-Str.10–12, every 20 / 60 Min. 14621 Schönwalde Kiln and Ceramic Museum Connection Road RE Direction Nauen Tel: (03322) 2484-0 Velten Federal Road every 30 Min. Fax: (03322) 2484-40 Wilhelm Strasse 32 Internet: 16727 Velten Motorway Travel Time www.kraemer-forst.de Tel: (03304) 31760 Total Area: 32.349 ha from Berlin-Friedrichstraße Opening hours:Wed–Sun S and Regional Train Kremmen: approx.60 Min. Tourism S Train Stations Area Distribution: Hennigsdorf: 33 Min. – Extensive cycling and Waldschule Pausin Agriculture 56% hiking trails: bicycle excur- Contact Partner: Mr.Wagner Regional Train Stations Other 2% sion route Dörferkranz, Tel: (033231) 60663 Water 2% bicycle and hiking route Regional and S- Train Traffic 4% “Alte Hamburger Poststraße”, Stations Settlements 5% other diverse bicycle excursions and hiking routes. – Horse stables Forest 31% – Golf course – Sights of interest: Königseiche, Zwölfbrüder- brücke, former Ziegen- brücke, Schönwalde Lock, Forsthaus Krämerpfuhl, Moospfuhl, Animal habitats. 23 Naturpark Barnim

Furnished with a generous supply of rare plants and animals, the Nature Park Barnim is something quite special among the regional parks.

The lakes for swimming in Barnim are particularly popular. On hot days Wandlitz and Liepnitz lakes draw thousands of bathers in search of cool waters. Photo: Agrarmuseum Water and Forest – typical elements of the Barnim.The Briesetal’s natural beauty is ideal for a leisurely walk. Photo: Liebke

The Barnim Plate (Pla- teau) is relatively fertile for Brandenburg on account of its loamy soil. About a third of the nature park is devoted to agriculture. Photo: Agrarmuseum

24 A Golden Link in the Chain Nature Park Barnim

The Plate component of the regional park ring.It Dr.Peter Gärtner is fascinated by “his”plate. covers only a part of the Barnim plate which The geologist is so fascinated that he wrote in fact extends well beyond the south-west his doctoral dissertation about it.“It had border of the nature park.The nature park is already originated 170,000 years ago in the approximately 750 km2 with five percent lying Saale ice age period.The “fine chiselling”was in Berlin,“in the Pankow and Reinickendorf the result of the much later glaciers of the precincts with a tiny part in Weissensee”,as Weichsel ice age about 15,000 years ago,” explained by the nature park director. explains Gärtner.The plate is the Barnim, the high plateau north of Berlin, bordered in the Forest and Water, Sand and Clay north by the Eberswalde and Berlin stream A relatively “slow”glacier in the Weichsel ice gullies and by the Oder valley in the East and age, which adjusted more to the effects of the the Havel lowland. Saale ice age than it shaped the landscape on Peter Gärtner is head of the Barnim Nature its own, left a whole series of different land- Park, the only nature park in spanning both scape components characterising the Barnim. Brandenburg and Berlin.The nature park is an For example, the waters: noticeable is the

25 prevalence of water-filled hollows eveywhere in the tilled fields throughout the plate.These are residue of the so-called dead ice from the last glacier more than 10,000 years ago.Then there are the many smaller and larger lakes which are also characteristic of the Barnim. Whether alone or strung together like pearls, these lakes form a main attraction for visitors to the region.Thousands of swimmers are drawn to their banks on hot summer days, esp.to the Liepnitz and Wandlitz lakes. At the opening of the Naturpark Barnim in May More than half of the nature park is covered 1999, the then-serving by large, connected woods and forests where environment minister pine trees predominate.The high beech of Brandenburg, Dr. Eber- hard Henne called the forests on the banks of the Liepnitz lake or in Naturpark the “gem” in the Barnim heath and the near-natural alder which resulted is to be turned into sheep Many Brandenburg the necklace of regional swamp forests in Finow and the Briesetal are pasture and by laying out hiking trails cleared avenues, with their high, parks. old growth groves, Photo: NP Barnim especially valuable. of munitions made accessible to the public. are famous far beyond There are only a few places where the glacier A nearly aquatic landscape, where in the past Germany. pushed elevated end moraines together.In four vegetable harvests per year were to be Photo: Fülle the south-east part of the nature park there had, emerged around Blankenfelde and Hob- is a line of hills between Wandlitz, Ladeburg, rechtsfelde.The Berlin municipal government Ruednitz and Trampe rising 80 meters.It is the decided in 1873 to use the fields just outside Barnim’s drainage divide separating the Oder of the city to drain sewage.The same here. catchment (Baltic Sea) and the Elbe (North Nearly 100 years later, the construction of Sea) and fixes the flow of the many streams sewage treatment plants made this type of The water-rich agrarian throughout the region, such as the Briese, the sewage disposal superfluous.Today the for- landscape of the Barnim, Finow, the Pregnitz, and Tegel creeks and the mer drainage fields are being converted into a with its 40 glacier ponds per hundred hectares, Panke. recreation landscape.Replanting of trees or is an ideal habitat for the At other places, for instance, between Biesen- the maintenance of cleared areas help make red-bellied toad which is thal and Melchow as well as in West Barnim them ideal for hiking. threatened with extinction. It is the heraldic ani- near Schönow, extensive dunes drifted Berlin contributes a couple of landscape gems mal of the park. together when the ice masses melted. to the nature park too.For instance, there is Even the logo shows the Another important, characteristic element of one of Berlin’s oldest nature conservation special role which Natur- the Barnim is also due to the glacial activity of areas, the tufa grounds on the Tegel Stream as park Barnim has. It does not belong to the uniform the last millennia:The ground moraine sur- well as the Buch Forest and the Karow Pond. design for the regional faces in the south-east part of the nature park The Panke,Tegel Stream and the Lietzen park logo but to the have loam-rich, soil which for Brandenburg is Graben are not only a natural biotope link system of logos for the Brandenburg major comparatively fertile.It is this area, comprising between the metropolis and Brandenburg – nature reserves.These all altogether a third of the nature park area, “green bridges”for plants and animals, but have a green “G” and an where most of the farming is done. also a fresh air vent for the important air additional symbol, usually a heraldic animal. exchange in the city. Photo: Schrumpf Under Fire and Sewage Drainage The grinding tank tracks, detonated shells, A Peculiarity Among the Regional Parks forest fires and deforestation of the military at The Barnim Nature Park is a special case the former manoeuvring areas near Trampe among the regional parks:“I have no difficul- and on the Schönow heath left deep scars in ties with the fact that we are both a nature the Markish sand.The species-rich, open heath park and a regional park,”said Peter Gärtner,

26 Naturpark Barnim

“Visitors should wherever possible come here with public transport and explore the park by foot, with a bicycle or canoe.“ peter gärtner, Nature Park Director

“Nonetheless our approach goes beyond that problems in the region.”Good reasons for this of the regional parks.”Though both park acceptance were that the Förderverein Natur- types share the basic idea of sustainable park Barnim which was started in 1996 by the regional development and recreational use Werkstatt Barnim understood itself as a round under conditions of landscape and natural table for the region.Also Dr.Mario Schrumpf, compatibility the regional park is an open the founding director of the nature park, did a combination of communities, while the good job with the preparation.Gärtner can nature park is a category anchored in the now reap the fruits of these efforts. Brandenburg and Berlin state nature conservation laws.At least half of its space must Making Connections consist of protected area.Nature and land- The alliance among large conservation areas scape preservation are the explicit and in which the Nature Park Barnim finds itself demonstrative aims of the nature park.“As a is also unusual.Here there are connections to state institution we also have our own admi- conservation areas such as the Biosphere nistration and budget,”adds Peter Gärtner. Reserve Schorfheide Chorin and Nature Park “Naturally that is an advantage.”In addition Uckermärkische Seen (Lakes) and all the there are the care of the area by nature kee- way Müritz National Park in Mecklenburg- pers, the nature park curatorium as perma- Western Pomerania.The neighbouring regio- nent agency, a care and development plan nal park Barnimer Feldmark is adjacent to containing the most important requirements the north-east.A bit further north, the nature for the area’s development.These are all ele- park extends almost as far as the National Above: Field glacier ponds like these near Trampe are water- ments which the regional parks do not have Park Odertal.These connections are not just filled hollows filled with at their disposal.Rare plants and animals interesting and valuable from the standpoint melted ice from the last together with a whole series of particularities of nature conservation.A nature and land- glacial period, left over after more than 10,000 years. also make the Nature Park Barnim an excep- scape potential exists from the Berlin districts Photo: Fülle tion. all the way to Poland and through Mecklen- burg-West Pomerania to the Baltic Sea which Below: The famous Heide- krautbahn has had to survive Fruits which the gardener can harvest can be used for recreation and tourism frequent setbacks in its True, for the reasons mentioned, the nature once accessible through cycling and hiking development. Above all there park development cannot be compared to trails.Swimming during the summer, hiking, was the destruction of the Second World War. Now the the other regional parks.On the other hand horseback riding, cycling and canoeing old connections are to be these are more advantageous conditions for have long been the favourite activities in the restored with tracks, stations measures, projects and facilities which may Barnim.Nature park director, Peter Gärtner and entrances repaired or rebuilt. serve as models for the regional parks.This is prefers “The visitors should wherever possible Photo: NP Barnim also apparent in the extremely active Förder- arrive with public transport and explore the verein (development association) but also nature park on foot, with a bicycle or canoe. in the numerous projects or in co-operation For this reason, our work will emphasise between the state and Berlin. development toward a ‘nature park easily Berlin even changed its state nature conser- accessible by public transport’.“ vation law in 1994 in order to be able to create the nature park together with the state Bicycle and Rail: Many Roads Lead of Brandenburg.Of course, that is not all.In to the Country addition to its landscape gems, Berlin contri- The nature park has numerous parallel pro- butes about two-fifths of the operating costs jects which aim to improve and expand the and one post.There are also a joint care and trail network and rail connections, service and maintenance plan and common projects. information for visitors.Thus the “Arbeitsge- Peter Gärtner can be especially pleased about meinschaft Wegesysteme”(Working Group for something else,“I have hardly any acceptance Route Systems) in the Werkstatt Barnim has

27 Towns and local actors have joined together either as working groups or associations to promote the regional park development. A nature park is a large nature preserve defined under Brandenburg and Berlin nature conservation law. It has its own administration and budget.

Basdorf terminal and reconstruction of the platforms and access will be started.“We are not only talking about the repair of infrastructure, above all we want to establish the link to the communities and the tourist surroundings,”emphasised Reinhold Dellmann, chairperson of the Förderverein Naturpark Barnim and former district manager in Wandlitz – today state legislator.That means transfer points, P&R parking spaces and bicycle stor- age areas.Dellmann is convinced that “much will change for the better in the coming years.”The local governments as shareholders in the Niederbarnim Eisenbahnaktiengesell- schaft (Lower Barnim Railroad Corporation) have a vital interest in these activities. An association is being founded to promote the project Nature Park Rail Station Melchow. The restauranteur, the local government, the Typical landscape ele- not only worked out a routing system.It further education facility “Weiterbildungsein- ments in the Naturpark Barnim along with forests, recommends seven main routes for hiking richtung Buchow e.V.”and the nature park avenues, and surface and cycling tours from Reinickendorf, Pankow, administration are all members.In Melchow, waters, the wide pastures Weißensee and Hohenschönhausen far into one should do more than just arrive.There – spotted with or surrounded by old growth trees. the Brandenburg countryside.They also have is to be comprehensive information, bicycles These blossoming chest- proposed a uniform bicycle trail sign system to rent, tours which can start.The Nature nut trees stand like Nature Watch staff, fore- for the entire region.In 1997, a “nature Watch will operate an Information Point at the thousand arm chandeliers sters and teachers all in the landscape con- park meridian“, a long-distance cycling trail station. provide expert explana- servation area “Schnelle tions and ideas in the from Berlin to Usedom was already opened Havel”. youth project “Abenteuer symbolically with a Berlin-Barnim cycling Together for Nature and Agriculture Photo: Liebke Barnim” (Barnim Adven- excursion which has been held annually since The visitor information centre for the Nature ture).This year’s theme: then.Jens Redlich from the AG Wegesystem Park is to be built in Wandlitz, the present Researching on the Forest’s Edge.That can be done of the Werkstatt Barnim is not yet satisfied location of the park administration.That is with the help of drawings, with the progress of the routing system also a speciality of the Barnim – the co-opera- photographs, poems and project.Problems of competence and shor- tion with the Wandlitz Agriculture Museum. experience reports.The 2 subjects of research can be tage of funds have meant that “too little First a 10,000 m meadow was purchased for the change of seasons on has happened in terms of practical imple- the new common museum and information the forest’s edge, the mentation.” centre with 3,000–4,000 m2 of exhibition plants and animals there and how they adapt to space.“We won’t only sit next to each other in their habitat.This project Everything will be OK, much will be the same house, ”explained Peter Gärtner, is intended to teach youth better ”we want to rework and expand the museum’s to understand the over- arching relationships: The old Heidekraut rail connections via Bas- exhibition together.It will show the inter- “The build up and strength dorf to the Märkisches Viertel (Berlin-Wil- action between landscape and nature down of a forest edge”, according helmsruh) and further into the centre first the centuries and explain why we need a to the project pamphlet, “depends on how long have to be entirely rebuilt.Within the next sustainable economic practice today.”Such a the forest behind it can three years 15 km of track is to be renewed, at promising, common approach to nature survive.” least five complete rail crossings are to be conversation and agriculture is not obvious Photo: NP Barnim built, the bridge across the Oder-Havel canal everywhere. will be rebuilt and essential renovation of the

28 Naturpark Barnim

Beautiful paths along the beets, chard, and a variety of herbs are pulled Fish otters, Elbe beaver banks lead around the and sold at the Berlin weekly markets. and water shrews can be many lakes in which the found in the near-nature forest reaches right up to Naturally one can buy these products directly flowing waters of the the bank.The photograph from the farm in Melchow (Fridays from Naturpark Barnim. Rare shows the hiking trail 3 PM to 7 PM). representatives of the along the banks of the bird world: blackbirds, Mühlenbecker Lake. Even the Berliner Stadtgüter, since 1990 king fisher, mountain Photo: NP Barnim returned to the State of Berlin, feel obliged to stilt, osprey, crane, land operate according to sustainable practices rail, white and black One of the landscape storks breed in this area. gems in the Berlin part of with closed material cycles. The Wandlitz and Liepnitz the Naturpark is one of In the Nature Park Barnim, the Berlin Stadt- Lakes both have the Berlin’s oldest nature güter operate the Schönerlinde estate with popular small maräne for preserves, the tufa terrain fish connoisseurs. along the Tegeler Fließ, its two farms, Schönerlinde and Lanke.“We and the Bucher forest and see no conflict between the aims of the Karow pond.The Panke, nature park and the operation of our agricul- the Tegeler Fließ and the Kietzengraben lowlands tural properties,”explained Torsten Hausen are like a“green bridge” of the Berliner Stadtgüter. between the city and country for plants, animals and people. Here Schönower Heide: Bunkering Bats is a plank-paved path. The IG Fledermausschutz (Bat Protection Photo:Tschörner League), a group of voluntary bat protectors in Berlin and Brandenburg, is creating, together with the nature park administration, a “transient quarters”in old bunker facilities.The bats will be quartered here until there are enough dead trees for them to take over in the park.The forest is being replanted as a mixed, deciduous forest rather than the previous pine-dominated This co-operative approach can also be found woods.“But this will take a little while.” in the projects with the agricultural co-opera- The bunkers not used for bat quarters tives Trampe and Liebenwalde.“We are are being gradually demolished.In addition, working on the “Red-bellied Toad Project” some 200 hectares of the Schönow Heath together with the Agri Co-operative Trampe have been cleared munitions to date. and with the Liebenwalders, we are planting On a further 240 hectares, the process hedgerows,”reports Gärtner.The red-bellied of determining whether the land is free of Fun in historical swimsuits toad is a typical inhabitant of the Barnim, with munitions hazard has yet to be done.In for the opening of the its flat, small ponds.Today it is threatened order to make the ecologically valuable beach in Wandlitz at the end of May 1999. with extinction.It is the heraldic animal of the heath and dry landscape accessible to the Photo: Agrarmuseum Nature Park Barnim and part of its logo. population, an excursion route from Schönow has been laid out for this pearl Eco-Joint Ventures of the nature park once munitions have The Melchhof residents in Melchow have ente- been cleared.Soon an observation tower is red a “joint venture”with nature and themsel- to be built.There is a heard of 500 merino ves – man and woman and “Ossis”-“Wessis", sheep who through their grazing will help fifty-fifty. The Bioland plant produces eco- maintain the heath.Other open spaces will rapeseed and grain, linseed, lupine, and pota- be left to their own natural development, toes.In the adjacent five hectare Demeter meaning that it will gradually become more Gardens carrots, celery, pastinaken, tomatoes, wooded.

