Heinz Ocik: 60 years of passion in the Neubrandenburg garden paradise!

Heinz Ocik: 60 years of passion in the Neubrandenburg garden paradise!

Heinz Ocik, a 92-year-old from Neubrandenburg, looks back on an impressive history in the “Neues Leben” allotment garden association. He has been active there for 60 years now and has membership number 31. His passion for gardening began in a once boggy meadow that was permanently changed by the construction of Willi-Bredel-Straße and adjacent apartment blocks. The falling groundwater level required the garden owners to make significant adjustments, which Ocik mastered masterfully. He has created a small oasis in his garden, which he maintains with great dedication.

He uses 600 liter rain barrels to ensure that his plants get enough water, even if the soil has become drier in recent years. Gardeners used to sell their produce at “Konsum” on Straussstrasse, but today Heinz harvests for his family. “Strawberries, currants, gooseberries, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and carrots” – his garden offers a variety of fruit and vegetables that come fresh from the bed to the table.

A long-standing tradition

Heinz Ocik is not only a passionate gardener, but also a craftsman. Over the years he developed a variety of technical skills and continually expanded his gazebo, including installing a new DL12 and adding an awning. The garden is not just important to him and his wife. The entire family - three daughters, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren - spend a lot of time in the green idyll, which allows them to share experiences and enjoy the harvest.

The development of these allotment gardens is not only a personal but also a cultural matter. There are around 900,000 allotment garden plots in Germany, which are used by around 5 million people. These allotment gardens contribute to our country's green infrastructure and biodiversity and are an integral part of German culture. The origins of allotment gardening go back to 1814, when the first allotment garden association was founded. Particularly in times of crisis, be it during wars or the division of Germany, the cultivation of fruit and vegetables in allotment gardens played an essential role in local nutrition. National Geographic emphasizes that allotment gardens are primarily used for non-commercial gardening purposes and also serve for recreation and self-sufficiency.

Garden life in transition

The allotment culture has changed significantly over the years. In the GDR, for example, the state promoted cultivation in allotment gardens and recognized the importance of food production for the population. Many gardeners not only ran their own gardens, but were also involved in community projects and provided part of the regional supply of fruit, vegetables and other products. MDR reports on gardeners who grew their products beyond their own needs and were even able to export them to the capital.

But even today allotment gardens are more in demand than ever. Around 60 percent of tenants are now over 60 years old, but there is a notable increase in young families and people with a migrant background. This is a sign of the evolving society and the different views on self-sufficiency and experiencing nature. Added to this is the fact that in urban areas there are often long waiting times for a plot, while in rural areas garden areas sometimes remain unused.

For Heinz Ocik, however, the joy of gardening remains. He finds it amazing how different the younger gardeners' methods are. He remains true to tradition in his beloved garden and sees it as a valuable contribution to a sustainable way of life. A life full of beautiful moments in the garden, characterized by harvests and family gatherings - a truly green oasis in Neubrandenburg.