Monastery gardens and grounds of Neuzelle Abbey Restoration and maintenance of the historical facilities in line with monument protection

Construction work on the monastery gardens of the former Cistercian abbey of Neuzelle began in 2002 and has been continuing in stages ever since. In addition to the gardens, the adjoining areas such as Stiftsplatz, Brauhausplatz and the boarding school courtyard are also being restored. In this way, the entire urban ensemble of the monastery will be incorporated into the design.

The monastery gardens were laid out as part of the monastery expansion in the mid-18th century, incorporating the slope zone and Oderniederung. The restoration and care of the gardens, which are in keeping with their listed status, follows the guiding principle of bringing the gardens back to life in their Baroque fullness with very differently designed sections. The simple courtyards and the Stiftplatz square form a contrast to this, with their fieldstone paving and the surrounding buildings creating a striking effect.

The gardens are roughly divided into the convent garden and the manorial pleasure, orchard and kitchen garden. These include the parterre, the terraces with orangery plants, the reflecting pool, trellises lined with hornbeams, the bosquet and the fruit, kitchen and herb gardens, some of which are also representatively designed and finely structured.

In order to gain an idea of the knowledge of the monastery in the 18th century, research was carried out in the catalog of the monastery library to find out which books on horticulture and plant use were available at the time. This revealed a wide range of literature, which proves that the monks were up to date with their information.



As far as possible, the plantings are based on the surviving stock and historical sources. The historical fruit species and varieties used in the pleasure garden include bitter oranges and other agrums, which are overwintered in the orangery and placed on the terraces in summer. A trellis on a south-facing wall provides pears and apricots with a particularly warm microclimate and protection against late frosts. The baroque conical vines preserved on the first floor of the orangery are supplemented by new plantings in the recognizable structure. This legitimizes a continuation of the design over a period of more than 250 years. The pergola connecting the parterre and the bosquet will be recreated as a lattice structure while retaining the original foundations and developed into a berceau with pruned hornbeams.



Numerous types of pome fruit, stone fruit and soft fruit are planted and pruned in the fruit areas. In the vegetable beds, various species are grown in different life forms with main crops as well as previous and subsequent crops. The choice falls on robust and seed-resistant varieties with a wide range of shapes, colors and flavors. The historical principle of diversity in garden produce is applied, as was customary to supply a large economic unit such as the monastery. Slightly raised vegetable beds supported by oak, trellises for runner beans and hazelnut trellises for peas create a finely structured topography and delicate architecture in the beds. Dahlias and cannas in colorful tubs complement the areas in subtropical splendor. The gardens laid out according to this principle offer visitors something new again and again throughout the year.

The gardens and Stiftsplatz square with its museums and monastery church are a popular destination in the region. Concerts, guided tours and events take place there in summer.