50 years of the ant settlement: here people cook hard

The Schöngeisinger Strasse has been planted and harvested for 50 years.

Garden lovers are hardworking like ants.

This is how they gave the allotment garden settlement "Amperstadt", founded in 1971, their nickname.

The anniversary will now be celebrated on Saturday.

Fürstenfeldbruck -

105 allotments including the club restaurant Ameisenstüberl encompass the green oasis in the middle of Fürstenfeldbruck.

The memories of the founding years are slowly fading.

Because those who still know how to tell about the old days are becoming fewer and fewer.

Mayor Willi Buchauer invited all interested gardeners to the Jahnhalle in October 1970.

240 came, so great was the interest in an allotment garden at the time.

But not everyone enjoyed a garden - not even when the parcels were made smaller.

Many jumped off again when they learned that they should pay 4,000 D-Marks for a garden shed.

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50 years ago, the first members of the association began to plant their plots on Schöngeisinger Strasse and to build the garden houses

© Metzler

Until the founding meeting on February 18, 1971, Buchau City Councilor Erich Dressler was appointed acting chairman.

The good instinct the mayor demonstrated with his election became evident over the next few decades.

Dressler represented the allotment garden association as chairman until his death in 2001.

The “old Gartler” fondly remember “their Erich”, who became the “soul” of the Gartler through his balanced and human nature.

The community was very important in the early years.

Everyone helped everyone.

3000 hours of voluntary work saved the young association around 40,000 Deutschmarks.

The name by which the facility is known throughout Bruck comes from this time: "Ant settlement" - because everyone worked hard like ants.

Over the years a tool shed and the club house were built.

A playground was built, the board of directors got its own club office and the “ant parlor” was enlarged by a pergola.

To the delight of the Gartler, the system also received power distribution boxes.

The hobby gardeners had to dig deep into their pockets in 1996 when it came to connecting the sewer.

Each Gartler was there with 1000 D-Marks.

By partially paving the parking lot and installing water meters, the facility has been continuously improved and upgraded.

Winner in the allotment garden competition

No hard work, no gain: very early in its history, the allotment garden on the Amper won the competition for the Bavarian allotment gardens, namely in 1975. A year later, the only and last major award followed.

Erich Dressler was specially ordered to the federal capital Bonn to receive the gold medal in the national competition for the most beautiful allotment garden in the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Building and Urban Development.

The association has been led since 2019 by Peter Ott, who replaced the long-standing Johann Rötzer, who has since passed away.

Rötzer had taken care of the concerns and concerns of allotment owners for almost four decades and was made an honorary director in recognition of his services.

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50 years ago, the first members of the association began to plant their plots on Schöngeisinger Strasse and to build the garden houses

© Metzler

And a lot has happened in 50 years.

At the anniversary celebration on Saturday, September 18, at the Ameisenstüberl, gardeners and friends will indulge in memories.

Ceremonial speeches and honors are not planned, but there is a children's program from 3 p.m., including face painting, handicrafts, balloon choppers and rubber boots throwing.

There is also an information stand of the Würstle nursery, where you can get advice on horticultural questions.

The youth wind orchestra of the town band plays for two hours from 3:30 p.m.

The guests can look forward to an almost Caribbean evening when the “Antoine Noah Band” enchants the beer garden with Afro-Latin music from 7.30 p.m. The professional musicians, who have worked with Santana, Lionel Richie, Falko, Mike Oldfield and Crissy Cee, among others, ensure pure joie de vivre with their music from Africa and the Caribbean, mixed with modern pop-rock music. The party takes place in all weathers and admission is free.