29 Barnim Adventure for Young Researchers together with nature,”as Hildur-Mathias Ber- One project is of very special importance to nitz, one of the Pleinair’s initiators, has put it. the nature park administration: the “Barnim “Usually we produce pastels or watercolours,” Adventure“.The school project for the “Leben says Bernitz, who is a member of the am Waldrand“, planned for 2000, is being Development Association for the Nature Park implemented together with the Nature Park Barnim and the Art Society Treptow. Development Association, the Nature Watch, When the Pleinair is over, the work is shown the Brandenburg and Berlin school super- in a travelling exhibition.Bernitz is working visory authorities, the forest administration of on a documentation of the ’99 Pleinair which both states, and the nature conservation and he hopes to publish as a calendar for the year Art in the Naturpark.The illustration shows “Am environmental education institutions. 2001. Voßkanal” (On the Voss It is intended to promote children’s contact Another group of artists plan to integrate Canal) by Hildur-Mathias with local value and landscape.The research their “artistic interventions”into the develop- Bernitz (pastel, 1999) Bernitz is one of the results will be assessed by the nature park ment process from the very beginning.The initiators of the annual administration starting in August 2000.The project is called “Art in Dialogue with Nature” Landschaftspleinairs in best results will be awarded valuable prizes at and has its roots in the “Art in Nature”move- the Naturpark. Photo: Bernitz the nature park festival in September. ment in the USA.The initiators want to make the Nature Park Barnim the first “art in nature” Where Art and Nature Greet Each Other park in Germany.This is not to be a traditional Since 1998, Berlin and Brandenburg artists sculpture park but, a place in which an “inter- have been holding annually a “Landschafts- national discourse”about an “ecological pleinair”in Barnim.From ten days to two aesthetics”develops through the artistic sup- weeks each year in different places “to work port of the nature park. Data and Facts ((Daten und Fakten)) ((Daten und Fakten))

Population as of 1999: approx. 147.300 inhabitants

County / District / Population Population den- County / District / Population Population den- County / District / Population Population den- Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2)

BARNIM COUNTY BARNIM COUNTY OBERHAVEL COUNTY ...... amtsfrei Amt Panketal amtsfrei Stadt Eberswalde 45.876 790 Lobetal 692 87 Hohen Neuendorf 17.595 470 ...... Ladeburg 1.735 98 Birkenwerder 6.140 339 Amt Barnim Nord Rüdnitz 1.750 127 Glienicke/ Nordbahn 6.427 1.399 Finowfurt 7.191 113 Schönow 4.635 537 ...... Zepernick 10.550 812 Amt Liebenwalde Amt Biesenthal - Barnim ...... Hammer 648 32 Stadt Biesenthal 4.976 96 Amt Wandlitz Stadt Liebenwalde 2.571 79 Melchow 1.030 20 Klosterfelde 3.082 179 Neuholland 720 28 Danewitz 238 28 Prenden 421 22 Kreuzbruch 193 4 ...... Stolzenhagen 1.179 81 ...... Amt Britz-Chorin Wandlitz 4.167 260 Amt Oranienburg Land Hohenfinow 580 26 Lanke 631 18 Freienhagen 296 42 ...... Basdorf 4.207 315 Malz 424 24 Amt Groß Schönbeck (Schorfheide) Schönwalde 1.792 80 Zehlendorf 977 59 Zerpenschleuse 1.049 60 Schönerlinde 912 79 Schmachtenhagen 1.714 59 Marienwerder 877 45 Wensickendorf 932 42 Ruhlsdorf 490 26 MÄRKISCH-ODERLAND COUNTY Lehnitz 2.451 210 Sophienstädt 260 328 ...... Amt Falkenberg-Höhe Amt Schildow Falkenberg/ Mark 1.642 67 Zühlsdorf 1.326 82 Kruge/ Gersdorf 516 31 Mühlenbeck 2.580 136 Schönfließ 1.831 172

30 Naturpark Barnim

0 3 6 9 12 Access Travel Time Museums Town Centre from downtown Berlin from Berlin-Friedrichstraße Memorial and Museum of Kilometre Bernau: approx.40 Min. the former Concentration Residential Area Lines and Frequency Oranienburg: approx.45 Min. Camp Sachsenhausen Forest S Direction Bernau Wandlitz: 60 Min. (Oranienburg) every 20 Min. Heinrich-Grüber-Platz 3 Lake S Direction Blankenburg Contact Partners 16515 Oranienburg every 10 Min. Naturparkverwaltung Barnim Tel: (03301) 80 37 15 Connection Road S Direction Oranienburg Kirchstr.11, 16348 Wandlitz every 20 Min. Herr Dr.Gärtner Kreismuseum (County Federal Road RB from Karow to Basdorf Tel: (033397) 697-0 Museum Oranienburg) Motorway every 30 Min. Fax: (033397) 697 13 Breitestr.1 Total Area: 96.443 ha RE Direction Eberswalde 16515 Oranienburg S and Regional Train every 120 Min. Tourism Tel: (03301) 38 63 Area Distribution: Tourismusverein Naturpark Opening hours:Tue–Sun S Train Stations Agriculture 36% Barnim e.V., Amt Wandlitz Regional Train Stations Other 3% Prenzlauer Chaussee 157 Agrarmuseum (Agrarian Water 3% 16348 Wandlitz Museum Wandlitz) Regional and S- Train Traffic 4% Tel: (033397) 66-131 Breitscheidstr.22 Settlements 7% 16348 Wandlitz Stations Tourist Office Oranienburg, Tel: (033397) 215 58 Lehnitzstr.12c Forest 47% 16515 Oranienburg Tel: (03301) 70 48 33

Eberswalder Tourist Information, Stein Str.3, 16225 Eberswalde, Tel: (03334) 645 20 31 Some cities and villages in the Feldmark have romantic manorial parks which are pleasant places to stroll. In many of these parks there is a lot of restoration work necessary. Photo: RP BFM

The pleasant view of the city. It takes a 45 minutes fields in the Barnimer Feld- to get to the regional park mark makes it easy to from the middle of Berlin. forget the hectic of the big Photo: RP BFM

“Whoever want to travel in the Mark has to bring with him a love of ‘the country and the people’, at least no prejudices. He must have the good will to appreciate what is good rather than to kill it with carping comparisons. The traveller in the Mark must also be equipped to feel the sensitive qualities of nature and landscape. There are coarse eyes which can only see a glacier or a sea storm. They should stay home.” fontane 1864, Wanderungen, First Volume, Preface to the 2d edition.

32 Love at Second Sight Regional Park Barnimer Feldmark

There are landscapes whose fascination is development”in the best sense of the word.If only apparent upon taking a second look. as a result of these efforts more visitors come Such is the Barnimer Feldmark.Directly to discover the region and spend their free beyond the city’s, beyond the Marzahn and time here, then it is more than a welcome side Hohenschönhausen subdivisions, it is travelled effect.Work is being done on the Barnimer daily by thousands of motorists who use the Feldmark from both sides:The regional park B158, Berlin Ring or those riding on the extends from the Brandenburg community of regional rail line RB 25.However, it is still little Leuenberg, 25 kilometres east of Berlin, to the known as an exciting landscape for excur- village of Malchow, in the Berlin district of sions. Hohenschönhausen.In the meantime, it has That could change soon.Many citizens of the become a tradition that the most important region have been active for some years to participants in the regional park process meet bring the Barnimer Feldmark forward.They once a year at a so-called Landscape Day at want to create in this rural area which is their which experiences are shared and the year’s home more quality of life and “landscape activities presented.

33 The number of projects started and the remarkable energy of the local actors put the Barnimer Feldmark in the vanguard of the regional parks.

Without a doubt there has been considerable progress in the last four years.Brandenburger and Berliners no longer just talk about each other but, to each other.This success could not have been anticipated at the time the landscape planning firm ag.u Lange & Grigo- leit was first engaged for the Barnimer Feld- mark on behalf of the joint Spatial Planning Department Berlin-Brandenburg.

Two, Fit Together In the first place, the progress in the regional development of the Barnimer Feldmark is due to the many people active locally.Already in 1992, engaged citizens in Berlin formed the The annual Landschafts- More and More “Förderverein Landschaftspark Nordost e.V.” tage give the actors the The auditorium of the Fritz-Reuter Secondary (Landscape Developing Association) in order chance to get to know each other and to School is well-filled.About 200 people listen to create an attractive park for this residential exchange information. attentively to the director of the parks and district with insufficient recreational lands- Brandenburgers and gardens department for Berlin-Hohenschön- cape.There are 50 active members of the Berliners no longer talk about each other, rather hausen.Heinz Nabrowsky reports about the association who meet on weekends with they talk constructively difficulty of transforming 1,200 hectares of work and commitment for the attainment with each other. field on the edge of Berlin into a recreational of their goals.Among the 15 supporting insti- Photo: RP BFM landscape at a time when jobs are being cut tutional members are the public housing and the money is not even sufficient company,Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Hohen- to maintain the current public parks.He talks schönhausen, and local businesses . about the park landscape Barnim, a vision First in 1996, the Brandenburg part of the developed long ago before the “Wende”in Barnimer Feldmark founded in Blumberg its the pre-fabricated housing complexes and own association, the “Regionalpark Barnimer the nearby Brandenburg communities.Today Feldmark e.V.”Meanwhile 12 communities the park landscape Barnim is the Berlin part and the district Berlin-Hohenschönhausen of the Regional Park Barnimer Feldmark.Year have joined.“The co-operation with our Berlin after year, more and more people come to the pendant is very good,”says association presi- landscape conference to hear about the deve- dent Torsten Jeran.“We have better machines lopments in the Regional Park Barnimer Feld- mark.After three meetings in Brandenburg The Regional Park Run has communities, this 4th Landscape Conference been held twice. In 1999, is held in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen.The 98 runners started in the race under the patronage participants know each other and use the of Ahrensfelde District meeting to get into direct contact with other Manager Bernhard Woller- volunteer landscape attendants, farmers, mann.The race starts in Blumberg and runs over local businessmen, local politicians, admini- 11 kilometres through the strative officers, numerous mayors and even Barnimer Feldmark. In federal MPs such as Petra Bierwirth and 2000, the tradition of the Regional Park Run is to be the state representative Ralf Christoffers and continued. Reinhold Dellmann and Hartwig Berger, as Photo: RP BFM member of the Berlin city parliament.

34 Barnimer Feldmark

but, the association “Landschaftspark Nord- ost”can simply mobilise more people.We complement each other very well.”The several years of preparation in the Berlin association are noticeable. The landscape conference is only one of many activities run by the two associations.Torsten Jeran is of the opinion that such events as the annual “Regional Park Race”or the “Monu- ment Open House”in Blumenburg’s Lenné Hönow, the restaurant Park have contributed a new feeling of home. “Zur Alten Dorfschmiede” “Regional Park Barnimer Feldmark – we live and a view of the village. here”is the title of a self-confident pamphlet Photos: ag.u published by the association which calls attention to the beauties of the Feldmark. That is called “creating regional identity”in Work on the Network In 1840, Peter Joseph planner jargon: a positive feeling attached to The Barnimer Feldmark has both a good road Lenné drafted the plan for redesigning the palace home.It is an essential precondition for its link and is well served by the S-train and park in Blumberg to make maintenance and development. regional railway.However, much still has to an extensive landscape be done to make it sufficient for near-urban park.The path through the park has been restored Model Co-operation recreation.Therefore the construction of a making it an ideal route Out of the many projects which are promoted trail network of footpaths, cycling and riding for a stroll. Joachen by the two associations, there is one which trails with clear signs enjoys high priority. Wünsche from the Land- schaftspflegeverband, has stands out because of the exceptional co- The infrastructure in the Feldmark, esp.for supervised the restoration ordination which underlies it.The villages of bicycles – which was the main problem in work for several years. Ahrensfelde, Falkenberg,Wartenberg, Linden- 1996 – has been decisively improved. Guided tours are given annually during the open berg and Karow are to be connected by a During the previous three years, approxima- house “Day of Open main path through the Feldmark.The so-cal- tely 20 kilometres of foot paths and cycling Monuments”.The “palace” led “Barnimer Dörfertangente”(Barnim Village paths on old lines have been either repaired (manor house) of the von Arnim family burnt down Tangent) will be built up from an existing but or built anew.One third of the 30,000 hec- in 1945. barely useable line into a 20 kilometre long tare regional park has now been provided Photo: ag.u pedestrian and cyclist path.A segment from with marked paths.The main and local Lindenberg Mühle to Wartenberg settlement hiking trails have been marked and equip- is already finished.It is not only a success ped with signs and information plaques as that a path project has been implemented part of the trail sign system.There are rest across state lines.It is also being financed stops at interesting places and trail inter- from several sources: local government grants, sections. funds from the Federal Labour Office, state In the Hohenschönhausen part of the regio- funds, and private funding, some of which nal park, a six kilometre long riding trail comes as compensation for impositions made network was marked out in the Falkenberg on nature and the landscape.There must be Feldmark.An extension to 12 kilometres and a consensus as to regional development goals connection to the riding trail network in transcending the states and individual County Barnim are planned. communities.The regional park Barnimer Ulrich Jaenicke of Tiefensee has a special Feldmark has obviously become one of those amusement for those who have no intention common goals. of travelling by bicycle, on horseback or by coach.If everything goes according to plan, they will be able to purr down the land trails

35 The careful restoration of the Lenné park in Blumberg, the reconstruction of the farm labourer’s house in Falkenberg and the repair of the old natural stone wall in the Lindenberg cemetery are just examples of the building and garden monuments which are being preserved.

of the Barnimer Feldmark with an electric car. Daily practice shows just how much all invol- The prototypes being tested resemble luxury ved benefit.The farmers’market at the Linden golf carts.The cars, with a speed of up to Centre in Hohenschönhausen is of special 25 km/h, have a range of 100 kilometres on interest here.One week long consumers could one battery charge. see for themselves what the region had to offer in terms of natural beauty, food, and Vanguard of Regional Development tourism and test the quality of the products. The numerous projects started is evidence of In 1998, during the Barnimer Landtage, the the extraordinary ambitions of the local Hohenschönhausen district had organised actors, both the sponsoring associations and the farmers’market in front of the city’s shop- Without the support of people employed through job creation the individuals, places the Barnimer Feldmark ping centre.At the farmer’s market, they schemes much of the trail con- in the vanguard of regional parks in terms of could try the products directly.Many farmers struction and planting could park development. showed interest in making the farmers’mar- not have been accomplished. Photo: RP BFM

Interview Having a Good Time, too. Interview with Bernd Lichtenstein, Chairperson What is the Parklandschaft Barnim? Are you only engaged in landscape care and of the Förderverein Landschaftspark Nordost nature conservation? e.V.The Förderverein was founded in November It used to be called the Landschaftspark Nord- 1992 to bring together the interests of other ost.The name “Parklandschaft Barnim”has That depends on how you define landscape associations, businesses, institutions, and indi- only been used since 1994.It says more care.For some years we have been working on viduals who want to actively support the Park- clearly what the purpose is: not a traditional the restoration of a farm worker’s house in Fal- landschaft Barnim. Photo: privat park but a 1,400 hectare cultivated landscape kenberg.That seems so harmless: the run- in the districts of Weißensee and Hohen- down, landmark building has to be repaired What are the associa- schönhausen which has been used for agri- piece by piece.The engineers in the Verein tion’s aims? culture and now is to be made into an attrac- Baufachfrau Berlin have been giving us a lot of tive recreational landscape without losing its help.When the house is finished it will be tur- We want to be invol- typical characteristics.Today we see ourselves ned into the information and meeting centre ved and active as a as the Berlin part of the regional park Barni- for our association.This project allowed us to partner in all the plan- mer Feldmark. save a building of distinct cultural-historical ning which goes into value from permanent deterioration.Taking the Parklandschaft.Here we mean balancing Do you feel swallowed up by the regional park care of such cultural heritage is also part of the interests between nature conservation, idea? preserving the typical character of the Park- agriculture, village economic development and landschaft Barnim. recreation.We don’t just want to theorise .We Not at all.We see it as supporting our work. also do practical work such as planting and The regional park idea helped get things That all sounds like a lot of work. Does the asso- care activities with citizens, press work, infor- moving the Brandenburg towns.Co-operation ciation do anything to have fun? mation stands, tours.Our voluntary nature war- across the state borders has also improved dens make regular rounds to prevent wild rub- markedly.We co-operate very well with the Voluntary work has to have an element of fun. bish heaps and persuade dog-owners to keep Verein Regionalpark Barnimer Feldmark in For example, the stork festival at the Malchow their pets away from areas where they will sim- Blumberg and support each other.They are a nature conservation station brought 600 visi- ply scare the wildlife and grazing animals. kind of sister society for us in Brandenburg. tors last year.

36 Barnimer Feldmark

Farmers from the Feld- ket a weekly affair.As the Barnimer Feldmark mark sell their produce becomes better known chances increase to directly at the farmers’ markets like the one in bring the regional products a competitive Hohenschönhausen. advantage in supermarkets. The Development Association Regional Park Barnimer Feldmark registered the trademark “Der Feldmärker”in order to promote the sale of regional products.Till now the only product with this label is a herbal liqueur from a well-known maker of spirits in Hellersdorf- Kaulsdorf.In future, as many goods and services from the regional park as possible are to be organised under the trademark.“The name “Barnimer Feldmark”should sink in,”accor- berg or the reconstruction of the farm worker ding to Torsten Jeran.Perhaps “it may one day house in Falkenberg are just examples of be as well known as the Spreewald.” the many building and garden monuments ABM (job creation scheme) employees were which are being protected from further available to help implement numerous lands- deterioration.Landscape care has also been cape care and trail construction work: for undertaken parallel to building the Village instance the project “Landwirtschaft im Um- Tangent.The old natural stone wall of the bruch- Region im Aufwind”,a joint initiative of Lindenberg cemetery has also been repaired. the Labour Office and federal MP Petra Bier- A field hedgerow has been planted along the wirth.Here 20 persons, primarily unemployed Lindenberg stream. from the agriculture sector, found work again. In this and similar ABM projects, landscape Visions to Touch care and trail construction work were perfor- Public relations work is essential for success- med which would normally not have been ful regional development.Both associations possible save for the ABM employees. do intensive PR work.Along with the nume- Avenue trees and field hedges were planted rous pamphlets and brochures, the book Trail construction and landscape care between About a third of the throughout the regional park.Field ponds and “Visionen zum Anfassen – Der Regionalpark Seefeld and Blumberg as 300 km2 regional park is trenches were re-naturalised and old trails Barnimer Feldmark”was published in 1998. part of an ABM (job covered with hiking and creation scheme) pro- cycling trails.The Feld- cleared.Landscape care and maintenance Petra Rietzschel, the author and editor, has gramme. mark can also be explored of the cultural artefacts are both aims of the collected here many informative, interesting, Photos: RP BFM using the e-mobile. initiatives active in the regional park.The and entertaining details about the region, its Photo below: ag.u Photo right: RP BFM careful restoration of the Lenné park in Blum- inhabitants, towns.Even native Barnimers can expect to find out something new about the many-faceted history of their home.For example, “When King Friedrich I was visiting the church in Altlandsberg dating from 1671, he noticed a pew which was positioned away from the rest.When he asked why, he was told that that was the “poor sinner”pew and that during the service those who had caused offence in their way of life had to sit there. Then the king sat on the bench and said “Oh, we are all poor sinners!”Next Sunday the “poor sinners pew”was gone.A place where

37 The field stone churches the Prussian king had sat could scarcely be val, and cottage festival guarantee that envi- of the Markish villages are a part of Branden- used as a punishment.” ronmental pedagogy also has its share of fun. burg’s cultural heritage. Environmental education is also very impor- Many have been carefully tant in the regional park.The nature con- Means to the End restored. Some unite building styles in the walls servation station in Malchow (and Niederbar- Berlin’s approach to the Barnim landscape is which span over centuries. nim) offer a playful means of contact with necessarily different from that of the Bran- Every one has its own nature to children and youth.Planting fruit denburg communities.The sharp urban edge particular history to tell. trees, watching animals in the wild, care of resulting from the direct contact between the The illustration shows the church in Hönow in domestic animals and work with amphibian open landscape and the dense, large residen- Märkisch-Oderland. protection are examples of the nature tial blocks on the edge of Hohenschönhau- Photo:Wita experiences offered to young people from the sen, Hellersdorf, Marzahn is a peculiar charac- big city.The stations also offer adult educa- teristic of the region.At the same time this tion facilities.The stork festival, meadow festi- means that the recreational demands of the

