Mühlhausen is flourishing: citizens are planting the city's future!

Mühlhausen is flourishing: citizens are planting the city's future!

Mühlhausen, a city with history and culture, relies on sustainable development and citizen participation. As part of the citizens' initiative “Edible City”, the urban gardening movement is experiencing an upswing, which is based on the more successful concept in Andernach. The first “Edible City” project in Germany was launched there in 2008, with residents actively planting beans, tomatoes and fruit bushes in the city walls. This initiative has not only helped improve the quality of life but also created awareness about local foods. Katrin Bohn from the citizens' initiative emphasizes that the positive design of green spaces is central to the project and promotes social cohesion reported MDR.

The approach in Mühlhausen focuses on using fallow land to grow edible plants. The city has several locations, including the garden of St. Peter's Church, where rye, buckwheat, oats, barley and millet are grown. Vegetables such as beetroot, chard, garlic and black cumin also grow on other beds, such as at the church house and at Kristanplatz. Various herbs such as thyme, sage, mint and lemon balm also find space on a tree disc at the Cultural History Museum. The aim of the citizens' initiative is to inspire local residents to plant edible plants and thus promote the community.

Events and sense of community

The citizens' initiative is planning several events in September at which the harvest will be celebrated with communal feasts. Anyone interested is warmly invited to take part in care and watering days. The “Open Garden Day” already introduced the herb harvest, where participants could learn how to make tea, lemonade and pesto from fresh herbs. These activities not only help to root citizens in their cityscape, but also strengthen the sense of community within the city.

Inspired by historical research into medieval diet in the region, the project in Mühlhausen includes the cultivation of ancient grains such as barley, oats, millet and buckwheat. Schools in particular can benefit from this, as they are currently placing greater emphasis on local food markets and improving school meals. Further information about Andernach and the origin of the project are available online.

The “Edible City” initiative in Mühlhausen thus actively contributes to promoting urban sustainability and improving the quality of life of citizens, relying on the active participation and enthusiasm of local residents. The anticipation of the planned events in September, which will celebrate the fruits of community commitment, is already noticeable.