Opening a cultural café in a citizens group managed park
A cultural kiosk café that is along with other initiatives transforming an
abandoned soccer field into a park of biodiversity and cultural meeting
point. We provide the extra pepper into the soup of co-creation of a
communal space with music, creativity and an extra portion of good food.
With sustainability as our carriage,
we ride towards a brighter future.
Was geht? Das Beet!
Regional
Germany
State of Bremen
City: Bremerhaven
City district: Bremerhaven Lehe
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
As individual(s) in partnership with organisation(s)
First name: Moritz Last name: Alber Gender: Male Please describe the type of organization(s) you work in partnership with: Zolli-Initiative e.V.
Werk e.V.
Zircula e.V. Age: 29 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Germany Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Bürgermeister-Smidt-Str. 210 Town: Bremerhaven, Mitte Postal code: 27568 Country: Germany Direct Tel:+49 1573 4436906 E-mail:info@dasbeet.org Website:https://dasbeet.info/
“Das Beet” (engl. the garden bed) is a newly crowdfunded cultural kiosk
café located in a community group managed city park in the heart of
Bremerhaven. Even though I was the initiator of this concept, I will further
write as we. It is a communal project and would not have been possible
without the help of many others. The Zollinlandplatz is an abandoned soccer
field that started its transformation into a park of biodiversity and encounter
in 2015. It is about the joint design of a non-profit area, a creative free
space, which is to be enriched by many with life, ideas, and culture. Our aim
is to create an outdoor gathering place on the Zollinlandplatz in
Bremerhaven. A place for get-togethers, recreation, and common activities.
In doing so, one focus of the Zolli-Initiative is the expansion of plant diversity
and animal species is to be implemented further by growing herbs, salads,
and vegetables in our own plant beds. We offer this produce directly from
our beds into our gastronomy. As much as possible, avoid generating non-recyclable waste. We want to create and expand awareness for a
better handling of ourselves, the environment, and the available resources.
In this way, we would like to illustrate the thought in cycles and place it
more in the focus of our daily activities. “Das Beet” and the Zollinlandplatz
should be a cultural contact point for all people of all generations, all
nations, all cultures and all sexes. We believe that societal activities are a
main communication tool to expand awareness for sustainability. With cost
free cultural activities, we attract people from all backgrounds in spite of the
higher price for sustainable, good, delightful drinks and food. This is only
possible through a funding of our cultural office in Bremerhaven, who see
the importance for a free cultural offer in a deprived neighborhood.
Sustainability
Cultural diversity
Circular Economy
Biodiversity
Local recreation
From the construction, the use of tools, the production, the use of the
existing resources and the service we think about sustainability.
Construction: A sorted out 20ft shipping container is the base of “Das Beet”.
The foundations are compacted crushed rock, rather than cemented
foundation blocks. We focus on mechanical connections, then adhesive
bonds. The container is a non-permanent building and can easily be moved
to a different location. It can be easily dismantled, and materials can be
separated again. The laid infrastructure for water, wastewater and electricity
can easily be dislodged, if “Das Beet” will ever close.
Use of tools: The only new tools in our kitchen are a panini grill and a milk
foamer. Everything else is either bought second hand or is rented for a
specific purpose. Together with the Zolli-Initiative and the Urban Pergola
project, we now have a wide variety of tools, and these are shared among
the groups.
The production: We obtain roughly 80% of our raw products either
ecologically or regionally. We aim for the 100% and are constantly looking
for producers in our region that fit our criteria for sustainable agriculture.
Our food scraps are composted in the park in a communal compost station,
that we built. We are growing mushrooms on wastewood from the Gartenbauamt Bremerhaven
We use reusable containers or pant system with most of our partners. The
electricity consumed is from renewable energies.
The use of existing resources: 80 percent of the kitchen equipment is
second hand. All our seating area is either self-build from recycled materials
or is second hand from flea markets, eBay or donations.