Interview Interview with Torsten Jeran

Torsten Jeran is chairperson of the Regional- and construction of new commercial tracts tare regional park now park Barnimer Feldmark e.V. He has been active but, on sustainable use of the landscape.The has marked trails.A trail in the region for years. Feldmark should be made more suitable for guide system has been recreational purposes.Valuable landscape worked out by which the The Regionalpark Barnimer Feldmark associa- elements are to be protected and maintained. main and local hiking tion was founded in 1996.What did you do Fields are to be restored to their previous trails are marked and before that? diversity.Finally we are working to strengthen equipped with informa- regional identity.Only if we manage that will tion plaques.There are round benches and I was the regional desk officer of the Förder- our efforts be successful in the long run. resting areas set up at interesting points and trail werk Land- und Forstwirtschaft, a sponsor of intersections. landscape care and nature conservation work What has been accomplished in the regional under job creation schemes.Then we were park association’s last four years? At the 4th Landschaftstag in Hohenschönhausen pursuing similar goals to those of the regional there were about 200 participants. Did you park association today.At that time we didn’t The co-operation among the different commu- expect such a great response? have a comprehensive concept such as the nities has significantly improved.The regional regional park.The regional park has led to park as common agreed aim has made it easier Happily the number of participants in the Land- increased interest in our work on the part of the to get all the communities to meet together. schaftstage has been increasing steadily year-for- communities.We now co-operate more intensi- Twelve communes are now members of our year.However, not only the number of partici- vely with our Berlin partner. association.As far as the specific projects go, pants is important to me.I think it is more impor- we have dealt with the most critical problem, tant who comes together at these meetings.The How would you define the aims of the getting the hiking and cycling paths repaired. volunteers in nature conservation and landscape association? There is a dense network of field trails in the care were there along with many people from the Feldmark.Some of them are overgrown or local administration, many local politicians such We want to preserve the cultural landscape even ploughed under.The trail surfaces are as mayors, county or state parliamentary repre- together with the agriculture and forestry.We often in catastrophic condition; no fun for cyc- sentatives, tourism experts, local businessmen want to help give the Barnimer Feldmark a lists.We have been able to repair an estimated and farmers.The fact that the regional park idea sustainable economic structure which is not 20 kilometres of trail with the help of ABM has found such a broad basis of support makes just based upon extensive use of surface area staff.A third of the approximately 30,000 hec- me optimistic about the future. Photo: privat

38 Barnimer Feldmark

“The care of old cultural assets is also part of preserving the typical character of the park landscape Barnim.” bernd lichtenstein, Chairperson, Förderverein Landschaftspark Nordost

urban population and the resulting pressure on the Feldmark require a different concept than that of relatively sparsely settled Bran- denburg. The area use plan and landscape programme of the state of Berlin aim to create the fourth large near-urban recreation area for the under-supplied north-east part of the city.It is to serve the same function as the Tegeler and Spandauer Forst in the north-west, Grunewald in the south-west, or the Köpe- nicker forest and lake district in the south- east of the city.However, the character of the Feldmark is to be preserved.The parks and gardens department of Hohenschön- struction of the park Neue Wiesen was made The art ensemble in the hausen has made it their task to develop the possible with financial resources from com- Wartenberger Feldmark is a prominent landmark park landscape Barnim with both conceptual pensation measures.The modern landscape and popular meeting and practical contributions.Since there are architecture in the middle of the Barnim place. During the summer no investment resources in the tight Berlin field landscape near Karow-North is the result months young people enjoy coming together budget to support a fourth near-urban of a landscape planning competition.There is here around a camp fire. recreation area, the districts are forced to look also a competition result for the Gutspark Photo: FLNO for other sources of financing.EU funds from Falkenberg and a further competition being various development programmes have prepared for the Wartenberg Feldmark. become more and more important for both Art objects such as the Landmarke in the the Berlin and the Brandenburg parts of the Wartenberger Feldmark and modern land- Barnim. scape architecture which sets a design accent in the Feldmark make it clear: the Malchow Something New as Compensation meadow with the Malchow lake, the Falken- Whoever destroys nature and landscape must berg and Wartenberg Feldmark are on the either pay compensation or damages.The best way to becoming typical for a new near- Nature Protection Law requires it.The con- urban cultivated landscape.The project “Parklandschaft Barnim”has begun to take on Preserving the old and a form of its own. creating the new: Markish villages such as Birkholz make the region Landscape Ideal Feldmark all the more attractive. It may be that such singular “interventions” The modern landscape architecture of the park are necessary even in the areas of the Barni- “Neue Wiesen” (New mer Feldmark which are further from the city. Pastures) gives a new The region has to battle against the negative accent to the Feldmark. Photos: ag.u image of an “agrarian wasteland”.The fields typical of the region are often considered to be simply boring since there is neither a tree nor anything else to look at as wide as the horizon.Most people have a totally different image of a cultivated landscape: fields separated by wild hedges, a few trees, some shrubs, avenues and gullies.Here and there a brook winds through the landscape or a

39 In this region with relatively little water, the few larger lakes, such as the Haussee, are popular attractions.The “New Wiesen” is another kind of attraction: the “styled” park lies in the middle of the Feldmark near Karow (Berlin-Weißensee) like a ship at anchor. Photos: ag,u

pond.One recognises the villages from afar on landscape.This transformation is only possi- account of their characteristic church steeples. ble if farmers, conservationists, and landscape Fruit gardens on the village edge provide a carers work together.Agriculture will play an harmonious transition to the open fields.A increasing role in the maintenance of the picture like in any commercial. Barnimer cultivated landscape.The emphasis The idealised picture of the cultivated farm will shift from intensive production to landscape of the 19th century has nothing to landscape care.The results of this co-opera- do with the demands made by modern, tion can already be seen in the Börnicker industrialised agriculture.That is the difficulty: Fields near Bernau, the Wesendahler fruit The Feldmark must manage the transition farms or in the fields around Hirschfelde and from an evacuated agricultural landscape to Buchholz. an attractive, highly-differentiated recreational Here the Feldmark is divided into smaller forest segments, rows of trees, and avenues, Data and Facts ((Daten und Fakten)) remaining fruit trees.Several of the numerous glacial ponds have been renaturated and Population as of 1999: approx. 71.000 inhabitants planted.Soon they will become a more pro-

County / District / Population Population den- County / District / Population Population den- minent part of the landscape.The Wesen- Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) dahler fruit farm district on the eastern edge of the regional park and the fields before the BARNIM COUNTY MÄRKISCH-ODERLAND COUNTY forest mantel of the Strausberg forest and ...... Amt Werneuchen Amt Altlandsberg lake district around Hirschfelde and Buchholz Werneuchen 3.401 171 Altlandsberg 4.470 84 have a loosened structure created by the Weesow 220 20 Wesendahl 366 31 interplay of farm fields, village location, gar- Willmersdorf 287 22 Buchholz 174 23 Seefeld 1.665 95 Bruchmühle 1.396 563 dens on the village edge, forest edge, avenues Krummensee 307 32 ...... and fruit plantations. Hirschfelde 296 17 amtsfrei Schönfeld 396 22 Neuenhagen bei Berlin 13.993 715 Tiefensee 259 26 ...... A Landscape Waiting to Be Discovered ...... Amt Hoppegarten “Landscape development”has to be done in amtsfrei Hönow 4.895 366 many parts of the Barnimer Feldmark in order Bernau 24.254 440 ...... Amt Falkenberg-Höhe to enhance the attractiveness of its landscape Amt Panketal Beiersdorf 372 24 features.The first impression one gets when Börnicke 419 32 Brunow 196 20 driving through the region on the motorway Schwanebeck 3.974 310 Freudenberg 280 30 ...... Heckelberg 669 26 or a larger thoroughfare is only a superficial Amt Ahrensfelde/Blumberg one obtained on the way to either the Ahrensfelde 3.142 445 Oderbruch or the Märkische Schweiz, the Blumberg 2.159 83 Eiche 1.690 366 landscape highlights of eastern Brandenburg. Mehrow 492 52 One has to take the time and effort to stop Lindenberg 1.486 141 and look carefully around in order to discover the region’s beauty. 40 Barnimer Feldmark

0 2 4 6 8 Access Travel Time – Cycling and hiking trail Town Centre from downtown Berlin from Berlin-Friedrichstraße network under construction: Kilometre Hönow: approx.40 Min. Barnimer Feldmark Hiking Residential Area Line and Frequency Bernau: approx.40 Min. Trail, European long-distance Forest U Dir.Hönow: every 10 Min. Strausberg-Stadt: 60 Min. hiking trail,Theodor Fontane S Dir.Bernau: every 20 Min. Ahrensfelde: approx.35 Min. cycling trail, Regional park Lake S Dir.Strausberg: every 20 Min. cycling trail. S Dir.Ahrensfelde: every 15 Min. Contact Partners – Tours through regional Connection Road S Dir.Wartburg: every 20 Min. Regionalpark Barnimer park with electromobile Federal Road RE Dir.Bernau: every 120 Min. Feldmark e.V., (2-4 seater; 25 km/h) RB Dir.Tiefensee: every 60 Min. Herr Torsten Jeran REPABA Betreibergesellschaft Motorway RB Dir.Strausberg: every 60 Min. Mittelstr.3, 16356 Blumberg mbH,Tel: (030) 5437 61 25 Total Area: 42.373 ha Tel: (033394) 536 10 or (033398) 73 42 S and Regional Train Fax: (033394) 536 15 S Train Stations Area Distribution: Tel: (033394) 701 13 Museums Agriculture 64% Fax: (033394) 707 48 Henkerhaus (Bernau) Regional Train Stations Other 2% e-mail: regionalbuero.blum- Am Henkerhaus, 16321 Bernau Water 1% [email protected] Tel: (03338) 22 45 Regional and S- Train Traffic 5% Opening hours:Tue–Sun Stations Settlements 8% Tourism – Lenné Park in Blumberg Heimatmuseum (Bernau) Forest 21% – Märkische Heimvolkschule Museumsverwaltung in Heleneau with forest park, Hohensteinstr.26 stables, overnight accommo- 16321 Bernau dations (Helenenauer Weg 3, Tel: (03338) 84 59 16356 Elisenau) Opening hours:Tue–Sun – The Gamengrund (remarkable ice age gully) – Field stone churches 41 Spree banks near 398 km separate the Hangelsberg Spree from its source in Photo: AGM the Upper Lusatia to the mouth in Berlin-Spandau. Farm in Hartmannsdorf More than 50 km river Photo: AGM course lie in the regional park Müggel-Spree. Große Tränke/ Müggel- Spree. Photo: Arnhardt

“Only when we put the solidarity principle at the top of the list among participating communities is it possible for every participant to benefit from the development in the regional park.“ joachim schulze, Mayor of Erkner

42 „18 Club“ Regional Park Müggel-Spree

A wide bed, self-made On this morning, the calm in the wide Spree Berlin, who is responsible for the project.He meadows near Freienbrink is broken by the gives many reasons for the felling: these are whining of chain saws.The saw blades crush not indigenous trees; this means they offer the through the slender trunks of the Canadian animals only disadvantageous living conditi- hybrid poplars.The crowns begin to shake, the ons; they only make for a monotonous lands- saws are muted and for one everlasting cape and they have reached their age limit; moment the tree swings between standing meaning the next storm would make them and falling.Finally gravity has its way and the only a hazard for man and animals.The timely- nearly 20 metre high poplar comes crashing felled trees will have another use.Fifteen to the ground.Nature conservation by clea- youth from eight countries turned the trunks ring – that sounds almost contradictory. into wood sculptures during an international “The Spree meadows, the core of the regional youth camp.So ennobled, they will return near park Müggel-Spree, are thereby significantly their previous location: these artworks will increased in value“ assures Thomas Höhne serve as markers for the Müggel-Spree excur- from the planning firm Freie Planungsgruppe sion route.

43 “The region can only remain alive when the individual towns remain capable of living and acting, have a healthy economic structure and enough revenue, and the infrastructure functions. That is what we expect from the planning for the regional park Müggel-Spree“ heinrich jüttner, Mayor of Schöneiche, 1997

The felling action is one of many re-cultiva- tion measures being undertaken in the Müggel-Spree lowlands.By reactivating the Spree between the A10 motorway and the road from Spreeau to Hartmannsdorf, a “gearing of the river with the landscape“ is to be accomplished for an area of 870 hectares over the next ten years. In this way, the sins of the past, such as the isolation of stretches of river or the total draining of wet meadows will have been repaid.“We have to develop respect for the flood areas among both residents and visitors,“ emphasised Thomas Höhne.Eight million marks worth of compensation funds from the Handelslogistikzentrum Freienbrink Direction signs of a (Goods Distribution and Logistics Centre) special sort: On the were made available for the project by a grant Along the Spree, such as Müggel-Spree-Weg (trail) from the state development corporation.This here near Hangelsberg, poplar tree trunks return many of the hybrid to near where they grew money is compensation for the additional poplars which are not up – in the form of art. 50 hectares which had been sealed – thus native to the area are Photo: AGM creating impediments in the landscape’s felled for reasons of landscape care. water economy.The fact that the Brandenburg Photos: AGM environment ministry decided on the Spree lowlands as the compensation area now benefits the new regional park directly.After all the Müggelspree lends its name to this project. bank but the creation of a biotope link bet- Four ox-bow lakes which were cut through in ween the Spree and adjoining wastewater the beginning of the 60s will be brought back canals, the planting of woods, measures to into the course of the Spree.The river will restore wetland quality to the Triebsch lake find its own bed in this section over a longer moors and the layout of a natural forest tract. period of time through erosion and sedimen- However, nature compatibility cannot be the tation.“The Spree can again find its energy only criteria in the case of such a project. in the breadth of the river bed rather than in The renaturation also effects the land belon- the depth,“ explains Thomas Höhne. ging to three farms which will have to adjust By March 2001, prior to the beginning of prac- to the material cycles of a near-natural river tical work of restoring the Spree river dyna- flood-plain landscape.That makes conflicts mic, a water supply-ecological framework unavoidable.Therefore,Thomas Höhne concept has to be completed for the entire emphasises the consensus principle between Müggelspree between Wehr Große Tränke and government agencies, planners, riparian the Dämeritz Lake.In view of the good results owners and farmers.This principle demands obtained so far, it will be more comprehen- enormous amounts of time, patience and sive than the compensation measures on the willingness to compromise.However it results 32 km long Spree segment. in socially-responsible solutions which are The first accomplishments of the compensa- acceptable to everyone.The landscape plan- tion measures in the Müggelspree lowlands ner elaborates using the example of a dairy include not only the felling work on the river cow operation run by a farmer.The farm had

44 Müggel-Spree

From the standpoint of detrimentally changed the material balance of habitats on the Berlin periphery is unique for natural space, the very the lowlands by fertilising his maize fields. a conurbation in Europe.“ Hangelsberg, the valuable Berlin periphery is unique among Euro- After much debate, a new, extensive and more Löcknitz are part of this uniquely equipped pean conurbations. Large environmentally compatible farming method urban periphery of the regional park Müggel- areas with unbroken was adopted – heifer keeping. Spree. tracts of landscape, a wealth of forest and lakes The family farm of Dr.Joachim Lehmann, Innumerable lakes, canals, and the heavy impact of founded in 1990, has also specialised in exten- Park Development as Initiative from and trenches offer excel- the last ice age are all sive keeping of heifers and operates 825 Below lent recreational opportu- characteristics of the nities on the water. Müggel-Spree regional hectares, of which 600 hectares are wet mea- Regional Park Müggel-Spree, under this Photo: AGM park. dows.Lehmann also invests in riding and umbrella originally 17 communities in the water tourism.“These businesses help finance county Oder-Spree, one from Märkisch-Oder- the high cost of the wet meadows,“ explained land, and the Berlin district Köpenick have the farmer with a Ph.D.,“because without come together as an “initiative from below“ in agriculture, without open meadows, the natu- order to “sustainably develop together the ral riches of the Spree lowlands cannot be settlement area between Fürstenwalde preserved.“ and Köpenick“.That is what is written in the 1998 park charter. Surprisingly Antagonistic This regional park project also received It remains a surprising effect: a bit more than support from they joint Spatial Planning a half hour ago one had to push through the Department: the commissioned the planning crowds of people on the Alexander Platz to firm RAUMKONZEPT 5 to draft a development get to the train station.Now, disembarking concept and agree it with all those effected. the RE1 regional express train at the passen- The nearly 55,000 hectare regional park ger stop Hangelsberg (train station would be extends from Fürstenwalde in the East a gross exaggeration), the noise and hectic through Erkner to Berlin-Köpenick in the west. of the Berlin metropolis belong to the distant The landscape is both expansive and unbro- past – nearly unreal.A few steps and one is in ken.The innumerable forests and lakes and the Löcknitz valley.One can enjoy pure forest the heavy influence of the last ice age on the The kick-off event for the and water, gradually relax in the quiet of the surface are characteristic of the Müggel-Spree regional park Müggel- forest to which one is unaccustomed. Park.Wide plains, rolling hills, valleys and Spree was held in the old The dry language of the landscape planner lakes, distinctive end moraines as high relief town hall in Fürstenwalde on the Spree in 1997. can scarcely convey this feeling when soberly hills such as the Rauener Berge or the Photo: Arnhardt describing “the high concentration of natural Kranichsberge near Woltersdorf make for a highly varied landscape.The very substantial forest, nearly 60% on the Brandenburg side, is predominantly pine.There is also an increasing amount of deciduous and mixed deciduous forest with its characteristically richer variety of species. To a certain extent the life line of this area is formed by the numerous surface waters, from salt springs and rills, stream courses and creeks to rivers and lakes.This picture alterna- tes with wide fields scattered with village settlements as well as heaths, dry turf, moors, and open pasture and meadow landscape in the Spree lowland between Dämeritz Lake and Fürstenwalde, from whence the regional

45 Just half an hour ago, in the crowds on Alexander Platz – suddenly in the Löcknitz valley to enjoy pure forest and water.

