Pflanzgarten School Garden

View of the pond and the greenhouses of the botanical garden

Children have less and less the opportunity to experience nature very closely. Only a few families in the city still have their own garden. Many children are therefore denied the secrets of nature or the pleasure of growing their own vegetables from a seed. Our Pflanzgarten School Garden allows children to understand nature. The terraced beds and the greenhous rise like a green oasis in the middle of the foundation grounds. Here there is enough space and ground for the »Education for Sustainable Development« project.

The various children's groups on the foundation's grounds regularly use the Pflanzgarten School Garden and greenhouses to gain experience of nature and the environment. On their own beds they plant vegetables and flowers, cultivate the beds and harvest the vegetables they have grown themselves.

In addition, numerous educational opportunities are open to all children's groups in the city. They form a focal point of our education for sustainable development and be carried out either in the Pflanzgarten School Garden or in the classroom of the greenhouse. Children experience the garden with all their senses: They recognize Bible plants, learn to distinguish between medicinal and aromatic plants, taste food plants and Christmas spices or try out plant design.

The project »Education for Sustainable Development in the Pflanzgarten School Garden« is supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the Freundeskreis der Franckeschen Stiftungen e. V. (Association of Friends of Francke Foundations). An important partner is the Institute for School Pedagogy and Primary School Didactics of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg.

Offers

Bible Plants

Interactive tour
Children between the ages of 9 and 14
May–October
Education for sustainable development

Over one hundred different plant species are mentioned in the Bible. These are largely the same species as in the holy books of Judaism and Islam. The most important plants can be found in our Bible garden. If desired, we can grind and bake a simple flatbread, and participants can organise a garden tour of the seven most important biblical plants themselves. At the end there will be a meal of flatbread, grape juice and biblical fruit. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Botany and Plant Identification

Activity-based workshop
classes 6-10
May–October
Education for sustainable development

Ein Mädchen mit Papier und Stift betrachtet konzentriert eine Pflanze in einem blühenden Beet.

Botanical knowledge of plant identification is a prerequisite for being able to assess biodiversity. Depending on the time available, we can go through up to three stations in this programme. After a brief introduction to a simple plant identification book, we first identify plant species independently. Then we categorise garden plants into the most important plant families. Thirdly, there is a herb quiz. At the end, a homemade herb quark on fresh bread is the reward. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–120 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Designing with Plants / Nature Self-Printing / Advent Arrangements

Creative workshop
Children between the ages of 7 and 14
March–December
Education for sustainable developmenr

[Translate to Englisch:] Naturselbstdruck eines Blattes

We create pictures from flowers and leaves collected and dried in the garden as well as autumnal window decorations from natural materials. Using the technique of nature self-printing, we create creative prints from leaves and plants. During Advent, we make our own Advent arrangements from natural materials.
(in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–60 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Dyeing with Plants

Creative Workshop
Children between the ages of 9 and 14
March–November
Education for sustainable development

Ein Mädchen hält strahlend ein lilafarbenes Seidentuch hoch.

While plant dyes used to play a decisive role in the dyeing of fabrics, knowledge of dye plants has largely been lost today. We rediscover historical dye plants and even dye silk scarves in an environmentally friendly way using plant material. Patterns can be incorporated for embellishment. During the Easter period, we dye eggs with plant-based colours and individual leaf patterns.
(in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Experience the Garden with all Your Senses

Activity-based workshop
Children between the ages of 5 and 14.
April–October
Education for sustainable development

Kinder erkunden mit verbundenen Augen den Pflanzgarten.

The Francke Foundations' Pflanzgarten becomes a »garden of the senses« if you approach it in a completely different way. We explore and enjoy the garden using various sensory perception games for seeing, smelling, touching and tasting.
(in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–60 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Food Crops and Cereals

Activity-based workshop
Children between the ages of 5 and 14.
March–November
Education for sustainable development

Depending on the season, we get to know numerous vegetable plants, fruit trees and shrubs in the plant garden and process their harvest fresh from the garden into healthy and delicious food. We focus on health aspects as well as regional and seasonal nutrition. We also learn about the most important types of grain and their uses, as grain can be ground, baked, flaked into muesli or cooked as porridge on site. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

People and the Environment in Francke's Time and Today

Interactive Workshop
Children between the ages of 10 and 14
March–November
Education for sustainable development

Ein historischer Stich von Gottfried August Gründler zeigt einen Bauern bei der Aussaat auf einem Feld vor den Franckeschen Stiftungen.

How did people live 300 years ago, what did Francke's world look like? We approach the world of the 18th century through lifestyle, diet, land use, etc. and discover the differences to our lives today. Depending on the time, we will prepare a meal ourselves as we did back then. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Seasonal Nature Explorations

Activity-based workshop
Children between the ages of 5 and 14
March–November
Education for sustainable development

[Translate to Englisch:]
[Translate to Englisch:]

From the different early bloomers in early spring to the ripening of fruit and the colouring of leaves on various trees and shrubs in autumn, we experience, observe and investigate seasonal changes in plants and animals in the plant garden and the grounds of the Francke Foundations. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–60 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Simple Experiments with Plants

Activity-based workshop
Children between the ages of 7 and 14
March–October
Education for sustainable development

Ein Mädchen besprüht fröhlich Keimlinge im Gewächshaus.