Service: A sustainable service with our customers is important to
communicate our values and the opportunity for them to experience this
vibrant location. The Zolli-Initiative e.V. in cooperation with
“Das Beet” received a dry separating toilet granted from the Climate City
Office Bremerhaven (Klimastadtbüro)
Our key objective in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience is strongly
rooted in the Zollinlandplatz and its surroundings. With “Das Beet”, we are
creating a new location together with the Zolli-Initiative e.V. and are strongly
identifying with the values of the Zolli-Initiative e.V. in terms of biodiversity and
sustainability. We are experimenting with a mix of creativeness in this
location.
We have the many raised beds, on one hand, that we built to grow food and
provide a small garden for neighbours. All the beds are made from recycled
materials. With our form of construction and designs, we want to create an
aesthetic of self-build, reuse and practicality. The individual character of
each construction, due to the variety of people who conceptualized or
assembled it, emphasizes this aesthetic. Thus, showing that the
development of such place in a poor neighbourhood can be shaped
through time investment and use of waste streams rather than money.
On the other hand, we have a modern and artistic aesthetic when it comes
to the interior and exterior of the container. Our idea is to present the
container in a minimalistic look, focused on materials like wood, cork and
stainless steel. The interior is precisely built and demonstrates a perfect
aesthetic. With this aesthetic we draw another field of guests to our location.
In addition to all of that are our artists, art, and nature, that bring liveliness
to our compositions and to this place. They bring the small details that make
a visit an experience and an ever-changing space. To promote nature and
biodiversity is one of the main goals of this park and to connect human
made shapes and forms with more playful natural forms is an aesthetic we
are welcoming and progressing. We have several concept for natural constructions for the park and the public to use. Trees are still small, that we've planted and shaded areas are needed for recreation of all ages.
“Das Beet” is in Bremerhaven Lehe. It is not only located in the socially
weakest district of the city but also in one of the weakest in Germany.
Bremerhaven Lehe is in 2020 the poorest district of Germany and over 35%
of its population is overindebted. Nearly half (45%) of its population has a
migratory background. The crime rates are high, and businesses are rather
leaving than moving to Lehe. “Das Beet“ became a meeting point of all
social classes and backgrounds in just a year and we strongly promote an
open character of our space. With an ecological and sustainable concept, we
do not have our targeted group situated directly in our neighborhood. With
our concept we promote sustainability in a very alternative and not elitist
way. We scaled down on many of our prizes, to make our offer available to
many neighbours with lower income. During the development, we constantly
involve our neighbors in our creation processes, and we had help in many
different fields. One main thing, that astound our team, was the mix of age
in our customers. Originally planned to provide a cultural and gastronomical
offer for the younger generation, we attracted with our concept people of
any age. Our team is diverse in age, sex, and cultural background.
The Park is partly accessible with a wheelchair and the seating area of “Das
Beet” is filled with wood chips. In 2020 all guests in a wheelchair were able
to move on this field. We have a dry separating toilet that is barrier free.
We believe a key factor to include people in a structurally lagging city like
Bremerhaven into sustainable ideas, urban gardening, healthy and local
gastronomy is when those messages are combined with cultural events.
Recreational areas with a green surrounding are very important in a city district that lacks green areas and meeting points. Das Beet is investing in a public area and works closely together with the Zolli-Initiative e.V. and the planning office of the city of Bremerhaven. We implemented a free public Wifi, we constructed areas, where citizens can enjoy the park, when the café is closed. We constructed a public stage, where everyone can organize a concert or like in 2023 in cooperation with Zircula e.V. we will organize workshops and discussions on circular economy topics like composting of human faeces, communal plastic recycling, local production of Biochar with biomass produced in city gardens or a CO2 compensation of Das beet together with a local milk producer and his farm. We will have a neighborhood workshop, organized by city planning office in April 2023 to bring the neighborhood again in the planning process and to find a neutral communication with the neighbors concerning noise and development.