Rüdersdorf and Woltersdorf along with the Grünheide lake chain.This is a trump card that the manager of the Fremdenverkehrs- vereins Grünheider Wald- und Seengebiet e.V., Helmut Ortlepp, plays again today.“The area around Erkner is a traditional excursion destination for Berlin.Every fourth tripper from the capital – according to a new study – comes to us,“ emphasises Ortlepp.He justifies his expectation that the number visitors can be increased even further by pointing to the good public transport connections with S-train, regional trains, buses and trams – but also because of the new regional park.This allows “existing concepts and structures to be Landscape beauty, wealth park’s name comes.Visitors to the area can optimised.“ The Berlin perspective is similar. of forests and waters made discover for themselves cultural-historical For example, water tourism: Köpenick has the Müggel-Spree into a traditional excursion desti- traces , such as those of the Cistercian monks marked out 135 km of waterways for its nation early on. who built a field monastery in Kagel in 1249 visitors.But the total waterway network all Photo: Uhlenhut or of Friedrich the Great whose colonisation the way to the Oder is around 2,000 kilomet- in the 18th century continued with the foun- res.That makes it even more interesting for a ding of villages, farmsteads, and individual vacation.One of the preconditions for settlements such as Gosen (1753), Braunsdorf, bringing more visitors to the region between Friedrichshagen and Müggelheim (1774). Fürstenwalde and Köpenick is to make the trip as comfortable as possible.That means Traditional Excursion Destinations co-ordinating the services which make it for Berlin possible to get to all of the landscape and A different kind of “colonisation“ started architecturally interesting attractions.Invest- toward the end of the 19th century when Ber- ment in infrastructure is needed.Also the liners moved to the countryside at the week- gastronomy, accommodation, transport safety end–above all to such places as Schöneiche, and marketing must be improved.

Legend The Mermaid in the Werlsee (Werl Lake) The following story is told about the Werl angry that he promised his soul to the devil Island and hope for her release.She gives Lake near Grünheide: if he would punish her for this disgrace whomever she meets a ring.Each time she Once upon a time there was a castle on the by sinking the castle and princess into the implores banks of the Werl Lake.A beautiful princess lake. the one she meets to say nothing of their lived there.The tragedy began when she The devil did not need to be asked twice. meeting for at least a year.Only then can she became old enough to marry.Many suitors But before he could do anything a good fairy, be released.But no matter how silent the came and asked for her hand.She turned who had overheard the pact with the people of the Mark may be, no one has ever them all away.Then came a foreign prince, prince, turned the princess into a mermaid. kept the story to himself for an entire year. spoiled by successes obtained in league Since that time the castle continues to lie at with the devil.When she also refused his the bottom of the lake.The princess may only Source: Dr.Peter Leisering; Im Müggel-Spree- proposal he was so deeply disappointed and appear every 100 years on the Lindwall Park unterwegs, Dezember 1998.

46 Müggel-Spree

For Everyone’s Use route for hikers and cyclists.It is to be com- When following the Müggel-Spree excursion How is that supposed to happen when there pleted with the help of a job creation route, the ideal starting is so little money to go around? The resources scheme. point is Köpenick with of individuals have all been claimed, whether The planning firm “RAUMKONZEPT 5“ concei- its baroque palace, the city hall and its famous “Haupt- it is from an association, community or busin- ved the Müggel-Spree-Weg as part of its mann”.The route leads ess.If energy is not bundled there can be no entire development proposal.This excursion from there to Friedrichs- progress, either in tourism, economic deve- route connects like a string of pearls all the hagen, Schöneiche with lopment, residential settlement or transport special places in the region.At 30 locations the “small Spreewald” to Rüdersdorf with the or in housing construction.Nor can any new the tourist is provided information about “Museum Park Baustoff- The well-marked Müggel- industrie” (building Spree-Weg is the back- employment be created.“It is important to local offers, peculiarities and attractions.In materials) for geological bone of the regional park’s place the solidarity principle in the centre of addition, there is information provided about excursions. Further stops trail network efforts among the communities.Only in this six communities which do not lie directly on include Woltersdorf, Photo: AGM way can development help everyone invol- the route.This makes the Müggel-Spree-Weg Erkner, Grünheide, Kagel, ved,“ confirms Joachim Schulze, mayor of the backbone of the trail network in the Kienbaum, Mönchwinkel, Hangelsberg and Fürsten- Erkner.An example which shows that this can regional park.Cross-connections to other walde, the easternmost function is the joint wastewater administra- parts of the Müggel-Spree park branch off point on the trail. After tion Erkner/ Strausberg with its 26 member like fine nerve cords from this spine.The that comes a side trip to the Rauener Berge with communities.Schulze is chairperson.“Because Müggel-Spree trail is intended to ignite the a view over the Spree we planned and invested together we were entire development of the park. lowlands.The trail predo- able to obtain stable and acceptable water minantly follows the course of the Spree, tou- prices for our citizens”,he says. Work on the Way ches on Braunsdorf, With this situation it was easy to persuade The communal working group of the Auen- Markgrafpieske, Spreen- local decision-makers and government agen- und Gewässerschutzverein Müggelspree e.V. hagen, Hartmannsdorf, Neu Zittau and Gosen until cies to accept the offer from Berlin and Bran- has been given responsibility for the job Berlin territory is reached denburg states to bundle available resources creation scheme which the Fürstenwalde in Müggelheim. and funds for the development of the regio- labour office approved for building the hiking nal park.The communities began to join trail.The association was founded in 1997 ori- together to increase their weight in dealing ginally as local contact partner for partici- with the state, federal government and EU in pants and effected parties during the com- Brussels when funding is to be granted. pensation measures “Renaturation of the The regional park activities of the joint Spatial Müggelspree“.Since then it has made a name One of Berlin’s beautiful sides, the city panorama Planning Department helped to counteract for itself in the region with a number of well- of Köpenick. the thoroughly rampant build up of settle- attended lectures and information events, the Photo: Uhlenhut ments in the landscape.The town was just as threatened as Schöneiche by exceptional settlement interest according to Mayor Schulze.

String of Pearls That is why the communities took the initiative for the park’s further development.Schö- neiche’s mayor Heinrich Jüttner, his colleague in Erkner and the Grünheide district manager, Heinrich Friedrich all pushed to form as soon as possible a competent decision-making body.This led to the creation of the communal working group with its now 19 members. The first project they agreed was the Müggel- Spree-Weg, a 142 kilometre long excursion

47 The “Kleine Markgrafen- region.“ Mayor Heinrich Jüttner hopes that stein” in the Rauener Bergen near Fürstenwalde. more can be accomplished with financial sup- This is also where the port from the business community.In his opi- boulder came from which nion, there is a need to catch up on this issue. Christian Gottlieb Cantian (1828–31) had made into The regional park demands thinking in long- the granite bowl for the term dimensions.All involved agree.“Ten to fif- Alte Museum on the Lust teen years for the development of a park is Garden in Berlin.The 70 nothing,“ says Helmut Ortlepp of the Frem- ton bowl was chiselled out and loaded onto a special denverkehrsverein Grünheider Wald und Seen- barge and brought via initiative for wood sculptures at an interna- gebiet.No matter how long the journey is it the Spree to Berlin. It was tional youth camp and a “Grün macht Schule“ always starts with the first tiny steps.These then brought to a half- timber house set up for (green goes to school) project. have been taken and they were successful. with a steam-driven grin- In mid-December 1998, 100 ABM employees ding machine where it was worked in six groups for half a year.42 held cut and polished. It was considered to be a “world positions longer.In 2000, the project is to be wonder of the Biedermeier brought to a first conclusion with 10 persons. Museums period.” The tasks include to make and install trail Heimat Museum Schöneiche Heimat Museum Köpenick Photo: AGM bei Berlin, Dorfaue 8 (currently) Lindenstraße 5 signs for the guide system – red dot on a 15566 Schöneiche bei Berlin Tel: 65016220 white rectangle – to build shelters, benches, Tel: (030) 6495901 Data and Facts guard rails and bridges, to take care of the Historisches Sudhaus, oldest biotopes lying along the lines and to thin out Museum Park Baustoff- brewery in Berlin, Müggelsee- Population as of 1999: approx. 89.000 inhabitants industrie Rüdersdorf damm, 12587 Berlin-Köpenick the cycling trail to Fürstenwalde. Heinitzstr.11, Tel: 2491931 County / District / Population Population den- 15562 Rüdersdorf, 2 Town (1999) sity (Inh./km ) Dimension for Decades Tel: (033638) 60633 Museum im Wasserwerk History of Berlin’s ODER-SPREE COUNTY The progress made in the Müggel-Spree-Weg Lookout Tower Woltersdorf water supply with100-year- ...... proves that the basic idea of the regional and Heimatstube Wolters- old operating maschines, amtsfrei park is sound: individuals and groups have dorf/Lock, Gerald Ramm Müggelseedamm 307, Fürstenwalde 34.019 482 Rüdersdorfer Str.105 Tel: 86447695 Erkner 12.160 733 come to recognise the utility of the park for 15569 Woltersdorf ...... their own purposes.That applies especially to Tel: (03362) 5479 Laundry Museum amtsfrei the business community.The regional park Grandma’s laundry with Schöneiche 10.921 657 Gerhart-Hauptmann-Museum rarities from several centuries Woltersdorf 6.365 698 has only one chance to succeed – by convin- Gerhart-Hauptmann-Str.1-2 Every 1st Friday, 3-6 PM ...... cing business enterprises to work with us,“ 15537 Erkner, Luisenstr.23, 12557 Berlin- Amt Grünheide Schöneiche’s Mayor Jüttner puts it succinctly. Tel: (03262) 3663 Köpenick,Tel: 6516424 Grünheide (Mark) 3.430 130 Kagel 763 34 Nonetheless the scepticism and hesitation of Exhibition Centre Fürsten- Water Sport Museum Hangelsberg 1.639 40 business and trade associations toward the walde Im Alten Rathaus, Regattastraße 141 Mönchwinkel 276 40 regional park development remains. Rathausstraße Tel: 674 40 02 Spreeau 480 35 15517 Fürstenwalde Kienbaum 312 37 To overcome this a development association Tel: (03361) 2394 Heimatstube and Museum ...... for the regional park was founded.“The asso- Chausseestraße 5, Amt Spreenhagen ciation wants to serve as a link between Museum Fürstenwalde 15518 Rauen Spreenhagen 1.699 49 business and the local authorities,“ assures Domstr.1, 15517 Fürsten- Braunsdorf 220 8 walde,Tel: (03361) 2130 Gosen 1.159 512 Mayor Joachim Schulze of Erkner.The deve- Hartmannsdorf 602 17 lopment association provides a vehicle Heimat Museum Mönch- Markgrafpieske 820 21 through which economic actors such as small winkel, Spreeauer Str.32 Neu Zittau 1.340 105 15528 Mönchwinkel Rauen 1.812 85 businesses, farmers, restaurants and boarding Tel.(033632) 5630 houses can participate more directly.District MÄRKISCH-ODERLAND COUNTY manager Heinz Friedrich sees further advan- Heimat Museum Erkner ...... Heinrich-Heine-Str.16 Amt Rüdersdorf tages:“This compensates for the lack of a 15537 Erkner, Rüdersdorf 10.771 1.593 middle class or commercial association in the Tel.(03362) 22452

48 Müggel-Spree

0 2 4 6 8 Access Contact Partners Woltersdorf: Lock dating from Town Centre from downtown Berlin Regionalparkverein Müggel- 1557, oldest technical Kilometre Spree c/o Gemeinde Schönei- machine in the Berlin water- Residential Area Lines and Frequency che bei Berlin, Bürgermeister way network, Fridus house Forest S Direction Erkner Herr Heinrich Jüttner, with garden.Early historical every 20 Min. Brandenburgische Straße 40, film city from 1921–1939, Lake RE Direction Erkner / 15566 Schöneiche 50 films, Das indische Grab- Fürstenwalde, every 30 Min. Tel: (030) 643304-0 mahl, Der Tiger von Eschna- Connection Road Fax: (030) 643304-111 pur, old tram connection Travel Time between Rahnsdorf and Wol- Federal Road Erkner: approx.25-45 Min. Auen- und Gewässerschutz- tersdorf, observation tower Motorway Fürstenwalde: approx.45 Min. verein Müggelspree e.V., on the Kranichsberg. Total Area: 44.914 ha HLZ/GP Freienbrink, S and Regional Train Eichenstr.10 / A3, Rauen: late Gothic field stone Area Distribution: 15528 Spreeau, church, Steigerhaus (fore- S Train Stations Agriculture 22% Tel/Fax: (03362) 501705 man’s house) “Glück auf“. Regional Train Stations Other 4% Water 3% Tourism Gosen: 1752 cross commons Regional and S- Train Traffic 4% Köpenick: Old town and palace with church, colonists houses Settlements 8% with arts and crafts museum, Stations Rathaus. Fürstenwalde: ruins of city Forest 59% wall, Bullen tower, cathedral, Schöneiche:Village commons landmark complex “Altes with half-timber house, village Bischofschloss“ (Old Bishop’s church; palace park with old Palace), city park with old growth groves, forest tram growth groves and lawns, between Friedrichshagen and largest town forest in Bran- Rüdersdorf; culture foundry. denburg

49 Curse or Blessing? The expansion of the Schöne- feld airport conceals both opportunities and risks. Photo: KTVD

The houses of the Gropius Stadt shine white in the sun. Directly next door the open landscape begins. The sharp edge of the city is typical for the regional park Photo:Wita

Church in Großziethen Photo:Wita

The development of the landscape and regional economy could give a decisive impulse to the communities around the airport – together it could bring the location an entirely new quality.

50 Waiting for ... Regional Park Flutgrabenaue

Southeast of Berlin, between the settlement Pedestrians find something like wide-ranging axes along the Berlin-Königs Wusterhausen- “wilderness”and solitude not far from the Cottbus and Berlin-Rangsdorf-Dresden rail road.There is nothing to indicate how close lines, lies the development area for the regio- the airport is.Only during the annual ILA nal park “Flutgrabenaue”.It extends from (International Air Show) at the Schönefeld Buckow and Rudow through Großziethen and Airport do the daring exercises of the pilots Schönefeld via the Berlin Ring as far as Königs training for their demonstration flights Wusterhausen in the south and up to Eich- remind one of the airport’s proximity. walde, Schulzendorf and Wildau in the east. The region is in a holding pattern.The plan- Here the city’s edge can be clearly recognised. ned expansion of the Schönefeld airport to Coming from Berlin, the huge white apart- become the metropolitan airport Berlin-Bran- ment blocks of Gropius Stadt shine in the sun. denburg International – and the problems Then the big city tumult ends abruptly.Traffic expected as a result – make it necessary to is visibly reduced.One drives through flat, wait with the plans for the regional park.As if sparsely-settled land. in a trance, the “rabbit”regional park “stares”

51 Almost no other place displays the abruptness of the transition from densely-built urban residences to open fields as the border between the Gropius Stadt subdivision in Berlin and the neighbouring district of Großziethen in Brandenburg.

near Waßmannsdorf and flows with its exten- The town of Eichwalde was founded 120 years ago ded system of streams and canals through as “Gut Radeland im the towns of Kiekebusch and Schulzendorf. Eichenwald” and deve- Near Zeuthen it flows into Lake Zeuthen.The loped into the later suburb of Berlin.The remarkable, Flutgrabenaue, particularly valuable as land- 300 year old oaks, the 1912 scape because the unobstructed canal system water tower and the links many different biotope forms.Alder St. Antonius Church built in swamps, damp meadows, fallow land, mixed 1913 are all worth seeing. In Wildau there is a historic forests, and extensively farmed pasture landmark workers’ settle- are connected through the stream system of ment which was part of the Flutgraben.At the same time, the Flut- the former Schwarzkopff Locomotive factory.The grabenaue is habitat for rare and threatened town of Zeuthen, originally plant and animal types such as the water a 7th/8th century Slavic milfoil, crested and water salamanders.The settlement, was intensively settled in the 19th century banks consist overwhelmingly of uncultivated with the Kolonie Rauch- The condition in the Ber- at the “snake”airport.As long as the snake earth.That means there has been no human fangswerder. Here the lin-Brandenburg “border doesn’t move, neither does the rabbit. activity either for farming or peat extraction. points of interest are the zone”: Lake Zeuthen field stone church dating belongs to Berlin on the The region has its potential and landscape This is unusual in the cultivated landscape from the 13th/14th eastern bank and to beauty independent of when the airport near a big city.In Schulzendorf, the Flutgra- century, the Villa Herzog of Brandenburg on the west comes.There is hardly any other place where ben runs just half a kilometre through the 1910 as well as the 1901 bank. city hall, originally built as Photo: KTVD the abrupt transition from densely built-up 290 hectare nature conservation reserve “Wal- a school. Lake Zeuthen is urban residential area to open field is so tersdorfer Flutgrabenaue ”and more than fine for boating, swimming clearly visible as the boundary between the three kilometres through an ecologically very or relaxing along its cool banks. In Königs Wuster- large Gropiusstadt settlement in Berlin and valuable area. hausen some of the tourist the neighbouring district Großziethen in attractions include the Brandenburg. Fieldstone Churches, Old Oaks, childhood palace of the Aeroplanes and Locomotives later Soldier-King Wilhelm I as well as a radio museum Connected by Trenches Because the region is so expansive and flat, it to visit. This clear division between the open country is very attractive to cyclists, hikers, for horse- side and the densely-constructed city limits is back riding and kite flying.There are already particularly characteristic of the western good hiking and cycling trails connecting the part of the development area Regional Park villages.Near Schmöckwitz, a part of the Flutgraben.In the Bohnsdorf precinct of Fontane hiking trail runs into the Flutgraben- Treptow district, the field landscape crosses aue regional park.The open field and proxi- over into the city.This is a significant climatic mity to Schönefeld Airport is also very attrac- compensation for the densely populated tive to aviation buffs since it is possible to quarter. watch the airport activity from open nature. In the south-west, the heights of the “Kienitz Königs Wusterhausen Hills”offer a wide panorama of the coun- Palace was built at the end tryside and stimulating contrast to the flat of the 17th century on the basis of a remodelled fields in the west.The fields themselves are old knight’s castle. It was broken up by the low meadows of the Rudow one of the favourite places stream which flows through Großziethen to for Friedrich Wilhelm I. His son, Friedrich der the south and the Flutgrabenaue.The forests Große, had already aban- and lake district of the Dahme begin to the doned the palace in 1740. east of the regional park. The palace is to become a museum. The Flutgraben, the element of the regional Photo: KTVD park from which the name comes, originates

