By Sabine Klier
Is the felt growing rampant behind the idyll of many allotment colonies? That’s what sports teacher Susanne Lauer (54) from Charlottenburg suspects. With a heavy heart she now had to give up the key to her little paradise. Because she wasn’t on the candidate list.
For 50 years, Lauer has spent a lot of time in her parents’ garden, which she has also been tending for eight years. The 440 square meter plot (of a total of 52) is located in the “Tiefer Grund II” colony, picturesquely on the Spree.
When her mother died in 2021, she wanted to continue the garden. “Up until now, it has been so common for children to be able to continue leasing the gardens of their deceased parents,” says Susanne Lauer. The club’s board of directors initially promised her that she would take over the contract. But nothing came of it.
After two years of fighting, Lauer had to give up the key to the Lauben property Photo: Siegfried Purschke
Michael Matthei, head of the allotment gardeners’ district association in Charlottenburg, on BZ: “There is no customary law and it is not on the list of applicants either. She has no claim to the garden.”
In Berlin there are currently 877 allotment gardens with 70,953 plots on around 2900 hectares. According to the will of the Senate, 82 percent of the total area should be preserved permanently. 6934 plots in 149 allotment gardens are protected until 2030. The demand for vacant plots is huge, with waiting times of up to ten years!
The plot that Lauer’s father leased for his family is 440 square meters Photo: Siegfried Purschke
Association boss Matthei: “There are currently 5,500 people on the list for Charlottenburg alone. During the Corona period alone, there were 30 percent more applicants. The plots are allocated according to the date of entry in the list and the application must be confirmed every two years.”
For two years, Susanne Lauer fought to take over the lease. The court finally agreed with the association.
“I spent every free weekend here,” says the Charlottenburg native. The fir tree that was planted 50 years ago has now grown into a stately tree. She grew beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes here. She paid 550 euros for it a year.
“We have to treat everyone equally,” said association boss Matthei. But that’s exactly what Lauer doubts: “The laws obviously don’t apply to everyone.”
The Lauer family looked after their little paradise for 50 years. The daughter (on the swing in the back) was not allowed to keep the allotment garden Photo: Siegfried Purschke
► Lauer’s serious kungelei allegations against the chairmen of the garden colony: “Anyone who is friends with the board of directors likes to look the other way. They are also allowed to build a little higher or wider, their hedges are significantly higher than the prescribed 1.25 meters.”
And: “All members of the board of directors have too large stone houses with a fireplace.” The Berlin allotment garden law prescribes: “Arbor with the simplest equipment”.
According to Lauer, the board of directors has been trying to evict older people from their gardens for the past two years and is said to be threatening to lay off them. You know of a case in which the girlfriend of a chairperson suddenly got a parcel in the club: “Allegedly everything went according to plan.”
A piece of childhood is gone, all that remains for Susanne Lauer are the memories of the happy time Photo: Siegfried Purschke
What does the board of the allotment garden association say about the felt allegations?
When asked by the BZ, he rejects the allegations: “Allotment gardening and hedge heights are contractually required.” Persistent violations would be reported to the district association. When allocating the plots, the association adheres to the specifications of the district association and the Federal Allotment Garden Act.
A week ago on Saturday, Susanne Lauer sadly had to hand over the keys to her little piece of home. Before that, she dug up her favorite plants and gave them to friends.