Topic: Memorial allotment site to commemorate the end of WW2

[Svea]

while on holiday in vienna the OH and i came across an allotment site slap bang opposite the castle! surrounded by a fence which has been made from scraps of wood, metal, bits of old doors and windoiws, and even bikes and mattresses, the fence was actually a piece of art in itself.

when we came closer to see what was going on we could see an allotment site contained inside. an information stand gave details of the project which is part of the '25 peaces' events run in austria this year to commemorate the end of the war. as the public parks were used agriculturally in the five or so years after the war to supplement the production of food, the authorities have decided to run an allotment site on the historic site from may to september this year. how cool is that!?!?!?!

while we were looking and identifying all the veg that was being grown ;) two people arrived who i talked to asking if they had plots, and indeed they did and had come to tend to them. the plots are very small (about 6ft x 10ft) - more like beds, and there are 60 of them. the gardeners were chosen in a lottery - more than 300 people had applied to garden the plots for the season as part of this project.

i have taken photos and also was given some newspaper clippings by one of the two chaps - he was very prepared and had all sorts of information to hand. he even produced lealets he himself had made, translating the blurb which was written at the info points in english and german, into japanese and russianĀ  (as there are lots of tourists from these countries too coming to vienna.

well, i think this is the kind of thing to actually engage the public and the younger generation much more than yet another military parade. the other 24 'peaces' include such things as 'cooking in the occupied zones' (receipes particular to each of the allied forces, and the time as well - russian, english, french and american), 'grazing cows' outside another large chateau in vienna, etc etc

the link below will take you to the website - i think it's only in german though so maybe not too much use for most people here :-\

http://www.25peaces.at/

grazing cows

statues protected against bombs(only temporary)

(you can see the allotment site just laid out, bare)

[Piglottie]

That's soooo cool.  Thanks for posting it Svea.  Its a nice feeling to know that there are plot holders in other countries and like you say, what a brilliant way to commemorate the end of the war - something new and positive.  Absolutely great - and like Wardy, hoping they continue with the plots after the celebrations.

[Svea]

it would be nice but they wont. it's only there for the year's celebrations. ends in september, so no overwintering veg there.

there are horse drawn carriages going  round in vienna (touristy thing but nice) and i did ask the plotholders whether they managed to get manure off the horses - which they did. but as it's fresh stuff (literally 'of the day' :o), it was only useful for certain veg.

we chatted about other allotment sites in vienna but there is nothing in the centre, only further out around the edges. mind you, vienna is a fraction of the size of london ::)

svea

PS: apparently, visitors and young people think this is a great idea - the older viennese find it not so. it spoils the view of the castle, of course. or, maybe it just conjures up memories of the war and the after war years that they would rather forget...   ???

[amphibian]

That's fantastic.

Maybe we should pull up the pitch at Twickenham and grow cabbages there ;)

[bupster]

Given how long Wembley's taking we could probably get several crops there.

[Sherwood]

Nice idea - but the fence is a disgrace. If this was a memorial in this country I'd like to think that the Royal British Legion would insist on something fitting.

[katynewbie]

 :-\

Disagree Sherwood! I think the fence is a very important part of the whole thing, allotments are all about "make do and mend" for most people, and during WW2 that would have been even more important.

[weedbusta]

i also loved the fence, makes it look like a real allotment. and a great place to talk to young ones about the great wars, and the way people lived through them.

[Svea]

If this was a memorial in this country I'd like to think that the Royal British Legion would insist on something fitting.

i loved the fence, it was itself a piece of artwork. yes the materials were throw-away ones, but there were artists involved putting it together, and it definately showed. also, the point of this was to show what it would have been like - not what it can look like in 2005.

so i disagree with you there.

[Robert_Brenchley]

The fence makes it, in my view. Allotment tradition is about making do and recycling, after all.

[bennettsleg]

It is also worth cosidering that the ramshackle fence is a representation of the heath robinson contraptions created by soldiers and prisoners of war to make thier lives more tolerable / enable escape plots? Also prisoners of war suffered terrible diets and often grew food (or tried to) to provide some variety and heath in their diet.

Plants also signify life and hope: something that is demonstrated by the little miracles we all experience when sowing seed and watching them grow into healthy plants. To celebrate life and hope is possibly the greatest way to pay honour to those who died in the war(s).

[saddad]

My Dad intended a Memorial to the War.. he was saving up to buy a Hill Farm.. for six years he put money aside... went through D-Day, Falaise, got as far as bridging the Rhine before a shell caught up with him... when they had patched his legs back together and he was sent home he found his wife had spent it all... I'm the product of a second marriage!!! He never got his farm...
 :'(