Potsdam quits park care subsidies: What does that mean for citizens?

Potsdam quits park care subsidies: What does that mean for citizens?

Potsdam, Deutschland - On July 2, 2025, the city council of Potsdam decided to terminate the financial support for the care of the parks and gardens of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) on December 31, 2025. This decision mainly makes the budget, which has previously been transferred to the foundation every year. With this termination, the city plans to provide no municipal funds for this voluntary service from the financial year 2026. This was decided in a meeting of the city parliament and is directly related to conversations that former mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) led to an early termination of the agreement. However, a termination agreement by the foundation is considered "not desired" by this.

Due to the intention to dismiss, the city strives for an accompanying statement by the foundation to avoid a legal dispute. In addition, the state government has announced that they will take over financial support for the foundation in the amount of 800,000 euros from 2026 to ensure that the parks will remain accessible without admission money. Minister of Culture Manja Schüle (SPD) criticized the city's decision and emphasized the importance of the parks for the public.

parks and gardens as valuable urban resources

The relevance of public parks is not only clear through current political developments. A study by the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) emphasizes that parks and gardens provide an enormous social benefit that is between a few hundred thousand and several million euros per year. This illustrates how important green spaces are for the well -being of the city dwellers. Almost all city dwellers regularly use public parks, which underlines the importance of such freedom, especially considering the challenges of climate change.

The study also shows that parks act as recreation rooms and are often free of charge and accessible close to the apartment. In Berlin and Stuttgart, 95% of those surveyed stated that they had attended at least one park last year. This illustrates the potential of green spaces in urban areas, which also serve the social exchange.

closures and security measures in the parks

Currently, some parks are closed due to security concerns. In particular, the new garden and the marble palace remain closed to visitors on July 2 and 3, 2025. These closures are a precaution in view of the increased danger of branch breaks, which are due to the summer temperatures and drought. The Sacrow park will also be closed for the time being, since considerable damage caused by a storm on June 26th.

The SPSG explains that there is an increased risk of branches in all open parks. Therefore, only the paths can be accessed, while lawn meadows can be avoided and access to closed areas is prohibited. This measure is intended to ensure that visitors are protected in this risky time.

The current developments in Potsdam and the greatest discussion about park care illustrate the needs of the city dwellers and the challenges that urban green spaces are in the context of climate change. Future strategies are necessary to not only maintain the areas, but also to promote so that they can continue to act as valuable resources for society. This could also be done by concepts such as the "Charter for the Berlin city green", which promises better care and quality of public green spaces.

Overall, one thing is certain: Parks are more than just leisure locations. They also provide an important social and ecological benefit for the city society and are indispensable for sustainable urban development.