A new regional group of NaturGarten e.V. for Saxony-Anhalt has been founded at Zscheiplitz Monastery near Freyburg. Coordinated by Alexander von Hahn, it brings together near-natural gardening, biodiversity, cultural heritage, artistic practice and regional engagement to create a vibrant program for locals and visitors alike.
NaturGarten e.V. is committed nationwide to diverse, sustainably and climate-resiliently designed gardens and green spaces. At its heart are native plants and animals, ecologically valuable habitats, and a gardening practice in which people and nature can flourish together. The association understands gardens and green spaces as habitats of the future: as places of beauty, learning, restoration and species conservation.
The Saxony-Anhalt regional group takes up these goals in an independent, regionally rooted program. It aims to make visible and tangible the beauty and ecological diversity of the Burgenland district, in particular of the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland Nature Park. At the same time, it turns its attention to the unique interplay of vineyards, river valleys, historic towns, castles, monasteries and long-standing cultural traditions. The Saale-Unstrut region combines natural experience, viticulture, recreation and cultural heritage in a rare and compelling way.
At its centre is Zscheiplitz Monastery: a unique private family seat, art and history museum, and historic monastery garden. The place opens a distinctive perspective on how centuries-old cultural heritage can be made accessible through gardens and gardening. Gardens preserve knowledge of landscape and food, of medicinal plants and the seasons, of craft, design, hospitality and ways of living. They are not merely decorative backdrops, but living cultural archives in which history, ecology and everyday life intertwine.
Zscheiplitz Monastery dates back to a High Medieval foundation. Its gardening and landscape tradition provides an especially resonant setting in which to reanimate the connection between nature, memory and the future.
Focus and Activities
The regional group develops events, educational formats and collaborations around the following themes:
The regional group addresses itself to experienced gardeners as well as interested beginners, to families and schools, municipalities, cultural institutions and tourism stakeholders, and to guests with an interest in gardens, plants, history and landscape.
Founding Group
The Saxony-Anhalt Regional Group of NaturGarten e.V. is represented by:
Alexander von Hahn, member of NaturGarten e.V., coordinator and contact person for the regional group. He lives and works at Zscheiplitz Monastery and is responsible for the substantive and organizational development of the group.
Kathrin Dommaschke, founding member of the regional group, treasurer and founder of Wild & Verbunden. She is a mentor for nature-based development and design processes and a consultant for garden and natural space design. Her work is dedicated to mindfulness in and with nature, to connection with nature, and to living in rhythm with the seasons.
supported by Jeannette Schröter, founding member of the regional group. She enriches the program through her herb walks and her artistic work. As an artist, author and speaker, and founder of Jenny's Herb Walks, she offers direct and knowledgeable access to wild plants, medicinal herbs and the botanical treasures of the Saale Valley.
Partner for Sustainable Tourism
The regional group sees itself as a constructive partner for tourism organizations, municipalities, cultural institutions, horticultural and agricultural enterprises, winegrowers and hosts. It aims to contribute to the development of sustainable nature and cultural tourism in the Burgenland district, in the Saale-Unstrut region, and in Saxony-Anhalt as a whole.
With high-quality, place-based and seasonally oriented offerings, the group seeks to make the distinctive qualities of the region tangible: its gardens and landscapes, its knowledge of plants and food, its history, its art and music, its wine and everyday culture, and its hospitable way of life.
The aim is to make the Burgenland district in particular, and Saxony-Anhalt in general, visible as a preferred European destination for garden lovers, nature enthusiasts and culturally oriented travelers — for people who seek not merely to visit sights, but to experience landscape, culture and history with all their senses.
About NaturGarten e.V.
NaturGarten e.V. is a nationwide association dedicated to near-natural gardening and the promotion of biodiversity in gardens and green spaces. It brings together garden enthusiasts, professionals and institutions committed to ecological gardening, native plants and vibrant habitats. Further information at www.naturgarten.org.
Contact
Regional Group Saxony-Anhalt of NaturGarten e.V.
c/o Kloster Zscheiplitz
Auf dem Gut 5–6
06632 Freyburg OT Zscheiplitz
Coordination and contact: Alexander von Hahn
Email: von.hahn@me.com
Phone: 0176 31589629
www.zscheiplitz.com
Imagery: We are happy to provide photographic material of Zscheiplitz Monastery and the regional group upon request.
NaturGarten e.V. is committed nationwide to diverse, sustainably and climate-resiliently designed gardens and green spaces. At its heart are native plants and animals, ecologically valuable habitats, and a gardening practice in which people and nature can flourish together. The association understands gardens and green spaces as habitats of the future: as places of beauty, learning, restoration and species conservation.