The public has been consistently involved in the planning and implementation of the design of the park and the cultural café Das Beet. A crowdfunding campaign that generated nearly 10000 €, with more than 50 % of the money coming from Bremerhaven, shows the local interest in the project. The members of the Zolli-Intitiative e.V. doubled since the beginning of the project. Events like the Burning Beans Festival in the year 2021 and 2022 in collaboration with the cultural office Bremerhaven brought international artists to the Zollinlandplatz and had over 900 guests in 2022. For this event we had especially many visitors from the city of Bremen. All concepts for the park have to be discussed and agreed together with the Zolli-Initiative e.V., the garden office of Bremerhaven and the city planning office of Bremerhaven. The value is, that ideas get a professional feedback, ideas fit to the planned future of the city district and conflicts of interest can be solved prior to the implementation of a project. A cooperation formed with the local school, who will implement an app using qr codes at different locations in the park to show and tell the historic background of the park. The value is to provide historical information and add an educational value to a recreational area. A new partnership formed with Die Wurzelei, a local market garden, producing food for the community and for the café. Direct marketing benefits local producers and gives us the value of farm to table offerings and the freshest of produce available.
Funding from the Klimastadtbüro Bremerhaven, the cultural office Bremerhaven, the Dieckell Stiftung, WiN Bremerhaven all show that our development fits sustainability, public and cultural interests of the cities future.
A lot! Explained in other questions asked here. I did not manage to find this much time for this application here.
In our perception Bremerhaven has been a fragmented city, interaction
between native and new “Bremerhavenas” as well as among different social
sectors have been rare in our experience. In Bremerhaven there is no
abundant pool of young and urban people to co-create and finance. “Das
Beet”, we must go new ways. Our response was to openly embrace
everyone showing remote interest in the project. Located at the cross-
section of the poorest neighbourhood of Germany and Bremerhaven’s
center of young, artistic and cultural life, we naturally draw in people from
both neighbourhoods. We offer free cultural events together with the
cultural office of Bremerhaven. As described multiple times we are deeply
connected with the Zolli Initiative, we act as development grounds for a new
project with the local university and connect with the Klimastadtbüro. Our
community and our partners let us grow integrated to the people around us.
We have farm to table products and can show our customers how our food is
grown, cooked, and eaten. Guests can partake in the growing of produce
and can develop a tangible connection to the food they consume. We invite
everyone not just to have a drink and a snack but also to participate in the
development of the location. Instead of sourcing treats from industrial
bakeries, we have neighbourhood grannies eager to make use of old and
new recipes. Instead of presenting a finished space, we most literally offer a
garden of opportunities to develop the empty space and people are taking
us up on the offer. Our lived concept of shared ownership makes us resilient
and provides needed atmosphere.
Sorry but this prize is getting too long for me to do besides my normal work. Last year was shorter and more managable. This year you doubled the questions. I have no more time to finish it properly. I will still send it, because why waste the work. We do good, but are struggling. Prize money could really encourage myself and others to further pursue this project.
I will explain this using the SDGD`s, because they describe our global challenges in a detailed way.
2. Zero Hunger:
We provide a local possibility to start a garden in a strongly cement sealed neighborhood.
Planting a food forest in a park provides the neighborhood with fruits whilst regenerating the soil.
Since 2022 we have Foodsharing Bremerhaven also located on the Zollinlandplatz.
3.
With the emphasize on local, organic produce and the presentation of local food producers we want to demonstrate recipes and possibilities with seasonal and local produced food. Using a mostly plant based diet and using organic produce, can have a strong impact on the well being.
4.
We have organized several workshops on the Zollinlandplatz including Mushroom inoculation on wood logs, composting methods, pruning fruit trees and development of a subcultural scene. In 2023 we will start off with 4 discussions on sustainability inviting professionals, the cities office, neighbors and scientists. We want to discuss circular practices that could change our urban lifes and how it directly is possible to implement in the city of Bremerhaven.
6.
Together with the Klimastadtbüro, we organized a public dry separating toilet on the Zollinlandplatz.
7.
Together with the Klimastadtbüro, we provided the café with a solar battery combination and an electric vehicle to reduce CO2 emissions in the operation of the café. We further install solar panels on the roof of the café to provide shade and reduce the electricity consumption of the café.
8.
The café provided an occupation for 6 people from May until September. Sales have nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022. Profit however was limited and revenue has to rise to employ the same amount of people in 2023.
11.
The Zolli is promoting a green habitat for humans and nature
12.
Circular economy is one of our targets
13.
The Zollinlandplatz is a meeting point for climate activists from Bremerhaven
