Susanne Haun(Translated from Rote Beete)
Tucked away behind The Centre Francais at the top of Muellerstrasse is a very special place: The Rote Beete (red beets or beetroot in English). The Centre Francais de Berlin (CFB for short) provides gardening tools and a space for a community garden. The garden is located between the underground stations Rehberge and Afrikanische Straße at Müllerstraße 74. Let us show you why it is worth investigating (and joining in).
A joy of gardening is all you need to take part
There is no association to join – the only thing necessary to participate in the Rote-Beete-Garten is commitment and an enjoyment of gardening. The garden is divided into different groups and each one comes together to decide how to lay out their area of the garden. There is a herb garden, vegetable garden and a flower garden, among others.
According to the Centre Français de Berlin’s website, “Joint decision-making and direct democracy are paramount; both the gardening and the harvesting are shared collectively.”
Hidden location
Despite it’s well-known location and the easy to spot Centre Francais, the garden itself is actually not that easy to find. The far end of the centre’s barren parking lot has been transformed into this beautiful garden with the entry point adjacent to the Eiffel Tower and the phone booth library. Just keep walking straight down the parking lot and you’ll find yourself amidst the greenery, sharing in the fantasy of the garden’s design. There is properly distanced seating all around, allowing you to enjoy the nature and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Müllerstrasse.
A community garden with events
Alexandre Bocage, the organizer of the Rote-Beete-Garten, enthusiastically lists the events planned for this summer. Various activities, such as an exchange between urban gardens in Berlin and Paris, will be hosted at regular intervals. There are plans for workshop with young girls from Marzahn to build a hut together this summer as part of a hybrid Franco-German project. A street theater with a performance by the collective thesmophoria is also on the event list.
Éléphantes, CLUB DE LECTURE FRANCO-BERLINOIS, is planning an event with a focus on feminist Francophone literature. On August 14, 2021 from 12 – 3 pm, the art event “crossart for future” will take place. Doreen Trittel, one of the participating artists explains:
“The traveling exhibition “crossart for future” focuses on climate change, the environment, and sustainability. The artists were asked to create works that would draw attention to current issues and, at the same time, actively contribute to overcoming these problems by donating 30% of the proceeds to a non-profit organization. 36 artists will participate.
Due to the current situation, it is recommended to visit the garden’s Facebook page before attending these events to check the up-to-date COVID regulations.
Five years of Rote Beete
It’s hard to believe that on August 28, 2021, the 5th year anniversary of Rote Beete will take place (5 Jahre Rote Beete) in the form of a big street festival on the CFB premises. The event is supported by the Senate for The Department of Culture and Europe.
During the author’s last meeting with Alexandre, he pointed out the beehives on the roof of the CFB. The author was fascinated and immediately bought one of the honey jars with “100% Weddinger honey” at the reception of the Centre Francais hotel – very tasty and highly recommended. The CFB has been producing honey with an environment conscience since 2015. There are currently 12 hives on the roof and around 350 kg of honey is processed once or twice a year. For safety reasons and out of respect for the bees, the roof of the CFB is not open to the public.
Want to get involved?
The link “Lust mitzumachen” allows you to leave your details, You will then be invited to an introduction about the main groups of the garden and learn how you can get involved in the team. You can also get in touch and learn more on the Instagram via the account Rote Beete Garten
Contact Information
Rote Beete Gemeinschaftsgarten
In Centre Français de Berlin gGmbH
Müllerstrasse 74, 13349 Berlin
Alexandre Bocage, Tel.: +49 (0) 30–1208603–41, Email: [email protected]
Homepage http://rotebeete-berlin.de
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RoteBeeteGemGa
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rotebeeteberlin/
Translation: Fiona Nugent
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