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Meet the Germans

Everything you need to know about German garden colonies

After initially wondering why Germany has strange settlements of tiny little houses, foreigners might be tempted to tend their own idyllic "Schrebergarten." Here's what they're all about.

  • A aerial view of a German allotment garden (picture-alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt)

    Typically German

    People visiting Germany for the first time might wonder why so many well-kept "slums" appear to be scattered all over the country. Such sites are actually allotment gardens, a phenomenon known under various names in German, such as a "Schrebergarten," "Kleingartenanlage" or "Gartenkolonie." Each small plot ("Parzelle") has its own hut, and people can rent these spaces to do their gardening.

  • Dr. Daniel Schreber (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Inspired by Dr. Schreber

    In reaction to rapid urbanization in the 19th century, a Leipzig doctor and teacher called Daniel Gottlob Moritz Schreber started promoting the benefits of outdoor activities for urban youth. In 1864, four years after his death, his name was given to an association, the "Schreberverein," which organized fields where families could play. The gardens came later.

  • A 1909 illustration of a garden allotment for the poor (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Gardens for the poor

    Even before the Schreber movement was established, lords, factory owners, city administrations and charity organizations started allocating plots to allow impoverished families to garden, known in German as "Armengärten," or gardens for the poor. By 1826, such gardens existed in 19 cities. This illustration by Berlin artist Heinrich Zille goes back to 1909.

  • Men playing skat in their garden (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    A place to take a break

    Beyond working in the allotment to put fresh food on the table, Germans also went out to relax in their gardens, as this picture from 1906 shows. The men are seen playing skat, a popular German card game.

  • Garden house on Hermannplatz, 1949 (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Essential for survival

    The allotment gardens allowed many people to survive during the wars, when agricultural products could not always reach the city markets. A year after the end of World War I, Germany passed a law protecting the small gardens, allowing the leasing fees to remain reasonable. This post-WWII picture from 1949 is of a garden on Hermannplatz, now a busy square in Berlin's district of Neukölln.

  • A Schrebergarten in West Berlin right by the Berlin Wall (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Keeping it green wherever it's grey

    The allotment gardens were usually set up in areas where no one wanted to live, for example near railways. Many colonies were located on both sides of the Berlin Wall. This 1982 photo shows a West Berlin allotment. The East German authorities initially tried to collectivize them in the 1950s, but they soon encouraged the traditional gardens as a much needed source of fresh produce.

  • A family gardening (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Simaitis)

    National regulations

    With the growing popularity of urban gardening, more and more young people are renting their own lot. They should know that these sites are regulated by the "Bundeskleingartengesetz," or national law on allotment gardens, which states that garden huts may not be used as a residence nor exceed a certain size. At least one-third of the plot must be used to grow fruits and vegetables.

  • Man watering flowers in his small garden (picture-alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt)

    Community rules

    If you're considering renting such a garden, friends might discourage you by saying they're "spiessig" – a very German term for square and bourgeois. In addition to national regulations, each colony has its own set of rules. How strict these conventions are varies from one colony to the other, and also depends on the people already there.

  • Lawnmower (picture-alliance/dpa)

    A manual lawnmower might be more useful

    If unkempt gardens are frowned upon, mowing the lawn on a Sunday or during the sacred "Ruhezeiten" (resting times) is a no-go, and the same goes for loud music. These quiet periods are determined by the colony, but are typically set from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m on weekdays and after 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, as well as starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The entire Sunday is a quiet day.

  • Russian author Wladimir Kaminer in his garden (picture-alliance/dpa/F. Schuh)

    From Russian discos to the Schrebergarten

    Author and DJ Wladimir Kaminer became an international best-selling author with his Berlin tales, entitled "Russian Disco." As a prototypical hip and younger Russian gardener in a Berlin gardeners' colony, he has also humorously analyzed the peculiarities of the German allotment garden culture in his book "Mein Leben im Schrebergarten" (My Life in the Schrebergarten), available in German only.

  • Garden gnome with glasses (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The garden gnome's paradise

    Germany's small gardens are also renowned for hosting all forms of kitsch. The garden gnome - "Gartenzwerg" in German - immediately comes to mind, but elaborate water fountains and plastic windmills are other popular accessories.

  • Barbecue with family at the table (picture-alliance/dpa/dpaweb/F. Gentsch)

    Out grilling

    Although there's always gardening work to do on the lot during the summer, it's also a great place to enjoy a meal outside. A barbecue is definitely a must - but here, too, neighbors might complain about the smoke and smells. One good way to get them on your side is to invite them over for a perfectly grilled wurst.

  • A couple having breakfast outside in their Schrebergarten (picture-alliance/dpa/Brüchmann)

    Timeless idyllic scenes

    Although this picture is from the 1970s, it still represents well the spirit of a "Kleingarten." The 150-year tradition has since been adopted by all German-speaking coutries, and there are now thousands of garden colonies in and around big cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.


