Map notes
This map shows all allotment garden clubs in Karlsruhe (blue circles) and several compost facilities operated by the city (black circles).
During our workshop ‘Composting as transforming, speculating, and writing’ with Markus Bier, Vik Bayer, and Michael Reindel it became clear that allotment garden clubs (Kleingartenvereine) and their members are essential resources of knowledge about composting. At garden club Alte Friedrichstraße in Neureut, we were joined by Reiner Dick, an expert on Terra Preta and member of the HumuStutensee (located about 10km north of Karlsruhe). We also visited a community garden in the Fritschlach nature reserve in Daxlanden for a demonstration by Carmen Donet Garcia Urbane Gärten Karlsruhe, who also operate the local ‘Kompost-Bike’.
Compost facilities (Kompostierungsanlagen) on the other hand provide the large scale infrastructure needed to turn the city’s biodegradable waste into compost. At sites in Knielingen und Grötzingen, all citizens can deposit their biodegradable waste and collect a cubic meter of compost for free.
To become a member of a garden club, please visit the website of the Bezirksverband der Gartenfreunde Karlsruhe.
Jaap Knevel
References
- Bezirksverband der Gartenfreunde Karlsruhe (2025) Übersicht aller Kleingartenvereine in Karlsruhe. Available at: https://www.kleingarten-karlsruhe.de/vereine-kleingarten (Accessed: 7 July 2025).
- Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost (no date) ‘Kartenübersicht der Anlagen’. Available at: https://www.kompost.de/service/hersteller-/-produkte/karte-anlagen (Accessed: 7 July 2025).
- European Environment Agency (2023) ‘Small Woody Features 2018’. European Environment Agency. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2909/7FD9D32E-8C2F-42B2-B959-C8E12B843821.
- Menzel, R. et al. (2015) ‘Kompostfibel: Richtig kompostieren - Tipps und Hinweise’. Umweltbundesamt. Available at: www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/kompostfibel (Accessed: 11 August 2025).
- Stadt Karlsruhe (2023a) ‘Kleingartenanlagen’. https://transparenz.karlsruhe.de/: Transparenzportal der Stadt Karlsruhe. Available at: https://transparenz.karlsruhe.de/dataset/points-of-interest-freizeit-und-erholung1 (Accessed: 7 July 2025).
- Stadt Karlsruhe (2023b) ‘Urban Gardening Standorte’. https://transparenz.karlsruhe.de/: Transparenzportal der Stadt Karlsruhe. Available at: https://transparenz.karlsruhe.de/dataset/points-of-interest-freizeit-und-erholung1 (Accessed: 7 July 2025).
- Stadtwiki Karlsruhe contributors (2023) ‘Kompost’, Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. Available at: https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Kompost (Accessed: 11 August 2025).
- Team Sauberes Karlsruhe (2024) ‘Laub und Gartenabfall: Grünabfallentsorgung in Karlsruhe’. Stadt Karlsruhe.