The Saxony-Anhalt regional group takes up these goals in an independent, regionally rooted program. It aims to make visible and tangible the beauty and ecological diversity of the Burgenland district, in particular of the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland Nature Park. At the same time, it turns its attention to the unique interplay of vineyards, river valleys, historic towns, castles, monasteries and long-standing cultural traditions. The Saale-Unstrut region combines natural experience, viticulture, recreation and cultural heritage in a rare and compelling way.
At its centre is Zscheiplitz Monastery: a unique private family seat, art and history museum, and historic monastery garden. The place opens a distinctive perspective on how centuries-old cultural heritage can be made accessible through gardens and gardening. Gardens preserve knowledge of landscape and food, of medicinal plants and the seasons, of craft, design, hospitality and ways of living. They are not merely decorative backdrops, but living cultural archives in which history, ecology and everyday life intertwine.
Zscheiplitz Monastery dates back to a High Medieval foundation. Its gardening and landscape tradition provides an especially resonant setting in which to reanimate the connection between nature, memory and the future.
Focus and Activities
The regional group develops events, educational formats and collaborations around the following themes:
- near-natural, species-rich and climate-adapted gardening with particular attention to native plants, pollinators and structurally diverse habitats;
- historic garden culture and the enduring significance of monastic garden knowledge, including the cultivation and interpretation of useful, fragrant and medicinal plants;
- kitchen and productive gardens and rural ways of life that link horticulture, seasonal food, regional produce and hospitality;
- urban, balcony and small gardens that offer practical access to ecological gardening even in limited spaces;
- herbalism and plant knowledge, complemented by walks and excursions into the landscape of the Saale Valley;
- strolls, garden visits and nature experiences that invite mindful perception, restoration and a deeper relationship with the landscape;
- experience-oriented and creative formats at the intersection of nature and art: readings, conversations with authors, garden concerts, musical encounters, exhibitions and interdisciplinary discussions;
- public talks, lectures and panel discussions on the future of gardens and landscapes, rural ways of life, biodiversity, regional identity and cultural heritage.
The regional group addresses itself to experienced gardeners as well as interested beginners, to families and schools, municipalities, cultural institutions and tourism stakeholders, and to guests with an interest in gardens, plants, history and landscape.
Founding Group
The Saxony-Anhalt Regional Group of NaturGarten e.V. is represented by:
Alexander von Hahn, member of NaturGarten e.V., coordinator and contact person for the regional group. He lives and works at Zscheiplitz Monastery and is responsible for the substantive and organizational development of the group.
Kathrin Dommaschke, founding member of the regional group, treasurer and founder of Wild & Verbunden. She is a mentor for nature-based development and design processes and a consultant for garden and natural space design. Her work is dedicated to mindfulness in and with nature, to connection with nature, and to living in rhythm with the seasons.
supported by Jeannette Schröter, founding member of the regional group. She enriches the program through her herb walks and her artistic work. As an artist, author and speaker, and founder of Jenny's Herb Walks, she offers direct and knowledgeable access to wild plants, medicinal herbs and the botanical treasures of the Saale Valley.
Partner for Sustainable Tourism
The regional group sees itself as a constructive partner for tourism organizations, municipalities, cultural institutions, horticultural and agricultural enterprises, winegrowers and hosts. It aims to contribute to the development of sustainable nature and cultural tourism in the Burgenland district, in the Saale-Unstrut region, and in Saxony-Anhalt as a whole.
With high-quality, place-based and seasonally oriented offerings, the group seeks to make the distinctive qualities of the region tangible: its gardens and landscapes, its knowledge of plants and food, its history, its art and music, its wine and everyday culture, and its hospitable way of life.
The aim is to make the Burgenland district in particular, and Saxony-Anhalt in general, visible as a preferred European destination for garden lovers, nature enthusiasts and culturally oriented travelers — for people who seek not merely to visit sights, but to experience landscape, culture and history with all their senses.
About NaturGarten e.V.
NaturGarten e.V. is a nationwide association dedicated to near-natural gardening and the promotion of biodiversity in gardens and green spaces. It brings together garden enthusiasts, professionals and institutions committed to ecological gardening, native plants and vibrant habitats. Further information at www.naturgarten.org.
Contact
Regional Group Saxony-Anhalt of NaturGarten e.V.
c/o Kloster Zscheiplitz
Auf dem Gut 5–6
06632 Freyburg OT Zscheiplitz
Coordination and contact: Alexander von Hahn
Email: von.hahn@me.com
Phone: 0176 31589629
www.zscheiplitz.com
Imagery: We are happy to provide photographic material of Zscheiplitz Monastery and the regional group upon request.