  • A aerial view of a German allotment garden (picture-alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt)

    Typically German

    People visiting Germany for the first time might wonder why so many well-kept "slums" appear to be scattered all over the country. Such sites are actually allotment gardens, a phenomenon known under various names in German, such as a "Schrebergarten," "Kleingartenanlage" or "Gartenkolonie." Each small plot ("Parzelle") has its own hut, and people can rent these spaces to do their gardening.

  • Dr. Daniel Schreber (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Inspired by Dr. Schreber

    In reaction to rapid urbanization in the 19th century, a Leipzig doctor and teacher called Daniel Gottlob Moritz Schreber started promoting the benefits of outdoor activities for urban youth. In 1864, four years after his death, his name was given to an association, the "Schreberverein," which organized fields where families could play. The gardens came later.

  • A 1909 illustration of a garden allotment for the poor (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Gardens for the poor

    Even before the Schreber movement was established, lords, factory owners, city administrations and charity organizations started allocating plots to allow impoverished families to garden, known in German as "Armengärten," or gardens for the poor. By 1826, such gardens existed in 19 cities. This illustration by Berlin artist Heinrich Zille goes back to 1909.

  • Men playing skat in their garden (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    A place to take a break

    Beyond working in the allotment to put fresh food on the table, Germans also went out to relax in their gardens, as this picture from 1906 shows. The men are seen playing skat, a popular German card game.

  • Garden house on Hermannplatz, 1949 (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    Essential for survival

    The allotment gardens allowed many people to survive during the wars, when agricultural products could not always reach the city markets. A year after the end of World War I, Germany passed a law protecting the small gardens, allowing the leasing fees to remain reasonable. This post-WWII picture from 1949 is of a garden on Hermannplatz, now a busy square in Berlin's district of Neukölln.

  • A Schrebergarten in West Berlin right by the Berlin Wall (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Keeping it green wherever it's grey

    The allotment gardens were usually set up in areas where no one wanted to live, for example near railways. Many colonies were located on both sides of the Berlin Wall. This 1982 photo shows a West Berlin allotment. The East German authorities initially tried to collectivize them in the 1950s, but they soon encouraged the traditional gardens as a much needed source of fresh produce.

  • A family gardening (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Simaitis)

    National regulations

    With the growing popularity of urban gardening, more and more young people are renting their own lot. They should know that these sites are regulated by the "Bundeskleingartengesetz," or national law on allotment gardens, which states that garden huts may not be used as a residence nor exceed a certain size. At least one-third of the plot must be used to grow fruits and vegetables.

  • Man watering flowers in his small garden (picture-alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt)

    Community rules

    If you're considering renting such a garden, friends might discourage you by saying they're "spiessig" – a very German term for square and bourgeois. In addition to national regulations, each colony has its own set of rules. How strict these conventions are varies from one colony to the other, and also depends on the people already there.

  • Lawnmower (picture-alliance/dpa)

    A manual lawnmower might be more useful

    If unkempt gardens are frowned upon, mowing the lawn on a Sunday or during the sacred "Ruhezeiten" (resting times) is a no-go, and the same goes for loud music. These quiet periods are determined by the colony, but are typically set from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m on weekdays and after 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, as well as starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The entire Sunday is a quiet day.

  • Russian author Wladimir Kaminer in his garden (picture-alliance/dpa/F. Schuh)

    From Russian discos to the Schrebergarten

    Author and DJ Wladimir Kaminer became an international best-selling author with his Berlin tales, entitled "Russian Disco." As a prototypical hip and younger Russian gardener in a Berlin gardeners' colony, he has also humorously analyzed the peculiarities of the German allotment garden culture in his book "Mein Leben im Schrebergarten" (My Life in the Schrebergarten), available in German only.

  • Garden gnome with glasses (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The garden gnome's paradise

    Germany's small gardens are also renowned for hosting all forms of kitsch. The garden gnome - "Gartenzwerg" in German - immediately comes to mind, but elaborate water fountains and plastic windmills are other popular accessories.

  • Barbecue with family at the table (picture-alliance/dpa/dpaweb/F. Gentsch)

    Out grilling

    Although there's always gardening work to do on the lot during the summer, it's also a great place to enjoy a meal outside. A barbecue is definitely a must - but here, too, neighbors might complain about the smoke and smells. One good way to get them on your side is to invite them over for a perfectly grilled wurst.

  • A couple having breakfast outside in their Schrebergarten (picture-alliance/dpa/Brüchmann)

    Timeless idyllic scenes

    Although this picture is from the 1970s, it still represents well the spirit of a "Kleingarten." The 150-year tradition has since been adopted by all German-speaking coutries, and there are now thousands of garden colonies in and around big cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.


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