Microcosm Schrebergarten

by Emine Akbaba

Garden gnomes, circled beds, roses or forget-me-nots and the hedgerow always nicely in one height: The Schrebergarten, an allotment garden, is typically German and a little bit tacky. However, more and more Turks, Russians and Arabs are becoming garden plot holders. In Hannover, there are 20,000 garden plots and 100 associations. About 20 per cent of the immigrant holders are from Turkey. In all of Germany, a fifth of all holders have an immigrant background. But there are differences in the usage. For the Turks, the Schrebergarten is a meeting point for the family. The women gather there to bake the typical Turkish bread on the Sac oven. People play backgammon or have barbecue with the family to enjoy the beautiful weather. Flowers are considered second-rate because every metre of the soil is used for growing vegetables. Tomatoes, eggplants, maize and beans belong to every Turkish garden.

Avsen and Gülendam in their Schrebergarten [allotment garden] in Nordstadt, Hannover. Avsen is swinging and looks at the Turkish flag. The light falling through the flag lightens her face.By Emine Akbaba
The two Turkish girls are sitting on oriental pillows and smoking shisha. They are wearing soccer tights from Turkish clubs. In the background you can see the German flag.By Emine Akbaba
You can find beans in every Turkish garden. The women store the vegetables over winter season. The seeds have been bought in Turkey because of the plants’ unequalled taste.By Emine Akbaba
On weekends, the whole family meets in the garden because most of the time there is not enough space in the flat. The little kids play on the lawn and the adolescents play soccer or at the video game console.By Emine Akbaba
Nice weather days are spent in the garden. It is the duty of every Muslim to keep to the prayer times. That’s why it’s essential to have a prayer rug in the garden. The prayer takes place in a corner, which is protected from view.By Emine Akbaba
Flowers are second-rate because every metre of the soil is used for growing vegetables. Many Turkish gardens are decorated with sunflowers. As soon as the pits appear, they are eaten.By Emine Akbaba
Garden gnomes are typical German and can be found in almost every German garden. But you can find them in Turkish ones, too. The two girls who wear a scarf are sitting on a bench and talking, not far away from a big garden gnome.By Emine Akbaba
The women are gathering in the garden to bake Turkish breads on the Sac.By Emine Akbaba
The Schrebergarten is a woman’s oasis. They plant their vegetables and bake bread. The men are not as often in the garden. Most of the time they are coming after work to drink tea.By Emine Akbaba
Ibrahim, Selin and Mehmet are playing Okey, a Turkish board game from the Rummy family of games. In every household this famous game can be found.By Emine Akbaba
Büsra, wearing a scarf, is jumping on the trampoline which is hidden in a corner of the garden. Because of its position, she could also lay down her scarf because she is protected from views.By Emine Akbaba