The sunken [paradise]garden in Kleinblittersdorf

A place to learn and experience our relationship to our living space, cultural heritage and nature

Immersed, poetic, lively, calming, exploding, reminiscent, educational, harmonizing - this is how you could describe this special refuge in Kleinblittersdorf. The origins of this place date back to a time when the landscape of the Upper Saar was still characterized by viticulture and the magic of a largely untouched nature. In the age of industrialization, wealthy families, among others, built estates and elaborate gardens and vineyards in the coveted location, which were almost completely lost after the wars. Eventually, the Saarbrücken Regional Association became the owner of the property with its ruinous buildings and completely overgrown nature, which increasingly became a dumping ground for rubble.

In this scenario, the Saarbrücken Regional Association developed the idea in 2010 of saving the site above Rebenstraße in Kleinblittersdorf from further decay as part of an employment policy measure (AGH measure; former citizen employment measure). As part of the project, people who were disadvantaged on the labor market and looking for employment were integrated and given meaningful training. The aim was to successively add value to the entire area in terms of design and landscape conservation on the basis of a concept developed for this purpose and to integrate it as a venue into supra-local hiking trail connections (Blies-Grenz-Weg and Starry Path). The site offers a retreat for animals and plants and thus makes an important contribution to biodiversity.

As expected, the process was complex and lengthy, as it primarily pursued a social mission. Nevertheless, over the years, the underlying subtle concept of valorization into a poetic place could be guaranteed: The careful uncovering of the sunken fragments of a seemingly paradisiacal terraced garden and the estates formerly located here, whose origins can be traced back to the 18th century, as well as the exploration and preservation of the fauna, have given the place a new magic in the present, celebrating the sublime beauty of nature, which always shows its contradictory and changeable side. People are invited to take a mysterious walk through the refuge to trace the intrinsic power of nature and its harmonizing effect. Enchanted remnants of the historic buildings, trees, plants, poetic texts, installations and sounds provide inspiration.

With this intention, the "sunken [paradise] garden" would like to serve as an exemplary cultural model - as an open experimental space to reflect on the relationship between man and nature and the fragile course of time in the world and to offer a sensual source of inspiration for sustainable ways of life in the UNESCO Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve. It will be preserved as long as people continue to strive to preserve and care for it!

The area may be entered at your own risk and only on the designated paths! Guests are invited to approach this place with appreciation and respect for nature and its secrets!

Following completion of the measures, an existing permit agreement with the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf for the use of part of the site for the Blies-Grenz-Weg has now been extended with a supplementary agreement to ensure public use. The refuge provided a recreational area at this year's biosphere festival in Kleinblittersdorf. A public festival is also planned on site. The VHS will also be offering guided tours with readings in the coming semester. Documentation and a leaflet on the project are in the works.

More information

Owner of the property: Saarbrücken Regional Association, represented by Regional Association Director Peter Gillo
Cooperation partner: Municipality of Kleinblittersdorf, represented by Mayor Rainer Lang
Idea / concept and project management: Peter Michael Lupp, former cultural officer of the Saarbrücken Regional Association
Sponsor of the valorization measures: Regionalverband Saarbrücken with the support of the Zentrum für Bildung und Beruf Saar gGmbH Burbach (ZBB), represented by Managing Director Jürgen Quint and Hans Martin Derow
Labor market policy support: ARGE Saarbrücken
Funding: In addition to an assignment-related allocation of funds from the Saarbrücken Regional Association for the AGH measures, the project was supported by ESF federal funds, funds from the Federal Ministry of Labor & Social Affairs and funds from the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs

Brief chronicle of the history

On a historical map from 1881, the vineyards to the south-east of Kleinblittersdorf on the Rebenberg, below the "Auf dem Berg" parcel, are marked. Like the links of a string of pearls, the formerly large vineyards of Kleinblittersdorf from the 18th and 19th centuries are still recognizable here today. These are the former Rexroth estate (later "Hanns Joachim Haus"), the Pasquay estate, the Rebenhof and the Heckel estate. The original creation of these estates (1815-1820) can be traced back to the end of the Napoleonic Wars. At that time, parts of today's Saarland and the former Lorraine villages of Kleinblittersdorf and Auersmacher fell to Prussia when peace was signed. At that time, the Geisberg was gradually purchased by families from Saarbrücken, cleared, reclaimed and planted with vines. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the adjoining estates or vineyards were surrounded by vineyards and, seen from the Saar axis, provided a completely different backdrop, most comparable to the wine-growing areas on the Moselle. Vineyards were also planted on the opposite slopes in what is now French territory.

The refuge of the "sunken [paradise] garden" belonged to a considerable extent to the former Pasquay estate, which belonged to the Schlachter, Haldy and Quin families from Saarbrücken before the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). The uppermost country house on the estate belonged to the Haldy family, and the original building dates back to 1773. It is recorded that this dwelling, called "die Sorg", was built on 10.07.1773 by Mr. von Hausen, who had planted a vineyard here. The three-part estate was sold to Mr. Theodor Larmarth from St. Ingbert in 1871, who completely rebuilt it and integrated terraced gardens and facilities into the grounds. Around 1920, the entire estate was sold to a family named Pasquay. The family's property was later transferred to the district of Saarbrücken, now the Saarbrücken Regional Association. The country house was demolished at the beginning of the 1960s.

Note on the philosophy of the project

Paradise for some, a place of longing for others. The garden has always been a kind of human utopia and also an expression of his sensual relationship with nature. Against this backdrop, our aim was to make the special cultural history, the significant structural remains of the former estate and the valuable trees and plants on the site recognizable again and, above all, a sensory experience. People withdrew from the site some time ago after making use of the historic buildings. What remained were ruins and garbage. Nature has reclaimed the area.

From the very beginning, we asked ourselves how we could deal with the cultural heritage and whether it would be possible to turn this special site into a place of remembrance on the Upper Saar. Given that the site is located in the Bliesgau UNESCO biosphere reserve, the idea was born to develop the site into a place of learning and experience where people can gain an insight into both history and the relationship between man and nature.

The vision for this emerged over the course of a multi-year process. We drew on the legible structure of the remains of the former buildings and the associated garden and tried to use this backdrop to create a connection to the organic rhythm of nature. The key to this was the artistic approach, which sees the refuge as a sunken paradise. However, its messages and history can only be kept alive in the present as long as people give it value and care for it.

The selected route leads past fragments of the old building culture, preserved artifacts and poetic texts that are harmoniously embedded in nature and would like to invite you to pause and ask questions at the same time: How do we want to shape our relationship with nature in the future? Where are the fractures emerging, should it remain just a melancholy memory of a lost paradise? Can valorization and poetry preserve the spirit of the place and secure a contemporary perspective for the site? This also shows the laboratory character inherent in the project, with which we want to gain experience of how cultural heritage can be shaped for the future.

Peter Michael Lupp (Head of Cultural Affairs, Regionalverband Saarbrücken and idea generator/head of the project until 2024)