52 Flutgrabenaue

Selchow also has a form.Many communities directly near the beautiful Markish field stone church. future metropolitan airport hope that they Photo:Wita will grow economically and reckon with a lot of money from compensation measures for improving near-urban recreation and nature conservation.Those communities further away from the airport fear that the expanded airport will be more disadvantage- The Schulzendorfer ous for their development.Because of their Schlosssaal (palace hall) hosts concerts, distance they don’t expect to profit economi- readings, lectures and cally.Rather the increasing noise and air theatre performances. pollution will undermine their attractiveness Photo: KTVD as near-urban recreation areas and residential communities. A citizens’association with 15 local groups has been founded to oppose the official airport planning.They are fighting to preserve the living and recreational quality of the region.Therefore the association supports Sperenberg as an alternative airport location. The towns in the eastern part have a totally Parallel to that 15 towns have joined together Orientation route: different character.There are more forests to form the league “Umlandgemeinden To get an impression of and waters.Most of the centres in the Markish Flughafen Schönefeld”.Their goal is also to the entire area conceived road and commons villages have survived, prevent the airport expansion.Instead they for the regional park development, the follo- e.g.Alt-Schutzendorf with its historic land- want the landscape qualities in the region wing route is recommen- mark commons. to be preserved and economic development ded: from underground as a near-urban recreation area to be station Rudow proceed to Waßmannsdorf, then Aspiring Region? strengthened. to Selchow in the Groß- Commercial development plays a greater role ziethen hills past Toll- in the communities to the north and west krung, Rotberg till Kie- kebusch. From here there where the landscape is less attractive for are two alternatives: near-urban recreation.It is oriented economi- either left and north cally toward Berlin, highly commercial Teltow along the Flutgrabenaue to Schulzendorf and at Park or the area around the metropolitan the end turn left to airport. Eichwalde to come to the The abundance of forests and lakes in the Parking lots near S-train station Eichwalde. communities of the eastern part of the plan- Waltersdorf Or one takes the road Photo:Wita from Kiekebusch further ned regional park contributes most to their straight on, through the potential – above all because of their quali- From 6–12 June 2000 the motorway underpass ties as residential and near-urban recreation fifth international Air and toward Falkenhorst. Space Exhibition was held Just after Falkenhorst, in areas.These towns are more oriented east- in Berlin-Schönefeld.The Miersdorf turn right ward toward the adjacent Dahme lake district ILA is one of the world’s toward Wildau, Hoher- and Berlin-Köpenick.Both the Schönefeld largest aerospace trade lehme and then to the rail fairs. Since 1992, the connection in Königs airport and the supra-regional shopping cen- exhibition space has more Wusterhausen tre in Waltersdorf are central characteristics than doubled.The show of the area. draws an enormous num- The community attitudes toward the planned ber of visitors. metropolitan airport are by no means uni- Photo: KTVD

53 A league, like a germ for a future regional park, in any case a basis for co-operation between the effected communities – even if their primary aim now is to prevent the construction of the metropolitan airport. Fishing is a popular hobby everywhere.The state Pollution and Compensation fishermen’s association No one disputes that the Schönefeld airport has adopted in its by-laws environmental protection expansion will have a substantial impact on and nature conservation the landscape and natural balance: build up, as further aims. Respon- sealing, break up through access lines, sible fishermen arrive where possible without a restricted access, as well as noise and pol- car and come by foot, lutant emissions will result.At the same time, leave no rubbish behind there is an enormous amount of money for protection and care of nature in the Flutgra- View, looking toward and do without “wild Berlin, of the building site camping” and fires. compensation measures tied to it.These benaue regional park as well as its develop- for the Waßmannsdorf Photo: KTVD funds could be targeted for bundles of balan- ment for recreational purposes. water treatment plant. cing measures and development of the regio- Landscape development and promotion of Photo:Wita nal park. the regional economy could give the commu- The Landschaftspflegeverein Teltow-Fläming nities near the airport the decisive impulse (landscape care association) in the regio- to co-operate in order to bring the location a nal park Teltow also wants to use the money new quality. available for compensation measures to expand its activities to the east and build Celebrate Festivals and Experience more trails. Local Colour Rangsdorf, in Teltow regional park, is to be Notwithstanding the problems described, the come the intersection for cycling trails. first measures have been planned and imple- That would make a good connection to the mented to improve the contact to nature. Flutgrabenaue possible. Eichenwalde and Schulzendorf have long The Naturschutzbund (NABU) in Eichwalde planned to build a trail along the Triftgraben and the Kultur-und Tourismusverband to Flutgraben.An environment day is held Dahmeland e.V.are both actively promoting annually in Schulzendorf.An exhibition about the animals and plants which inhabit the Flutgrabenaue is planned for 2000.Zeuthen publishes an extensive culture and recreation calendar.Events range from concerts in the village church to the traditional fishermen’s festival.These and other activities could be taken as a point of departure for a common leisure and tourism concept for the region.The Tourismusverband Dahmeland e.V. has shown increasing interest in the regional park idea. Because of its earlier use for drainage fields, there are many trenches in the regional park.They divide and animate the landscape. Photo: Uhlenhut

54 Flutgrabenaue

0 2 4 6 8 Tourism Museums Town Centre Bukow: old road village of Heimat Museum Königs Kilometre Slavic origin, fieldstone Wusterhausen Residential Area church from the 13th century. Opening hours: Forest November–March: Mo–Fr 10 Access Eichwalde: originally “Gut AM–4 PM, April–October: Lake from downtown Berlin Radeland”in the middle of Tu–Sa 10 AM–4 PM Eichenwald, since 1893 a Connection Road Lines and Frequency country town.The St.Anto- Broadcast and Radio Museum S / RE Direction Königs Wuster- nius Church was erected on Opening hours: Tu/ Th Federal Road hausen: every 20 / 120 Min. the site of the former manor 9 AM–3:30 PM, Sa/ Su 1–5 PM Motorway S / RE Direction Blankenfelde: house in 1913.Water Tower every 20 / 60 Min. erected in 1912. Königs Wusterhausen: Heimat S and Regional Train RE Direction Zossen: Museum, Broadcast and Radio every 60 Min. Schulzendorf: historic land- Museum, Lock in Neue Mühle, S Train Stations mark medieval village centre Hunting lodge of Friedrich Regional Train Stations Travel time Wilhelm I. from Berlin-Friedrichstrasse: Wildau:Workers’settlement Regional and S- Train Königs Wusterhausen: of the former Schwarzkopff approx 50 Min./ 35 Min. locomotive factory,“Höllen- Stations Blankenfelde: approx 35 Min. grund”nature sanctuary, Zossen: approx 45 Min. Zeuthen: old Slavic village, rectangular fieldstone church in Miersdorf, 13th /14th century, Herzog Villa (1910)

55 From a bird’s eye view, the drainage field landscape can be recognised from the table-shaped basins. Photo: Knauer

The industrial age has had S-train bridge across the a strong impact on the Teltow Canal landscape in Teltow Park. Photos:Wita Today commercial and service companies are rushing into the region Photos:Wita

Hikers, cyclists, and riders can roam through the wide barely hilly landscape of Teltow Park for hours without being cut off by a factory grounds or getting in each others way.

56 Calm and Bustle Regional Park Teltow Park

Market of Opportunities like “not another trendy idea?”and “What does It is a damp, cold Saturday morning in Hei- that have to do with me?” nersdorf, a small town on the southern edge There is still so much to do.Good concepts for of Berlin near the B101.The vendors are a regional park have to be developed and wrapped in cotton jackets behind their stands implemented.Moreover, much has to be done selling bread, butter, cheese honey, fruit, to convey the regional park idea with its baskets or pottery, clothes and CDs.It would manifold potential to the hearts and minds of certainly be more comfortable at home now. the people.They must be able to imagine However, the Heinersdorf market is a tradition what it is and then their agreement has to held in summer and winter regardless of the be won. weather.The shoppers stroll with their Still there are no signs to show the stranger umbrellas past the market stands.Have they the way to the colourful Heinersdorf market. ever heard of a regional park? We want to The locals just know it.Obviously it must be know.“Teltow Park? Never heard of it,”was the worth the effort to come here regardless most frequent response.Then came remarks of weather and to bypass the big supermar-

57 Even the Teltow Park is no rigid form with a fence around it or immovable borders. Whoever wants to get involved is welcome.

To develop new residen- active citizens.“We need to make the attrac- tial areas without squan- dering the landscape tiveness of our landscape visible,”says Jürgen “capital” – an aim of the Muschinsky,“ and want to live, work and find regional park. recreation in small familiar landscapes. Photo:Wita Why is it more advantageous for a fruit cock- tail maker from a neighbouring village to sell his product in Hamburg than locally? Why do people from Berlin drive hundreds of kilometres by car on vacation – and overlook the beauty of the landscape in their own front gardens?”Muschinsky hopes that the “We want to make the The regional train stops future will provide new answers to these exciting aspects of our hourly in Teltow-Stadt at a landscape visible and live, brand-new platform. In questions. work and enjoy recreation 2003, 2004 at the latest, in small, familiar land- the new S-train will run The Mix Makes the Difference scape areas.” here.Today it is already Jürgen Muschinsky,Verein running as far as Blan- After the fall of the Wall, the area to the south für Landschaftspflege kenfelde again. From Zoo of Berlin around Klein Machnow and Teltow und Umweltschutz Teltow- Station to Rangsdorf became the most desirable settlement area in Fläming takes a good half an hour. Photo: LPV-TF During rush hour it is all of Brandenburg.Home builders ran here as almost impossible to find fast as industrial and commercial enterprises. a seat on this line. The good transport links, the proximity to the Apparently many car-dri- vers have changed to kets in Teltow or south of Tempelhof, Steglitz Berlin metropolis, the direct connection to taking the train. In Spring and Zehlendorf.How would it look here on a the good and expensive residential locations 1999, the S-train station beautiful Spring day when the grey, eerie in the city’s south-west, the mix of old Lichterfelde-Süd also returned to operation. former border battalion garrison has finally village communities, new subdivisions, indu- This is a good point of been demolished; when there is a playground stry, commerce and agriculture with fallow departure for bicycle and a paved bicycle path which survives a drainage fields, cultural-historical sights, tours through the Teltow cloud burst; when an information plaque stables, and tree-lined avenues make the area Park. Bus No. 185 runs directly from Wittenberg shows where the cycling or hiking trails an obvious attraction.The aviation engine Platz to the city’s edge. are that lead through the cultural-historical maintenance plant and engine factory in Photo:Wita attractions in Teltow Park? To this day, it Dahlewitz add to a reputation for modernity. remains just a vision. Seventy medium-sized companies have moved to the 30,000 m2 “green park”,creating Fruit Cocktails on Long Distance Journeys 1,300 jobs.Only a third of the space has been However, there are a lot of plans for Teltow built up.There is still enough space for new Park.Not all of them are buried in a desk investors. draw.Park supporters have already developed Hikers, cyclists, and riders can roam for hours many activities.Take Jürgen Muschinsky.He through the wide, hilly landscape without was mayor of Rangsdorf in 1993 when he being obstructed by factory buildings or run- co-founded the “Verein für Landschaftspflege ning into each other. und Umweltschutz Teltow-Fläming”(land- Because of the enormous interest in settling scape care association) and later started the in the area, it is necessary to protect the area’s expert advisory council Teltow Park within the character: from uncontrolled “green fields” Landschaftspflege association.Everyone is construction of housing or industrial buildings represented here who has an interest in the which do not conform with actual demand – future of the Teltow Park: forester representa- and always is accompanied by road construc- tives, landscape planners, the Berliner Stadt- tion and increased traffic volume. güter, restaurant and hotel owners, farmers,

58 Teltow Park

Joining In Welcome There are innumerable possibilities open for the development of Teltow Park.That is if the communities involved are successful in creating and nurturing the regional park together from the bottom up before further investors present them with a fait accompli. About 20 communities want to have a say in the Teltow Park.Understandably each one has its own ideas, sets its own priorities and knows just what it opposes.(”North Bypass, No.”“Metropolitan Airport, no thank you!”). Defining what one is “for”is much more difficult.Even more difficult is co-ordinating with neighbouring communities, reaching a consensus on common aims and projects. Just as with all the other regional parks, Teltow Park is not a rigid form with a fence around it or inflexibly fixed boundaries. Whoever wants to get involved is welcome. other, create visual axes in the various com- There is almost no map Whoever is preoccupied with other problems pass points and lake vistas, for instance where the Nymph Lake near Rangsdorf is and withdraws is certain to be welcome back the Glienicker Weinberg.We will market our shown.The former clay later.The work of the regional park is neither tourist attractions together with the quarry possesses a a compulsory event nor a planning “mob”. Tourismusverband Teltow-Fläming and the magical atmosphere. Photo: LPV-TF The regional park can only be created with Tourismusverband Potsdam.” the active, lively and voluntary involvement of It makes no difference to Peter Gleich land and people. whether Rangsdorf and the other interested communities belong to Teltow Park or to the In the Middle of Development Regional Park Flutgrabenaue – or whether Strictly speaking, Rangsdorf is not part of the it functions as the link between both regional regional park area.However, this is where parks.“Rangsdorf is a multiple crossing for the Verein für Landschaftspflege und Umwelt- all directions,”he says and points to the schutz Teltow-Fläming, one of the pillars of regional train station as well as the cycling the regional park, has its headquarters.The and hiking trail intersection.“The northern Rangsdorf mayor, Peter Gleich, sees a promi- connection to Dahlewitz and Blankenfelde is sing perspective in the regional park idea. already finished,”explains Gleich,“the condi- There is great interest among the communi- tion of the southern connection toward ties adjacent to the Nature Conservation Zossen has to be improved.”To the east, the

Reserve, Rangsdorfer See (Lake Rangsdorf). Nudower gravel pond Even more commercial and industrial sites, Photo:Wita “That won’t do,”says the mayor.“In the end,we search for nature which is our greatest capital.”One counts on tourism, above all hiking, cycling and riding.A supra-regional cycling and hiking trail concept is to be worked out and implemented, e.g.once around the Rangsdorf Lake.“We have to plan together, connect the most beautiful places to each

59 The commitment to the regional park can only function as the result of active, lively, and voluntary contact to the country and people.

neighbouring county Dahme-Spree and the town Mittenwalde can be reached, to the west as far as Jühnsdorf.“There we have to fill a gap to Ludwigsfelde.”The mayor said that, together with the Teltow-Fläming Tourist Board, the cycling routes are being marked so that every cyclist can reach his destination Sees a promising perspective in the regional park without any problem. development: the Rangs- dorf mayor Peter Gleich Just Like Home Photo: LPV-TF The conception for the cycling and hiking trail network in Teltow Park is the core of regional park development and near-urban recreation. It is being supported by the Deutsche Bun- desstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Environ- ment Foundation) as one of five model projects for regional, environmentally-friendly The Charm of the Region Cut off on the Nuthe economic cycles in the new federal states. Calm and bustle lie close together in the Graben Photo:Wita 283 trails and roads were examined by the regional park – that is the charm of Teltow staff of Natur &Text Brandenburg.Innume- Park.It gradually unfolds with the completion rable discussions were held with government of each new kilometre of the 100–150 kilome- authorities, experts, and conservationists tre long bicycle trail network.Now there are to locate the ecological taboo zones, attrac- only a few kilometres finished between Groß- tive landmark buildings and unspectacular beeren and Genshagen as well as between but remarkable peculiarities and hidden Diedersdorf and Blankenfelde.However good parks. things take time: it takes patience to bring the Teltow Park already has a dense network of interests of all involved under one roof.Citi- trails.However many trails are unpaved or zens’initiatives, conservationists, landowners, paved with field stones making them unfit town and county councillors all want to have for cycling.The cycling trail concept was sub- their interests taken into account and find mitted in Spring 1997.It included both the them included in common projects.The land- existing trails and plans for improvement and scape care association has neither the money, expansion to make them suitable for cyclists. the personnel, nor the authority to implement The main routes begin and end, without the plan on their own.Jürgen Muschinsky exception, at either bus stops, S-train or regio- does not dispute this.He holds to the motto: nal train stations and already have names: “the good ideas will triumph in the end”and Spitzendorf, Rieselfelderweg, Stadt-Land-Weg remains loyal to his vision of Teltow Park. and Teltow-Nuthe-Weg.They lead through a varied landscape where there are also The combination of beach industrial monuments from, i.e.the period and beer garden at the Rangsdorf Lake is when drainage fields were used, past histori- something the residents cal relics of the victory over Napoleon near are very proud of. Großbeeren in 1813 or the former manor Photo: LPV-TF house, Schloss Diedersdorf.On the way there are numerous restaurants where “home cooking”is offered.The cycling routes lead not only through areas accessible to motorised excursions but also through some wilderness.

60 Teltow Park

Water March to Former Drainage for nearly a hundred years.The water would Fields ... have to be diverted from the sewage treat- The small “turf”of Markus Mohn lies between ment plant in Waßmannsdorf. Großbeeren and the railway to Ludwigsfelde. It is part of the former drainage fields which ... Or Water Skiing on Plastic Sheets had replaced faecal waste collection in the The town fathers are very supportive of this 80s of the 19th century.Since the middle of project.While this is being checked, the asso- the 90s, when Markus Mohn was performing ciation is proceeding with more long term his alternative service at the Verein für Land- plans.In a couple of years, when the sewage schaftspflege und Umweltschutz Teltow- treatment plant in Falkenberg is closed and Fläming, the landscape planning student has Waßmannsdorf assumes those functions been interested in the area.If asked what there would be enough waste water to reac- could be done with the drainage fields, he tivate wide areas of drainage fields in Teltow bubbles over with ideas. Park.Using drainage water, these fields could Of the drainage fields built until 1930, there be kept wet.Regional water circulation could are only a few remaining hectares used for be regenerated.Resting places for geese sewage drainage of mechanically-biologically would emerge.Markus Mohn knows that such treated wastewater.In Teltow Park the ideas are in competition with totally different drainage fields lay fallow.Nonetheless they ideas and projects.Wasserski Großbeeren remain a characteristic of the landscape.Rec- GmbH has the bold idea to invest three mil- tangular, so-called tables – basin-like areas lion marks to start and water ski and swim- The ventilation pipe in the drainage fields near bordered by ditches and dikes – now left ming paradise from scratch.To do that a four Sputendorf can be seen to nature itself.Near Großbeeren one table hectare artificial lake is to be dug.Its bottom from afar. It has been has been declared a historical landmark.The lined with a plastic sheet.Up to 20 water declared a technical landmark. pipe belonging to it, earlier a kind of release skiers should be able to use the 1000 meter Photo: Schöbel valve, can be seen from afar projecting into long course.Another investor wants to use a the landscape.Directly next to it is a visibly part of the drainage fields on the other side weather-beaten construction trailer.One of the railway line for a nine-hole golf course. of the two short cycling trails just finished It must be said however, there have often begins here.There are only a couple of been such proposals in Brandenburg which hundred meters of sand path to the road were never implemented. leading from Großbeeren to Neubeeren.This Already in the mid-90s the Verein für Land- is where day trippers are to be “diverted”from schaftspflege und Umweltschutz Teltow- the main route to find themselves “lost”at Fläming began to follow the concept of an this industrial monument.Cyclists could visit established farmers’market such as is typical a table filled with water for exhibition for the regional park concepts in other purposes and see how drainage fields worked regions.