We carry out experiments on the germination and growth of plants to find out what environmental conditions plants need to survive. The experiments are designed for a longer period of time. We start the experiments at the first meeting. Then everyone carries out their observations independently. At the second meeting, we analyse the results together. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–60 Min, two times
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Soil - Our Basis of Life

Workshop with small experiments
Children between the ages of 7 and 14
April–November
Education for sustainable development

The programme aims to help children understand that soil, the earth, is an important basis of life for us all. We explore the components of soil, discover the world of soil organisms, consider how soil is formed and carry out simple soil experiments depending on the time. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–60 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Spices and Medical Plants

Activity-based workshop
Children between the ages of 7 and 14
April–October
Education for sustainable development

Various medicinal and aromatic plants are used to promote health and well-being. During a herbal tour, we learn about important medicinal and aromatic plants, their typical scent, sometimes also flavour, their medicinal use and effect. We then test our knowledge in a herbal quiz. Depending on the time available, we finish by making something homemade from herbs, such as herbal tea or herbal spread. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger

Water for Life

Activity-based workshop
Chrildren between the ages of 5 und 14
March–November
Education for sustainable development

[Translate to Englisch:] Eine Schülergruppe untersucht den Teich.

Clean and healthy water is a valuable commodity. What is the global situation regarding the availability of this vital element? What can we do to contribute to the conscious use of this limited resource? Depending on your wishes, we can carry out simple experiments on the topic of water or investigate the pond habitat in the plant garden. (in German)

Info

  • Participants: up to 25 children
  • Duration: 45–90 Min
  • Meeting point: Pflanzgarten School Garden

Your Contact Person

Cornelia Jäger

Head of School Garden

[Translate to Englisch:] Foto Cornelia Jäger
  

Weitere Informationen

What is the Voluntary Ecological Year?

A Voluntary Ecological Year ( Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr, FÖJ) offers young people the opportunity to actively work for the conservation of our nature. By getting to know many problem areas in the field of environmental protection in a practical way, it should help to understand the complex interrelationships of our ecosystems better and to pass on this knowledge to others. An FÖJ can be completed between the ages of 16 and 26.  A pronounced willingness to work on ecological topics and concrete nature and environmental work should be present.

Whar are the tasks?

Apart from helping to maintain the garden as well as to harvest and process the produce cultivated there, activities in the school garden include assistance in events relating to environmental education for children, especially the supervision of preschool and school children during their work in the garden. Another key point is the preparation of teaching materials for environmental education and public relations work as well as providing assistance in organising environmental project days and festivities.

Application

The organiser and one of the sponsors of the FÖJ is the Stiftung Umwelt, Natur- und Klimaschutz des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt. To apply for a FÖJ, a written application must be submitted to the FÖJ as early as possible. The application must include a detailed letter of application stating the motivation for an FÖJ, a curriculum vitae with address and telephone number as well as a copy of the recent certificate. Please do not use application folders, staplers or transparent envelopes.

Please send the application to the following address:

Stiftung Umwelt, Natur- und Klimaschutz des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt
Steubenallee 2, 39104 Magdeburg
Tel.: 0391 5 41 50 56
E-Mail

Further information on the services and legal provisions of the Voluntary Ecological Year can be found on the website of the Stiftung Umwelt, Natur- und Klimaschutz des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt.

Cornelia Jäger: Die Geschichte der Schulgärten in Deutschland am Beispiel der Franckeschen Stiftungen in Halle (Saale). In: Die Gartenkunst. 35. Jahrgang 2023/ Heft 2. S. 225-235.

Cornelia Jäger: L´histoire des jardins scolaires en Allemagne à travers l´exemple des Fondations Francke à Halle. In: Revue Germanique Internationale 38/ 2023. S. 51-68.

Cornelia Jäger: Die Orangerie des Hallischen Waisenhauses. In: Zitrusblätter. Mitteilungen des Arbeitskreises Orangerien in Deutschland e.V.. Nr. 25/ 2022. S. 6-8.

Cornelia Jäger: Heilpflanzen im Unterricht - vom Wandel des Hortus Medicus und Botanischen Gartens am Königlichen Pädagogium. In: Holger Zaunstöck u. Thomas Grunewald (Hrsg.): Heilen an Leib und Seele: Medizin und Hygiene im 18. Jahrhundert. Halle/ Saale 2021 (Kataloge der Franckeschen Stiftungen, 38), S. 244-257.

Interview mit Cornelia Jäger (2020): Wissenschaft hinter der nächsten Ecke. Wo laufen sich Wissenschaft und Kultur in Karlsruhe und Halle über den Weg. Erschienen in einer Broschüre des Nationalen Instituts für Wissenschaftskommunikation, S. 13-18.

Jäger, Cornelia (2016): Schulgärten in Sachsen-Anhalt – eine Erhebung an Grund- und Förderschulen.

Cornelia Jäger: Vom Hortus Medicus zur modernen Umweltbildung. Die Geschichte der Schulgärten in den Franckeschen Stiftungen. Halle 2013 (Kleine Schriftenreihe der Franckeschen Stiftungen, 13).
112 S., 38 farb. Abb., 1 Lageplan, € 7,50; ISBN 978-3-939922-41-4
published by Verlag der Franckeschen Stiftungen in the Kleinen Schriftenreihe.

Kümmel, Fritz/ Jäger, Cornelia (2012): Zur Geschichte des Botanischen Gartens des Pädagogiums der Franckeschen Stiftungen in Halle (Saale). In: Schlechtendalia 24, S. 41-52.

Jäger, Cornelia/ Mahn, Ernst-Gerhard (2001): Die Halbtrockenrasen im Raum Questenberg (Südharz) in Beziehung zu ihrer Nutzungsgeschichte. In: Hercynia N.F. 34 S. 213-235.