3rd "Edible Courtyard" Drewitz Courtyard Festival

Drewitz — Potsdam's Garden City

Drewitz is a district in the south of Potsdam, characterized by prefabricated buildings from the late 1980s. Since 2010, the long-term urban renewal project Gartenstadt Drewitz has been underway here: the classic GDR housing stock is being transformed into a car-reduced, green neighborhood with courtyards, playgrounds, workshops, and community spaces. The ProPotsdam initiative is driving the project together with the municipal housing company GEWOBA. Drewitz is now considered one of the nationally recognized examples of climate-friendly neighborhood development.

The "Edible Courtyard" — Quarter 13

In Quarter 13 — the residential block at Wolfgang-Staudte-Straße, Günter-Simon-Straße, and Willi-Schiller-Weg — a community garden with edible plants has been created since 2020 in cooperation between residents, GEWOBA, and the Wendeschleife project of ProPotsdam: herb beds, fruit trees, berry bushes, raised beds for vegetables. The courtyard is part of a larger idea — the "Edible Garden City", which aims to expand the edible city concept (Edible Cities Movement) to the entire district.

Courtyard Festival — The Annual Neighborhood Celebration

Since 2024, the existence of the garden has been celebrated annually with a Courtyard Festival. The festival serves as a meeting place for the neighborhood and a hands-on event: anyone who wants to can help in the garden, learn about what grows in the block, or simply enjoy the afternoon with coffee, cake, and music. 2026 will see the 3rd Courtyard Festival — a sign that the initiative has arrived in the neighborhood.

Program Character

Although the program for 2026 will only be published shortly before the date on the Wendeschleife website, the Courtyard Festival follows the proven concept of previous years:

• Garden Tour through the block with explanations of the edible plants.
• Hands-on activities for children: planting, berry picking, crafts from natural materials.
• Coffee and Cake with contributions from the neighborhood.
• Herb Stand with explanations on use and preparation.
• Small music program in the courtyard.
• Meet and greet with representatives from ProPotsdam and the Wendeschleife initiative.

Climate, Community, Neighborhood

The Courtyard Festival is a deliberately small format — not a mass event, but a neighborhood festival with a political background. Wendeschleife is one of the flagship projects of "Gartenstadt Drewitz plus" and sees itself as a climate garden and educational center. Those unfamiliar with the district will get a good impression of how the transformation of the Drewitz prefabricated housing estate has progressed over the last 15 years — and how it continues.