Board meeting of the Land- schaftspflegeverein Teltow- Fläming Photo: LPV-TF

Photo left: Kleinmachnow Lock Photo:Wita

61 numerous smaller ones.This was much more successful.Today there are such direct sales locations in Diedersdorf at the Schloss, in Dahlewitz, Rangsdorf, Blankenfelde, and Groß- beeren. Environmental education is very important: During a hike with district Awakening Love of Nature forester Stephan Parsiegla Co-operation with day care centres and learning and experiencing schools play a big role for the landscape care nature and technology. Photo: LPV-TF association.The “Waldhaus Blankenfelde” is a model project initiated by the association Right: the Bäkemühle chairman and forest warden Stephan (mill) in Kleinmachnow Photo:Wita Parsiegla.Not a house but a “backpack forest school”.Efforts are being made to acquire the former munitions depot in Blankenfelde from the Bundesvermögensamt (Federal Asset Office), but there is still no purchase offer. Now flexibility is called for.Meetings with teachers and pupils take place outdoors.The However this is not as easy as it might seem. Waldschule is held directly where there is The first attempt to organise a regular far- something interesting to discover and to mers’market was not very successful.“Many teach.Every six months, the “Waldhaus” farmers found the distance too far or they publishes a new programme with forester already had their own sales channels rea- hikes, forest rallies, rubbish picnics, bird-watching as far as Berlin.The others did not earn ching excursions and diverse project days the money they had expected,”according to for children and teachers.Stephan Parsiegla is Jürgen Muschinsky.The idea of a central proud that the annual report of the 1999 farmers’market was abandoned in favour of “Waldhaus”had 194 events with 4,532 visitors.The numbers have steadily increased each year.When the seven kilometre long ((Daten und Fakten)) Data and Facts “Blankenfelder See”nature instruction path Population as of 1999: approx. 91.000 inhabitants was opened, the local dignitaries, from the mayor of Dahlewitz to the Head Forester, County / District / Population Population den- County / District / Population Population den- Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) all praised the work of the “Waldhaus”and thanked the volunteers who help run it. POTSDAM COUNTY TELTOW-FLÄMIG COUNTY Without their commitment the “Waldhaus ...... Blankenfelde”could not continue to exist. Amtsfrei Amtsfrei Kleinmachnow 14.162 1.189 Ludwigsfelde 22.857 255 Many ideas have been developed in Teltow Stadt Teltow 16.823 781 ...... Park to improve the cultivated/cultural ...... Amt Blankenfelde/Mahlow landscape.As long as there are too few Amt Rehbrücke Mahlow 7.799 524 Philippsthal 180 89 Blankenfelde 9.606 783 participants to implement these ideas, that is Nudow 334 40 Diedersdorf 710 65 all they will remain. Saarmund 1.472 115 Jühnsdorf 270 24 Fahlhorst 119 26 ...... Amt Ludwigsfelde-Land Amt Stahnsdorf Großbeeren 4.939 121 Stahnsdorf 8.468 609 Ahrensdorf 666 87 Güterfelde 1.569 85 Schenkenhorst 449 62 Sputendorf 563 59

62 Teltow Park

0 2 4 6 8 Access Contact Partners Museum Stube im Town Centre from downtown Berlin Fachbeirat des Landschafts- Gedenkturm (Großbeeren) Kilometre pflegevereins Teltow-Fläming Dorfstr.12, Residential Area Lines and Frequency Herr Muschinsky 14979 Großbeeren Forest S / RE Direction Blankenfelde: Erlenweg 1, 15834 Rangsdorf Tel: (033701) 305 every 20 / 60 Min. Tel: (033708) 208 21 Lake RE Direction Ludwigsfelde Fax: (033708) 225 29 Museum der Stadt every 60 Min. Ludwigsfelde, Connection Road Tourism Rathausstr.58, Travel Time – planned or already comple- 14974 Ludwigsfelde Federal Road from Berlin-Friedrichstrasse ted cycling trail network: Tel: (03378) 804999 Motorway Blankenfelde: approx.35 Min. Sputendorfer Rieselfelderweg, Opening hours:Tue,Thu–Sat Total Area: 29.759 ha Ludwigsfelde: Diedersdorfer Heideweg, S and Regional Train approx.40 Min. Stadt-Land-Weg und Teltow- Bauern Museum Area Distribution: Nuthe-Weg (Blankensee), Dorfstr.4, S Train Stations Agriculture 54% – Numerous historic landmark 14959 Blankensee Regional Train Stations Other 2% industrial monuments Tel: (033 731) 80011 Water 2% Opening hours:Wed–Sun Regional and S- Train Traffic 7% Museums Settlements 13% Heimat Stube (Kleinmachnow) Stations Zehlendorfer Damm 100 Forest 22% 14532 Kleinmachnow Tel: (033203) 220 68

Heimat Museum Stadt Teltow K.-Niederkirchner-Str.5D 14513 Teltow Tel: (03328) 474120 Opening hours: Sundays 63 Belvedere: a visual axis can be clearly recognised to and from the Flatow- tower in Babelsberg Park. Photo: Münch

“With the bridge across Splendid vista: The the Wublitz we were able Glienicke Bridge as seen to bring the towns of the from the air. It connects Havel Forum much closer Potsdam and Berlin in together in a relatively close proximity to the short time” Werner Große, Glienicke Palace and Glie- Mayor and District Manager nicke Hunting Lodge and in of Werder. view of the Babelsberg Photo: Solmsdorf Palace. North of the bridge, the Havel widens out into the Jungfern Lake. Photo: Uhlenhut

“If we want to restore the basic structures of the cultural landscape on the Havel Lakes, then we can only do it together.“ werner große, Mayor and District Manager of Werder

64 Splendid Vistas Regional Park Potsdamer Havelseen

A Net(work) of Belvederes in an created gentle hills and steeply ascending Historical Landscape knolls.The landscape so created has been In and around Potsdam, most of the gardens thankfully accepted from the time of the first and parks laid out in English landscape style pre-Christian settlements to the present. by the landscape architect Peter Joseph That which these mighty forces created was Lenné are UNESCO-designated world cultural subjected to constant changes through human heritage.This is only the icing on the cake endeavour.Above all, starting in the middle when compared to all the distinctive traces of the 17th century, the Prussian aristocracy left by another landscape designer in the built residences, hunting and pleasure palaces region.The last ice age moved billions of here.Famous architects such as Schinkel and cubic metres of earth and gravel; transported Stüler built palaces, manor houses, and chur- tons of boulders thousands of kilometres, ches commissioned by the Prussian kings. shaped plates and lowlands; dug depressions Peter Joseph Lenné presented his “Verschöne- for rivers and lakes; raised islands; formed rungsplan der Umgebung von Potsdam“ pointed horns and curved bays on the banks; (Beautification Plan for Potsdam and Vicinity)

65 The “alpha and omega” for further successful implementation of the many planned projects in the Havel lakes region is a co-ordinated policy among the riparian communities.

with the southernmost point being Petzow lity and kings.It includes properties in Pots- on the spit between Schwielowsee (Lake dam, Caputh, Marquardt, Petzow, and Paretz, Schwielow) and Glindower See.In his plans today collectively known as the Potsdam he selected the Pfauen Insel (Peacock Island) culture landscape.The “Wende”brought with and Ferch in the Havel with its many lakes as it rapid structural change which naturally the centre, since from the water ridges and had its impact.The reasons for that were the A typical characteristic of quays make a greater impression on the eye. disappearance of jobs in agriculture and the Mark: fruit tree avenues. Fruit trees were industry and an often exaggerated construc- planted along old rural Rapid Changes tion euphoria in the communes, leading to roads and field trails. The cultural landscape which had emerged the wild build up of shopping centres, com- Photo: Münch over the past 300 years is a unique park and mercial parks, golf courses, and swimming palace landscape built for the Prussian nobi- pools – wherever possible in “green fields”.

Spring Feeling “When the cherries bloom, the magic word is Werder.“

The greatest attraction of the small Havel Paul Fechter describes the journey to such victims – at the end of the platform town Werder are the fruit blossoms which Werder: where the suburban trains wait to return to turn the town and its vicinity into blooming "Everything starts very early in the morning. Berlin. In the past, a wide haystack was garden of red and pink each year. In 1879, The steamers to Werder embark early... placed there especially for the Sundays of at the instance of the fruit breeder Wilhelm one doesn’t travel just for this year’s the blossoming season. Wils, the Obstbauverein zu Werder foun- blossoms, but for the final result from the The Blossom Festival was a good source of ded the previous year resolved to use the previous year, the new fruit wine. One walks income for the Werder inhabitants: Berliners fourteen days in which the trees blossom along sandy and firm trails, spirited strollers amused themselves and Werderians and Werder’s beautiful situation surrounded from any steamer station, fast and deter- cashed in.” by water for advertising effect.The high mined from the railway station into the city Photo: AGM point of the blooming was announced to all and through the sand which for whatever the Berlin newspapers. So many people reason has been left in its original soft from the metropolis responded that the condition, up to the Bismarck-, to Friedrichs- railroad had to run a special train from höhe, or to the Rauenstein. One eats or Berlin to Werder on the 10th, 11th and 12th doesn’t depending on how fast the drink is of May 1879.The main attraction was the to take effect... Wachtelberg where the beer from Werder The men treat the wine from Werder the and a sausage stand was set up to satisfy way they would the beer from Schultheiß. the demands of visiting Berliners. They stick to the quantity and that has its This first historically documented Blossom effect – and fast in the realm of inebriation excursion was so well received that now but, equally quick in departing this divine every year thousands stream to Werder by precinct.The women are cleverer.They ship, by rail, by kremser, bicycles and also enjoy the slower increase...They show here by foot for the Blossom Festival to be served that the Prussian form has penetrated the fruit wines. In the best years, the island feminine soul much deeper than the town in the Mark with its 8,000 residents masculine.They are all too quickly beyond welcomed over 100,000 Berliners coming control and end there where a wise railway for a weekend excursion. administration anticipated the end for

66 Potsdamer Havelseen

The increased relocation of people to the Havel Lakes region – predominantly from Berlin – and the often long, drawn-out real estate transfers which took place, in part due to the unification treaty, also played a role. All of these things threatened the survival of what remains of this cultural heritage.The parks and palaces outside of Potsdam were even more effected.On the other hand, since 1991, the palaces and parks of the state capital are listed by the UNESCO as “imperis- hable cultural and natural heritage of our world”for which very sensitive and deman- ding design requirements apply.

A Public Matter The Brandenburg Ministry for Urban Develop- The village of Petzow It was under these circumstances that the ment, Housing, and Transport (MSWV) sup- which today belongs to Werder was previously Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten ports the Gemeinde Forum as a model of the seat of the von (BDLA-Federation of German Landscape Archi- inter-communal co-operation.The aim is to Kähne family. It has a park tects) demanded that guidelines be drafted win over the local initiatives, associations, and designed by Lenné (1789–1866) which and proposed a forum “Potsdamer Kulturland- trade organisations as participants “so that shaped the landscape schaft”in order to work these out.Along with the care and development of the Potsdam between Glindow Lake the BDLA, the initiative was supported by Cultural Landscape does not remain just a and Schwielow Lake. Karl Friedrich Schinkel the Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA), the task for government agencies – rather that (1781–1841) designed Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst und this be accepted as a public matter,”thus the church and the Landschaftspflege (DGGL-German Society argues Prof.Dr.Renate Fritz-Haendeler of the neo-gothic manor house. for Gardening and Landscape Care), the Pück- MSWV. Photo: Münch ler Gesellschaft (Pückler Society) and the Vereinigung für Stadt- Regional- und Landes- Building a Bridge Across the Wublitz planung (SRL- Union for Urban, Regional and The Berlin planning firm “Forschungsgruppe State Planning).The communities on the Havel Stadt & Dorf”is dedicated to this task.That shores were to be involved in this project means now they are charged with setting up from the very beginning because the plan- a business office to function as a kind of orga- ning and development of the region should nisation and co-ordination centre for the grow “from below”.Thus the Kulturforum Gemeinde Forum. became the cradle of the Gemeinde Forum The council of mayors, the central decision- Havelseen.In 1995, the Gemeinde Forum was making body, has decided that the most founded by the villages Caputh, Ferch, Geltow, important task and objective is to create Glindow, Golm, Kemnitz, Phöben,Töplitz common supra-community action plans and and the cities of Potsdam and Werder with formulate eligible projects and see to their the precincts Petzow and Bliesendorf. implementation.This means urban construc- ”We have our common traditions and roots in tion and village development taking into this region on the Havel banks.If we want account historical aspects, traffic infrastruc- to rebuild the cultural landscape in its basic ture with public transport, including bicycle structures then we can only do it together,” and pedestrian traffic, the development of argues Werder’s mayor and district manager tourist-relevant infrastructure and the presen- Werner Große when explaining his commit- tation of the Gemeinde Forum at the Bundes- ment to the working group. gartenschau (Federal Gardening Exhibition)

67 Belvederes – splendid vistas – are selected places which open the eyes of the visitor on the beauty and breadth of the landscape. They provide an insight into the peculiarities of nature and architecture and are intended to reveal the historical setting of a landscape.

by the Gemeinde Forum.This can be seen in Similar to the Naturpark Barnim, the Regional the plans to set up a network of Belvederes Park Potsdamer Havel- and Panorama paths to expand tourism.Bel- seen is a special case. vederes – the beautiful view – were selected Because of its rich cultural heritage and the long- places where the visitor could open his eyes term support it receives to the beauty and breadth of the landscape, it enjoys advantages over which presented him with an insight into the the other parks. particularities of nature and architecture and also reveal the historical background of a landscape.The “Belvedere”idea, was implemented in the landscape of the Havelsee region above all in the 19th century.Knolls and heights were built as symbols of royal power.Noticeably organised and formed perspectives are characteristic of the Lenné garden.This tradition was adopted at the be- Park landscapes where- BUGA 2001 in Potsdam.In this way the cultu- ginning of the 20th century by the self-confi- ever one looks:“covered” ral landscape should also be cultivated as an dent middle-class who proceeded to build lawns in Babelsberg Park (above), Russian-Ortho- economic factor and locational advantage for high observation restaurants – such as dox church in Potsdam the region. Friedrichs- and Bismarckhöhe.These special (top right), detail of a Since then not only has a lot of water run lookout points were connected by means of splendid view in the palace park of Sans Souci down the Havel, important projects were star- panorama trails which are normally set up on (bottom right) ted and finished which improved the attrac- heights and banks and on the edge of streets Photos: Münch, Uhlenhut tiveness of both water and land. were avenue trees were planted. (ganz unten) One of the new “stately improvements”is a wooden bridge across the Wublitz finished in 1998.Munich architect Richard J.Dietrich’s design, a link between Töplitz and Einhaus, south of Nattwerder restored a traditional connection which had been destroyed every since the Einhaus bridge burned down in 1900.To the great frustration of those who cycle and hike there was now no direct connection between Nattwerder on the Insel Töpitz.The Gemeinde Forum wants to reac- tivate this historical hiking network.In this case, the reconstruction of the Wublitz bridge was more than re-establishing a traditional connection.It was also building a bridge between the communities in another sense. Werder’s mayor,Werner Große emphasised, “With this bridge we were relatively quick in getting the communes to get more involved.“

Eye Openers This “reciprocal connection”or “networking”of communes has proved to be a genuine recipe for success in many of the projects initiated

68 Potsdamer Havelseen

To conceive how to recreate these earlier trails and in particular the belvederes as an immanent part of the cultural landscape and to make them a trademark of the Havelsee region was the task of an expert report on the network of belvederes by the landscape planner Professor Horst Schumacher commissioned by the Gemeinde Forum. The wind mill in Fahrland Photo: Münch Notice of Landscape Pleasure Every second one of the nearly 100 vistas selected by Schumacher could be treated as having historical cultural importance.Mean- while the restoration of the first belvederes on the Caputh Krähenberg, in the Glindow all of the residents of communities on the 10.000 People at the alps and on the Wietkikenberg near Ferch is banks of the Schwielowsee were photogra- carfree Sunday „Autofrei am Schwielowsee“ Foto: finished.The work was very intensive since phed with depth markers which use different Olaf Möldner the thinning of the vegetation and felling of colours to represent different locations.The trees is intended to restore historic perspec- large format photos were then displayed in tives and equip the area around the observa- the church of a neighbouring community. tion points for calm and rest so that the The exhibition opening is planned together observer can properly enjoy the landscape, with a party.Jan Bornholdt, landscape the water, or a poignant silhouette.It would planner in the Planungsgruppe Stadt & Dorf, also be desirable to provide information which advises the Gemeinde Forum, values plaques which would provide historic and these unspectacular projects.“With little In 1877, Karl Hagemeister cultural background, a description of the ent- expenditure one can obtain a strong identity- discovered the village of ire network, gastronomy recommendations generating effect among the people in the Ferch for his painting and founded the “Havel- and public transportation. community.” ländische Malerkolonie“ The observation points form the intersection (Havelland Painters for the panorama routes which begin at the Gemeinde Forum or Regional Park? Colony). Since the turn of entrance gates to the Havelsee region and Naturally it is no accident that the territory of the century some 300 artists have lived and continue either along the banks of the river the communities in the Gemeinde Forum worked in this colony. In or the crest of the hills, to restaurants, swim- belongs to the area anticipated in the state 1994, the Verein Havel- ming pools, bridges and ferry stations.In this development plan as the closely interlaced Land-Art e.V. was founded. It organises the way they lead the tourist from town to town space for the regional park “Potsdamer Havel- “Sommerakademie Insel and attraction to attraction. seen”.It shows only that two more or less Töplitz” for artists with independently initiated processes cannot interested students from both Berlin art academies Lively Culture Landscape help but approaching the landscape, cultural to work together in The wide variety of cultural activities, fine arts and natural space qualities as an organic producing art objects.The and theatre, science and philosophy, religion, totality.The question whether one designates association organises artist symposia and politics, architecture and literature are brought this as regional park or Gemeinde Forum exhibitions in the land- together in unusual ways: these are also part seems to be more a theoretical one.The deci- scape of the Töplitz island of the new, unmistakable image in the Havel- sive question is whether the MSWV will sup- and in the Havelland, tours, lectures, artistic see region.Whether it is performances of the port the projects when the financial aid runs events and concerts. Ferch fruit crate stage, the Caputh musicians out.It might make sense to follow two tracks, or a reception for the Töplitzer Gallery – all one as regional park and one as Gemeinde these show the renewed liveliness won back Forum for the purpose of fund rasing.Since for the culture landscape.A recent example: 1995 the process initiated in the area under

