Berlin-Kreuzberg › Intercultural Garden "Fragrance of Roses"  The area "Gleisdreieck", where the Rosenduft Garten is located, is the biggest waste-land area in the middle of Berlin. It is planned that this area will become a park. The association "Südost Europa" (South-East Europe) campaigned for over three years to get a space for a garden project for interested women from former Yugoslavia. With the acceptance of the local district council 40 people began to lay out 20 beds and planted herbs, vegetables and flowers from Bosnia and Germany in spring 2006. The majority of this group came as war-refugees from Bosnia, the rest is from Berlin.Next to individual beds the garden initiative has common spaces:  they have three old trailers, where garden tools and equipment, tables and chairs are stored. In case of rain, they can even gather here. They have built a herb-spiral and they care for a piece of land, where old sorts (of potatoes for example) are growing. The plants are labelled and signs explain their history.The garden is an important meeting place for the gardeners and their families. They meet, work in the garden, eat, sing and celebrate together. And they are taking part in public relation events for the garden, they give information about the initiative and they cook delicious food for buffets in the garden. Often interested people stroll by. The common theme, the interest of the visitors and the familiar atmosphere helps the Bosnian people to clear a hurdle and speak German. |