Church and Garden Show
The Havel Region National Garden Show (BUGA) 2015 is open. It is a pilot project and the first attempt to add value to, and connect a whole region with a national garden show. A colourful sea of plants and flowers, with lots of cultural events, stretches around 80 km from St Peter’s Cathedral in Brandenburg to the St Marien Cathedral in Havelberg. As at every national garden show, the church also has a presence at all five BUGA locations. Ultimately the garden is in all regions – paradise. The concept for the presence of the churches at BUGA was developed by the Church and BUGA Association, along with SIK-Holz®. The first round of ideas led to the staging of St Paul’s pilgrimage. Every BUGA town was allocated a real location on St Paul’s pilgrimage, and then they had a content relationship to the official BUGA theme. The idea was only partly taken on by the Church and BUGA Show. St Paul was never in Brandenburg, and so should not be the main theme. However, the projects which provided a space for community in each individual location were well received and further developed.
«Church in flux» was the new main theme. A project was developed for this which was then found in all five locations. It reminds you of a church tower, which could also be part of a wave in the water, and expresses that the church is moving, going forward, connecting.
Brandenburg is the largest BUGA site and also the location with the biggest church presence. The BUGA theme for Brandenburg is «Origin – the Mark region» For the church, Brandenburg is also the «Starting Point for the Conversion to Christianity» in Havelland, the start of a journey, a departure. For this journey, a large ship awaits, with space for 40-50 people. Premnitz is the town of «Impulse / Energy». As well as a pavilion for prayers, play equipment in the shape of a rainbow will be built here in August by young people from various countries, under the guidance of SIK-Holz® Managing Director Klaus-Peter Gust. WIth this project, the church in this location presents the «Christian disputes» and offers a platform for reconciliation. The theme for Rathenow, the «Town of Sights», is «Vision». For the church, this is a matter of looking inside, «Meditation and Spirituality» expressed in a labyrinth with a pavilion in the centre. In Rhinow, BUGA is looking at «Courage». This reminds us of the first courageous attempts to fly by Otto Lilienthal. The theme for the church here is «Spiritual Flight». For this, they have used the large viewing platform on the Gollenberg mountain along with BUGA. Havelberg marks the journey’s end. The overarching theme is «Recognition» for BUGA and «Hope for Community» for the church, where a small play arch has been erected as a meeting point for families.
All the objects will be used after the BUGA at these or other locations. Except for the play arch, they are painted white and purple to match the EKBO colours, and are all visible from a distance. Well worth a visit.
plan view church and garden show