69 The excursion restaurants on the banks are popular. When there is fine weather, it’s nearly impossible to find a seat. Photo: Hahn

the Gemeinde Forum is almost identical with Museums in Potsdam that underlying the regional park idea.It also Bildergalerie (Picture Gallery) Orangerieschloss serves to promote the enhancement and Postfach 353 Postfach 535 beautification of the landscape; to assure the 14471 Potsdam 14471 Potsdam recreational qualities; to strengthen the tou- Tel: (0331) 22655 Tel: (0331) 973211 rism factor in the economy; and to protect the Brandenburgisches Landes- Park and Schloss Babelsberg “green lung”. These are all development goals museum für Urgeschichte Schloss Babelsberg Data and Facts like those formulated for the regional parks. Schloss Babelsberg 14482 Babelsberg 14482 Potsdam Tel: (0331) 78037 Population as of 1999: approx. 160.000 inhabitants Since the Gemeinde Forum is supported orga- Tel: (0331) 78073 nisationally and financially by the MSWV, Potsdam-Museum County / District / Population Population den- it has more common with the Nature Park Charlottenhof (Potsdam) Postfach 239 Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) Postfach 353 14467 Potsdam Barnim.It is a special case which benefits from 14471 Potsdam Tel: (0331) 21865 COUNTY POTSDAM STADT its rich cultural heritage and intensive sup- Tel: (0331) 972774 Opening hours:Tue–Sun ...... port.Understandably, the mayors can more Amtsfrei Damenflügel (Potsdam) Stiftung Preussische Stadt Potsdam 129.510 1.185 readily identify with the institution “Gemeinde Postfach 353 Schlösser und Gärten Forum”.The substantive identification with 14471 Potsdam Berlin-Brandenburg COUNTY POTSDAM MITTELMARK the regional park idea has yet to take place. Allee nach Sanssouci Nr.5 ...... Participating local administration and county Film Museum Potsdam 14471 Potsdam Amt Werder Marstall Tel: (0331) 970281 Töplitz 1.617 89 see no insurmountable barriers between Ge- 14467 Potsdam Golm 1.885 165 meinde Forum and regional park. Tel: (0331) 293675 Pumpenhaus Potsdam Glindow 3.792 293 One thing is certain.The alpha and omega for Opening hours:Tue–Sun Postfach 353 Phöben 587 60 14471 Potsdam Kemnitz 326 61 a further successful implementation of the Jagdschloss Stern (Hunting Tel: (0331) 970281 ...... many projects planned in the Havelsee lodge) amtsfrei region, lay with the co-ordinated agreement Postfach 353 Römische Bäder Stadt Werder (Havel) 13.747 337 14471 Potsdam Postfach 353 ...... of policy with the communities on the banks. Tel: (0331) 970281 14471 Potsdam Amt Schwielowsee Werder’s mayor also sees new possibilities Tel: (0331) 970211 Geltow 3.016 324 there,“In future perhaps we should go one Neue Kammern Caputh 3.997 311 Postfach 535 Schloss Sanssouci Ferch 1.318 37 step further and finance the projects of the 14471 Potsdam Postfach 353 Gemeinde Forum from a common investment Tel: (0331) 23931 14471 Potsdam pot.”Should times get difficult, then it is Tel: (0331) 23931 Neuer Garten Potsdam only necessary to recall the advice of Prof.Dr. Postfach 535 Michael Seiler of the Stiftung Preußischer 14471 Potsdam Schlösser und Gärten (Foundation for Prussian Tel: (0331) 970281

Palaces and Gardens), that sometimes a con- Neues Palais cept needs to be implemented with “patience Postfach 535, 14471 Potsdam and a snare.” Tel: (0331) 973143

70 Potsdamer Havelseen

0 2 4 6 8 Access Contact Partners Aktives Museum & Hand- Town Centre from downtown Berlin Geschäftsstelle des Gemein- weberei (Active Museum & Kilometre deforums Havelseen For- Hand Loom Museum) Residential Area Lines and Frequency schungsgruppe Stadt+Dorf Am Wasser 19, 14542 Geltow Forest S Direction Potsdam Hbf, Herr Prof.Schäfer Tel: (03327) 55272 every 10 Min. Lützowstr.102–104, Lake RE Dir. Werder, every 60 Min. 10785 Berlin, Albert Einstein Gedenkhaus RE / RB Direction Caputh Tel; (030) 2649230 (Memorial House) Connection Road every 60 Min. Fax: (030) 2628936 Summer House Einstein 14548 Caputh Federal Road Travel Time Museums Motorway from Berlin-Friedrichstrasse outside of Potsdam Heimat Museum Total Area: 26.606 ha Potsdam Hbf: 25–45 Min. Forst Museum (Forest Schloss Paretz S and Regional Train Werder: approx.40 Min. Museum) Klosterfelde (Leh- Rathausstr.32, 14669 Ketzin Area Distribution: Caputh approx.40 Min. nin) Lehniner Institut für Tel: (033233) 80543 S Train Stations Agriculture 30% Weiterbildungs e.V. Opening hours:Tue and Sat Regional Train Stations Other 1% Am Klostersee, 14797 Lehnin Water 15% Tourism Regional and S- Train Zweirad Museum (Bicycle Numerous tourist attractions Traffic 6% Museum), Chausseestraße, in the participating cities Stations 14542 Glindow and towns, such as Potsdam, Settlements 16% Tel: (03327) 40167 Ferch, Geltow and Werder (see also Museums) Forest 32% Inselmühle (Island Mill) & Obstbaum Museum (Fruit Tree), Kirchstr.6/7, 14542 Werder (Havel) Tel: (03327) 43110 Opening hours: Wed and Sun 71 The task of the regional park is to bring the user interests in harmony with the existing conservation regulations for nature and landscape reserves and to provide for sustainable development and use of the region in the interest of all.

The ruins of a destroyed bunker look like a warning in the landscape. Photo: Sciborski

On 1 May 1999, the ope- Evening on the Döberitzer ning of the hiking trail Heide between Dallgow-Döberitz, Photo: Sciborski Elstal and Priort was packed with visitors. After nearly 300 years of military use, the Döberitzer Heide was made partially accessible to the public by means of a hiking trail which had been cleared of munitions.The interest was correspondingly large. Photo: Sciborski

72 Open Landscape Regional Park Döberitzer Heide

Cannons Instead of Ploughshares area of around 800 hectares on the south- The Döberitz Heath is a wounded landscape. east edge of the Döberitz heath as training Tanks opened full fire in their gunnery ranges, grounds. tore deep cuts in forest areas with their In 1903, Emperor Wilhelm II dedicated an tracks, ploughed through the Markish sand. 11 meter high obelisk to the memory of Artillery shells exploded, soldiers cleared Friedrich the Great’s manoeuvres 150 years forests or the growth went up in flames.The previous.In September 1753,“Old Fritz”had military shaped this landscape with violent held a 12-day manoeuvre with 44,000 sol- force.It has been nearly 300 years since the diers to test new strategies for future Soldier-King Friedrich Wilhelm I first practiced campaigns.The obelisk on the Hasenheiden- with his dragoon regiment at the Döberitz berg stands there to this day. estate in 1713.They remained there – con- The emperor had already officially dedicated tinuing to expand the manoeuvring grounds the Guards garrison and manoeuvring until 1991/92 when the Russian troops grounds in 1894.The inhabitants of Döberitz withdrew.Today, the Bundeswehr uses an village were resettled in 1895.The residents

73 Fontane devoted an entire volume of his “Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg” to the Havelland. He erected a literary monument to the villages of Marquardt and Uetz, Groß Glienicke, Fahrland, Neu Fahrland (then Hainholz) and Sacrow.

lines and still unsettled.The presence of such a large, unsettled near-nature reserve on the edge of a major city – only five kilometres from the western city limits of the federal capital and ten kilometres north of the state capital, Potsdam, is unique both in Germany and among European capitals. As paradoxical as it may seem, it is just those open heath and dry field areas created by the military’s permanent ground damage which today are considered valuable landscape components.In addition to them are the wide, unbroken forest areas in which more than 40 tree species can be found.For reasons of military secrecy, the area has been fenced off and hermetically sealed to the public From the Hasenheiden- of Ferbitz had to move in 1936 to make way since 1892.That means for over 100 years the berg there is a very good view of the entire for a further expansion of the military reser- landscape has been free of agricultural influ- Döberitzer Heide. An vation. ences, especially those of the intensive agri- 11 meter high obelisk of Between 1903 and 1911, the highway was culture increasingly practised in the 60s. Swedish granite was built to feed troop transports.From that point Plants and animals could survive and flourish erected there in 1903 by Wilhelm II as a memorial on, it was possible to march the troops from here whereas they had been driven out of to the manoeuvres of the city palace in central Berlin “straight other locations or died off. “Old Fritz” in the Döberitz ahead”to the manoeuvring grounds.The The animal group with the greatest species territory in 1753.The Hasenheidenberg is about name Döberitz is linked to German military variety is the insects, many of them becoming a kilometre from the aviation (beginning in 1910) and the 1936 increasingly seldom.There are alone 583 Havelpark shopping Olympic Games.From 1934–1936, the Olym- types of large butterfly.Animals which are on centre and can be reached by following the marked pic village was erected on the 5,500 hectare Brandenburg’s “red list”,classified as “threate- trail. ground north of the Hamburger Chaussee. ned with extinction”,can be found living here. Photo: Sciborski After the games, the military remodelled the These include the fish otter, smooth adder, Beautiful and rare: male fence lizards on a pile of athletic quarters for their own use.After red-bellied toad, marsh piper and tree falcon. field stones and a bitter the Second World War, the Soviet troops used No wonder that the regional park Döberitzer wort. the ensemble as a garrison.Many houses in Heide is covered by numerous nature con- Photos: Sciborski the former Olympic village were demolished servation demarcations.The entire area is a and replaced with large, pre-fabricated landscape conservation reserve (LSG “Königs- buildings.Many are in a shameful condition. wald with Havelsee and Seeburg Agrarian The “Speisehaus der Nationen”and the Hin- Landscape”).Then there is the nature con- denburg House are worthy of preservation. servation district “Ferbitzer Bruch”(approx. Today efforts are being made to find a sensi- 1,155 ha) and the “Döberitzer Heide”(approx. ble use for the landmark Olympic village 3,415 ha).In addition, the area is a designated which could be a special attraction to visitors European bird sanctuary and is therefore in the planned regional park. covered by the special protection regulations of the European Commission. Certified: Especially Valuable Hundreds of years of military use have left All Nine behind one of the largest open spaces in The Döberitz Heath is itself a distinguishing Brandenburg.The Döberitz heath is a 5,000 landscape element and lends its name to hectare area with neither transport nor power the regional park, which is much larger than

74 Döberitzer Heide

trail construction is being funded by KONVER, Brandenburgische Boden- gesellschaft an EU conversion programme for military Corporation with the lands. function to administer, The Brandenburgische Boden Gesellschaft develop and dispose the real estate owned concluded a use assignment contract with by the Land of Branden- the Naturschutz Förderverein Döbritzer burg in a trusty capacity Heide e.V.whereby the latter assumes respon- for the Land. sibility for implementing the conversion and nature conservation project on the former military reservation.The development the former military reservation.It comprises association must comply with the traffic various landscape units.Along with the core safety requirements and nature conservation area, Döberitz Heath, there are the residential regulations. areas adjacent to Berlin and Potsdam, the That is no easy job.“The unregulated use of agrarian landscapes west of the former the terrain by riders, motorcyclists and others manoeuvring grounds, the Havel basin and who do not comply with the trail rules and the Grossen Graben lowlands with the Ferbitz nature conservation requirements has Swamp and the adjoining forests.The regional significantly increased recently,”complains park extends from the limits Dallgow- Werner Schulze, board member in the deve- Döberitz, Elstal, Priort, Uetz-Paaren, Marquardt, lopment association.It has increased so The village church in Satzkorn and Fahrland.It stretches in the dramatically that the association sees difficul- Priort (Photo upper right) a rectangular half-timber south to Jungfern and Sacrow lakes and in ties in meeting its safety obligations, which Clearing munitions from building with joint arched the east to Glienicke and Seeburg. An admi- also include liability in case of accidents. the Döberitzer Heide.This windows was erected in nistrative union is being founded among the Some plans for the Döberitz Heath cannot be find, an intact case of 1745 and is a historical ammunition is carefully landmark. nine communities in the regional park. implemented because of contamination and opened. Due to the muni- Photo: Debusmann nature conservation rules.Some people tions contamination and Conversion and Development see the nature conservation association as the danger caused by it, The last time the Satzkorn the Döberitzer Heide will village church was resto- Brandenburg is the state most effected by the the obstacle.However,Werner Schulze only be of limited access. red was in 1908.The origi- conversion of military reservations.Since it is emphasises,“The Brandenburg nature conser- Brandenburg is the state nal building goes back to impossible to finance all the munitions vation law and not the association determi- most effected by the the 13th century (above). clearance of former military properties, the nes what is prohibited because of nature conversion of former Photo: Debusmann military reservations.The dangers will persist.The fact that the lands conservation.That is why there are certain complete clearing of areas Both the water tower in are undivided and at the same unusable routes through the area which won’t be contaminated with Dallgow-Döberitz, once for other purposes gives them an unusual allowed, no matter how much some people munitions is impossible to the symbol for the finance.Therefore only a imperial guard camp, value from the standpoint of nature conserva- would like them.” corridor is being cleared and the water tower in tion.Thus the areas are predetermined for This is where the regional park can serve as a with a safety zone to the the marshalling yard nature and landscape protection. forum for communicating these problems. left and right of the trail. Wustermark (Photo) are Photo: Sciborski distinctive constructions. The same may be said of the Döberitz Heath. Contrary to widespread fears, the regional Photo: Debusmann The munitions contamination and the nature park has no plans to create or designate new and landscape preservation regulations mean nature conservation reserves.However, that only clear corridors may be used to enter existing sanctuaries are to be respected, also the former training area.Other areas have within the regional park.The regional park’s not been cleared because of the prohibitive task is to harmonise use interests with the expense already mentioned.Therefore they existing conservation regime and to assure remain off limits.Hiking trails can be laid that the development and use of the region is out on terrain which has been cleared.Some compatible with the landscape and nature. are already finished in the north.More are Ideas, concepts, and good will are needed being prepared in Fahrland to the west.The from everyone concerned to respect the con-

75 The Döberitzer Heide is the characteristic landscape element and source of the regional park’s name. It is much larger than the area of the former military training grounds.

Report No Place for Goats

The man looks robust.Dark corduroy trou- question and is astounded that people just moves with his sheep have been cleared on sers, flannel shirt, black vest, grey hat and shrug their shoulders or laugh. the surface.Entering the restricted areas boots.The skin is tanned by the sun and The herd moves on accompanied by a black where live ammunition is scattered is still weather, lively, eyes glittering with activity. dog and another shepherd who looks even strictly forbidden.Even the shepherds comply Some twenty people have come to hear him more professional: broad-brimmed hat, leat- with this order. and ask questions. her jacket, knickerbockers, a shepherd’s Any more questions? The top shepherd looks It is a summer day, not too hot – a light wind pouch and a blanket tied around him and a expectantly around the audience.We resist grazes the open landscape.There is no trace long shepherd’s crook in his hand.The she- the temptation to make a joke by asking the of the nearby capital – not a sound disturbs pherd leans relaxed against it, while his ani- goat question again.No, no more questions. the calm.Even the noise from the aeroplanes mals graze, at the same time, moving forward Before the group returned to the vehicles a few kilometres further south cannot be at a leisurely pace.The visitors who have from which they would go after the Galloway heard.Only the flights over this landscape been invited by the nature conservation cattle grazing in the Ferbitzer Bruch, they give any indication of the proximity to association to the Döberitz Heath know on look around once more and enjoy the calm. Berlin’s millions with their hectic and traffic what land they are moving.They look much The botanists discover rare plants, the laymen noise. more carefully where they are going.Each enjoy the blossoms of wild roses, even the The shepherd tells about his herd, about his has to sign a declaration releasing the state ornithologists chat with each other about contract with the nature conservation from any liability in the case of accident – which bird songs could be heard. association.Most of his money derives from entrance at your own risk. The moor sheep herd soon lay a good payments for the landscape care which his How do the shepherds deal with that? Even distance away.The black sheep dog runs sheep provide – grazing the open land he has to sign a release that he moves around busily back and forth.The shepherd leans keeps the heath from overgrowing.The mar- the area at his own risk.He is not afraid of satisfied and calm against his long crook. keting of the wool is economically uninte- the tricky remains left by the military which A picturesque and peaceful image in resting and the sale of the tasty meat from can still be found anywhere in the conversion this landscape shaped by hundreds of years his moor lambs is at best a sideline. area.The northern areas, where the shepherd of war games. “Naturally, some things could happen.One could open a restaurant on the B5 where That is also sustainability: only as much of the renewable the meat could be prepared directly as a The moor sheep herd on the Döberitzer Heide. raw material sheep’s wool is “harvested” as can grow back. regional speciality,”suggested the shepherd. Photo: Sciborski Photo: Sciborski However, they aren’t that far yet.He is then asked why he doesn’t have any goats. The shepherd answers with irritation that this question is asked repeatedly.Each time he has to give the same explanation: there is no EU funding for goat husbandry but, for sheep there is the so-called ewe subsidy. Goats would also eat the plants down to the roots so that nothing would grow back. “I would not destroy my own existence, ”he said.Then there is the message between the lines – he is a shepherd and not a goatherd. Later it becomes apparent why the question so irritates him.One of the group who had been chatting with colleagues asks the same

76 Döberitzer Heide

ditions and develop them sustainably to everyone’s advantage.

The Will is the Way The planning firm Ernst Basler and Partner has the task of collecting ideas and developing from them proposals for action in the Döberitz Heath regional park.The planners have come to the conclusion that near-urban recreation and leisure are just as important for the development of the Döberitz Heath

Photo above: Shelters on regional park as nature and landscape con- the hiking trail near Priort. servation.This is obvious when one considers Photo: Sciborski the closeness to the city and its uncommon Guided hikes are part of Photo below: Recently, size. panorama from this vantage point.Going the nature conservation “Wild use”, here the riders In Summer 1999 the mayors of the nine toward Elstal past the artillery park, the association’s services. in the core of the Döbe- towns in the administrative union agreed former military bathing facilities and Sper- They usually start in the ritzer Heide, has caused fields of action where initiatives could have lingshof, the trail leads deep into the heath, Naturschutzzentrum near problems for the Natur- Elstal. schutzförderverein (nature the most impact on the further development leads further past the dry and moor areas Photo: Kühn conservation association) of the regional park. where one can enjoy nature pure.Just before in meeting its obligations Completing the trail network with a sign arriving in Elstal one comes to the Natur- The common aim of the to assure the safety of communities in the persons moving through system for hikers, cyclists, and horseback schutzzentrum Döberitzer Heide.The nature administrative union will the area. riders is seen as an especially important task. conservation association has turned the be to develop the regional Photo: Sciborski In addition, the services that support these former tool shed of the Russian troops into an park Döberitzer Heide, activities should be offered, e.g.rental of interesting information centre.Here one can build up the near-urban recreation capacity and bicycles, boats and horses.The first stage take part in hikes guided by the association. improve the quality of the objective was a ten kilometre long hiking trail The nature conservation centre also displays a area as a place to live and from Dallgow-Döberitz to Elstal and further permanent exhibition about the Döberitz work.The administrative to Priort, finished in 1999.At the Havel Park Heath. union will also preserve the natural heritage of shopping centre near Dallgow-Döberitz, one Finally, one can leave the hiking trail either in the Döberitzer Heide, and can park and begin to hike.The more attrac- Elstal or Priort.It is planned to bring the develop a sustainable tive means is to arrive by regional train. visitor back to the starting point by means of contact to nature as well as education and research From the Dallgow-Döberitz train station one public transport and to add more branches to in nature and environ- can walk along the re-naturalised Schwanen- the route.First a secret, then an insider tip, mental protection. graben to the Döberitz Heath.A new pede- now it is a landscape which is being carefully strian bridge enables a diversion to the opened to the public after nearly three hun- water tower build in 1895 at the former dred years. Imperial Guard camp.Beyond the B5, a direct access to the Döberitz Heath near Sperlings- There is a lot to be done hof should be finished in the near future. The mayors in the administrative union have Until then visitors will have to take the some- assigned a high priority to public relations what longer route further east via the Havel work.That means that information brochures Park. and maps must be available: that is a matter It is approximately one kilometre from the which can be quickly addressed in co-opera- Havel Park shopping centre to the Hasenhei- tion with external partners such as tourist denberg.The obelisk which EmperorWilhelmII associations. dedicated to “Old Fritz”stands on a rise in the The successful marketing of the Döberitz middle of the heath.There is a wonderful Heath and vicinity depends on the activities

77 Expert explanations on a offered there.Three themes are central: botanical excursion make the smallest details in Nature,Water, Culture and History.Various ele- the life of a plant inte- ments could be combined into packages, resting and understanda- such as: ble for lay people. Photo: NFV-DH • guided nature tour, cycling tour, visits, accommodation • boat trip, fishing, visit, picnic • Kremser trip, visit, concert, accommodation

Everywhere in the region culture and history can be found – along with military history and the relics of the 1936 Olympic Games – Upper right: Broom blos- nearly every town has a smaller or larger soms in the nature reserve sight worth seeing.Elstal not only has the Ferbitzer Bruch. Here Olympic village but also a historic railway- Galloway herds are used for landscape care. man’s village and rail yard.Groß Glienicke and Photo: Sciborski Marquardt both have a palace with park. Photo: NFV-DH Neu Fahrland has the Villa Siemens with its gardens, Priort the former estate with park. Seeburg has a village church dating from the Data and Facts 14th century.In Fahrland, there is the union.The founding papers lie on Mayor Population as of 1999: approx. 17.000 inhabitants Blockwindmühle (block windmill); near Heppe’s desk, waiting for signature.“I know Sacrow, the Römerschanze.The administrative what I am obliged to do,”he admits,“the County / District / Population Population den- Town (1999) sity (Inh./km2) union has the task to make known and administrative could be formally approved in market the great potential for experiencing an instant.”Whether a great press conference HAVELLAND COUNTY nature whether through guided tours, recrea- should be held or a whistle-stop through the ...... amtsfrei tion and sport, regional festivals and events communities which still need to sign – Dallgow-Döberitz 4.776 84 or sightseeing. “I have to do it,”the mayor confesses.Well ...... According to the mayor of Dallgow-Döberitz, then, do it. Amt Wustermark Elstal 1.864 265 Hans Günther Heppe, up till now there have Priort 671 141 been only “soft starts”.Interested persons can have a tour of the Olympic Village by contac- POTSDAM MITTELMARK COUNTY ...... ting Baldur Krumrich of the Elstal historical Amt Fahrland society “Historia”.The Hotel Sperlingshof orga- Seeburg 1.043 111 nises tours to meet the special requests of Uetz-Paaren 427 32 guests.Heppe believes that everyone is more Groß Glienicke 3.041 297 Satzkorn 568 86 or less working for himself now.The event Fahrland 2.543 92 calendar of the nature conservation associa- Marquardt 935 178 tion is still too little known; there is “here a church concert, there a village festival.”Public relations work, co-ordination, marketing are all the main tasks of the future administrative

78 Döberitzer Heide

0 2 4 6 8 Access Contact Partners Museums Town Centre from downtown Berlin Geschäftsstelle des Zweck- Heimat Museum Falkensee Kilometre verbandes Regionalpark Falkenhagener Str.77 Residential Area Line and Frequency Döberitzer Heide i.Gr. 14612 Falkensee Forest RB Direction Priort via Herr Heppe – Bürgermeister Tel: (03322) 22288 Potsdam-Hbf or Spandau Dallgow-Döberitz Opening hours:Thu, Sun Lake every 60 Min. Wilmsstr.41 2–6 PM,Tue 10 AM –12 14624 Dallgow-Döberitz Noon, 2–6 PM Connection Road Travel Time Tel: (03322) 298 40 from Berlin-Friedrichstrasse Fax: (03322) 3682 Museum der Stadt (Nauen) Federal Road Priort: approx.60 Min. Rathausplatz 2 Motorway Dallgow-Döberitz: Naturschutzzentrum 14641 Nauen Total Area: 14.425 ha approx.30 Min. Naturschutz-Förderverein Tel: (03321) 33010 S and Regional Train Döberitzer Heide Opening hours:Wed–Sun Area Distribution: Herr Hörisch/ Herr Sciborski S Train Stations Agriculture 38% Postfach 12 Regional Train Stations 14624 Dallgow-Döberitz Other 31% Tel: (033234) 861 02 Regional and S- Train

Tourism Stations – Hasenheidenberg Monu- Water 5% ment (Obelisk) Traffic 5% – Hiking trails in the Settlements 7% Döberitzer Heide – Guided Tours with the Forest 14% Naturschutz-Förderverein “Döberitzer Heide“

79 Outlook

The institutional co-ordination of common affairs is another of the main tasks.The community of interests is also an agent of political persuasion for the individual regional parks and toward both states to further the common interests of the whole regional park network.

Develop the Opportunities It is just as important to strengthen the league from within as it is to provide strong representation outward.The Interessenge- meinschaft (IG) is intended to maintain the flow of information among the members and to organise regular meetings.The job of presiding over such meetings is to be rotated among the members.This allows participating regions to share their specific experience and ideas for the benefit of all regional parks in the Interessengemeinschaft. Blooming Landscape, Naturally It should be unnecessary for each park to The symbol for the organic, lively growth of “reinvent the wheel“. the regional parks in Brandenburg and Berlin The driving forces behind the league are the is the common logo designed by the Berlin three most advanced regional parks: agency Dorland.The petal for each park and Barnimer Feldmark, Krämer Forst and Müg- the Brandenburg Gate in the middle symbo- gel-Spree.In the future it will be necessary lise more than the regional parks and their for those parks which are still in the initial location.The eight spirited, yellow-red brush stages to commence with both phases strokes also stand for the dynamic in the simultaneously – to promote local communi- region and the blooming landscapes which cation and co-operation in the respective are being created there in the transition region and to represent their own park in the between city and countryside – from Berlin league so as to benefit from the experience to Brandenburg and the reverse.The regional of others. parks are on the way there – no longer each The Interessengemeinschaft has the unique for itself but among each other and together. opportunity to create a sustainable, future- Thus the second phase of regional park oriented use of the available economic, development has begun.In April 2000, park living and open spaces in a closed ring representatives meeting in Kremmen around the German capital.Continuous deve- founded the “Interessengemeinschaft Regio- lopment in the regional parks and their nalparks in Brandenburg und Berlin“ as a co-operation in the IG promise to fulfil this “community of interests“ among all the aim in a way which will provide a model for regional parks.This community of interests others to follow.In the regional park ring aims to promote communication between numerous local agenda processes are taking the parks and to advance the members’ place to balance the interests of widely interests in contact to policy-makers, admini- disparate actors.Here the opportunities lying strative authorities, financial supporters in the landscape can be developed democra- and the public.Moreover, it should allow tically and with a view toward future them to speak clearly and “with one voice“. sustainability.

80 Zest and youthful gaiety: here one intentionally takes a dive. Photo: Uhlenhut

Look at 66 Lakes must be said that numerous day hikes are It is one thing to read about the regional needed to cover the 374 km route.Each parks and quite another to experience the segment is worked out by the author to country and people oneself.More than one begin and end at an S-Train or regional train hundred years ago, the poet Theodor Fontane station. described his experiences on his journeys Manfred Reschke was not only interested in through the Mark Brandenburg (Wanderun- making the wealth of lakes along the route gen durch die Mark Brandenburg, 4 vol. vivid, but also portraying the variety in originally published between 1862 and 1882). Brandenburg’s landscapes.The 66 lake route Even today, there is nothing better than presents a cross-section of landscape jewels Manfred Reschke, Die 66- making the journey oneself to collect one’s from the region: dry pine forests, wet Seenwanderung durch die own experiences with the various landscapes meadow forests, heaths, wet meadow, gullies, Regionalparks um Berlin. and their inhabitants. canals, small villages and larger country Trescher-Verlag, Berlin: Juni 2000, 24,80 DM Manfred Reschke is one such passionate towns. hiker.He made up his mind to find an There is so much to discover between Berlin interesting hiking route around Berlin and to and Brandenburg.It is refreshing to know that describe it in a hiking guide.It took him two one can go swimming time and again on the years exploring the region around Berlin, way. walking numerous trails and working out an attractive route which links them: the Route 66 Lakes.The subtitle “Regionalpark-Route“ points to the fact that this journey brings the reader through all of the regional parks on the way to 66 lakes in the Berlin vicinity.It

81 Bibliography, Photo Credits, Mastheads

Abbildungen Literaturangaben Gutachten

Agrarmuseum Wandlitz (Agrarmuseum) Ermer, Klaus 1998: Ländergrenzen überschreiten In: Garten ag.u Lange + Grigoleit 1996: Regionalpark Barnimer ag.u Lange + Grigoleit (ag.u) + Landschaft, Jg.108, Heft 10/98, S.17–19 Feldmark.Entwicklungskonzeption und Maßnahmenpro- Hartmut Solmsdorf Forschungsgruppe Stadt + Dorf: Dokumentation über das gramm.Berlin. Fotoatelier Arnhardt 1.Symposium des Gemeindeforums Havelseen 1996 Basler + Partner 1999: Regionalpark Döberitzer Heide, Auen- und Gewässerschutzverein Müggelspree e.V.(AGM) Forschungsgruppe Stadt + Dorf 1998: Dokumentation zum Grundlagen zur Weiterentwicklung Hedwig Bollhagen 2.Symposium Gemeindeforum Havelseen. „Umwelt und complan/PLANGRÜN 1998: Regionalpark Krämer Forst. Berliner Fahrgastverband IGEB Erholung an den Havelseen“.17.Oktober 1997 in Potsdam. Landesplanerische Entwicklungskonzeption und Maß- Hildur-Mathias Bernitz Berlin. nahmenprogramm.Berlin. Christel Debusmann Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung GL11 1999: RAUMKONZEPT 5 1998: Regionalpark Müggel-Spree. Dieter Fülle Flächenpools zum Landschaftsaufbau.Potsdam Entwicklungskonzeption & Maßnahmenprogramm.Berlin, Förderverein Landschaftspark Nordost e.V.(FLNO) Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung GL11 1998: Potsdam. Christian Gering Regionalparks in Berlin und Brandenburg.1.Aufl., Römer, Ricarda 1999: Regionalparks um Berlin, Anwendung Karin Hahn Potsdam, Berlin. der neuen Planungskultur zur Freiraumsicherung und Martin Hasselbach Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung GL11 1998: Qualifizierung der Landschaft – Ein Querschnittsvergleich Harald Knauer Regionalpark Müggel-Spree.Dokumentation des Works- – Diplomarbeit im Fach Stadt- und Regionalplanung am Kultur und Tourismusverband Dahmeland e.V.(KTVD) hops am 15. August 1997 im Alten Rathaus Fürstenwalde. Fachbereich 07 Umwelt und Gesellschaft der Technischen Landschaftspflegeverein Teltow-Fläming (LPV-TF) Potsdam, Berlin. Universität Berlin Frank Liebke Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung, GL11 1999: Schöbel-Rutschmann, Sören 1997: Regionalpark Teltow. Justus Meißner Regionalpark Krämer Forst.Wege und Ziele.Potsdam, Ber- Parkmanagement & Projektentwicklung.Berlin, Potsdam. Olaf Möldner lin.(Faltblatt) Schrumpf, Mario, LAGS Barnim (Hrsg.) 1996: Naturpark- Reinhard Münch Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung, GL11 1999: projekt Barnim, Rahmenkonzept für Schutz, Pflege und Naturpark Barnim (NP Barnim) Regionalpark Müggel-Spree, Ideen und Konzepte, – Entwicklung.Zepernick. Naturschutzförderverein Döberitzer Heide (NFV-DH) Kurzbroschüre Schumacher, H., Solmsdorf, H. u. Hallmann, H.W. : Die Regionalpark Barnimer Feldmark e.V.(RP BFM) Förderverein Landschaftspark Nordost e.V. 1998: Eine Potsdamer Kulturlandschaft – eine Untersuchung Sören Schöbel-Rutschmann grüne Lunge für Berlin (Broschüre) des historisch-kulturellen Landschaftspotentials.Arb.H.2d. Hans Sciborski Projektbericht: „Regionalpark Krämer Forst”SS 1998/ Brandenburg.Landesamtes f.Denkmalpflege.Potsdam Mario Schrumpf WS1998/99, Hauptstudiumsprojekt.Studiengang Land- 1993 (2.Aufl.1997) Oskar Tschörner schaftsplanung.Fachbereich 07, Umwelt und Gesellschaft Solmsdorf, H.: Resolution zur Erhaltung und Entwicklung der Manfred Uhlenhut an der Technischen Universität Berlin. Potsdamer Kulturlandschaft.Hg.Bund Deutscher Land- Konrad Wita Sinning, Heidi 1999: Eine Kette von Regionalparks im schaftsarchitekten/Ges.f.Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bonn 1994. Umland von Berlin.Vorabauszug aus Band 3 des For- schungsprojekts: Freiraum – Siedlung – Kooperation.Ver- änderung der Arbeits- und Organisationsformen in der Adressen Freiraum- und Siedlungsentwicklung.Selle, Klaus (Hrsg.) 1999, Hannover.Band 3: Beispiele der Freiraumentwick- Gemeinsame Landesplanungsabteilung lung aus Stadt und Region., S.15–36 Berlin-Brandenburg GL11 Nachhaltige Entwicklung des Metropolenraumes Berlin- Lindenstraße 34a, 14467 Potsdam Brandenburg, Schlüsselprojekt Regionalpark Barnimer Tel: (0331) 866 76 72, Fax: (0331) 866 76 28 Feldmark Kulturland Brandenburg (Faltblatt) Natur & Text Visionen zum Anfassen Der Regionalpark Barnimer Feld- Friedensallee 21, 15834 Rangsdorf mark Decent-Verlag (DM 19, 80) Tel: (033708) 204 31, Fax: (033708) 204 33 Mit dem Feldmärker unterwegs im Regionalpark – e-mail: NUT-Brandenburg@ t-online.de Jahresüberblick- Video (DM 30,–) zu beziehen über den Kulturbuch Verlag GmbH Verein Regionalpark Barnimer Feldmark e.V. Sprosserweg 3, 12351 Berlin, Entwicklungsraum Berlin-Barnim Kulturbuch-Verlag GmbH Tel: (030) 661 84 84,Fax: (030) 661 78 28 (DM 8,–) Decent-Verlag Eine Landschaft mit Aussicht. Veranstaltungskalender Petra Rietzschel, Schloßstr.7, 16356 Blumberg Werkstatt Barnim Tel: (030) 92 79 98 31 Tel:/Fax: (033394) 709 07 Wohin geht´s am Wochenende? Natur, Kultur und Touren am südlichen Stadtrand von Berlin (in Vorbereitung, DM 24,80 incl.Karte) zu beziehen über: Natur & Text Regionalpark Krämer Forst: Eine Region stellt sich vor Broschüre (Schutzgebühr: 2,– DM) zu beziehen über: Förderverein Regionalpark Krämer Forst e.V.

82 Imprint

Edition Project Co-ordination 1st printing German and ag.u Lange + Grigoleit English Landscape Architecture & Potsdam, June 2000 Environmental Planning 6,000 copies Editors Publisher Jörg Götting-Frosinki Ministry for Agriculture, Bert Grigoleit Environmental Protection and Regional Planning of Editorial Staff the State of Brandenburg Angela Baufeld Office of Press and Public Dr.Peter Viertel Relations Ricarda Römer Heinrich-Mann Allee 03 14473 Potsdam Cartography Tel: (0331) 866 72 37 Dominik Link

Senate Administration English Translation for Urban Development Dr.Patrick Wilkinson Public Relations Department “Language Logistics Berlin” Württembergische Str.6 10707 Berlin Layout Tel: (030) 90 12 0 de’blik berlin

Project Management Lithography Joint State Planning elch Grafics, Kiflu Department for Berlin and Brandenburg Printing Section GL 11 Saladruck Berliner Strasse 135 14467 Potsdam This brochure has been Tel: (0331) 866 76 72 printed on 100% recycling paper.