Parks & Open Spaces

Green campus Geisenheim

The Geisenheim university location has a lot to offer when it comes to greenery. In addition to the numerous courses on the subject of plants and green structures, the campus offers a wide range of green topics with its two historical parks and many planted areas.

Planning, development and maintenance of the outdoor facilities

The outdoor facilities at Geisenheim University are subject to different areas of competence. The management of park maintenance from the area of ​​competence of the Plant Use Professorship has an overview of most of the green areas and the parks. It surveys the green developments on the university campus and tries to bring them together in a meaningful way. Individual projects and general maintenance are then taken over by the park maintenance team, provided capacity permits. Larger projects or more specialist tasks, such as regular tree inspections and tree care measures, are also outsourced. In addition to these general topics, the various study areas also manage some of their own projects, research areas and areas of competence on the topic of green.

Head of park maintenance team

Manfred Müller
Manfred Müller
Building 6701
Room 019
Phone +49 6722 502 543
Manfred.Mueller(at)hs-gm.de Details

Park maintenance team

Martina Brendel
Martina Brendel
Building 6701
Room 110
Phone +49 6722 502 543
Martina.Kuttrus(at)hs-gm.de Details
Christof Dabisch
Christof Dabisch
Building 6701
Room 019
Phone über +49 6722 502 543
Christof.Dabisch(at)hs-gm.de Details
Klaus-Dieter Oppenhäuser
Klaus-Dieter Oppenhäuser
Building 6701
Room 019
Phone über +49 6722 502 543
Klaus-Dieter.Oppenhaeuser(at)hs-gm.de Details

management of park maintenance

Alexander von Birgelen
Prof. Dr. Alexander von Birgelen
Building 6701
Room 107
Phone +49 6722 502 773
Alexander.Birgelen(at)hs-gm.de Details
Campus with history

The historic parks Monrepospark on the South Campus and Rudolf-Goethe-Park on the North Campus are defining elements and deeply linked to the roots of the Geisenheim university location. Over time, a diverse and old tree population has developed there. The park and the trees it contains, like many of the university's buildings, are listed buildings. But here too, the effects of climate change are increasingly becoming apparent. Once very favorable in terms of climate, the mild warmth develops into summer heat. The Mediterranean-like climate develops persistent dry phases. The future of the university parks must now be well thought out and precisely planned so that the old trees can be largely preserved, renovated in a way that is compatible with monuments and the climate, and developed in a resilient manner.

 

An exciting task.

 

More about the history of the parks can be found on the following pages.

Beds & Plantings

There are beds and plantings of various ages throughout campus. As diverse as the choice of plants can be, the function of green elements is just as diverse. Plantings can separate or connect the room through their spatial effect. A certain character or atmosphere can be created with flowers, colors, structures and textures. Plants shape the space with their liveliness and also with their ecological benefits when people and animals benefit from them.

 

The skills of planning with plants are discussed and addressed in various subjects. The Plant Use Professorship has fully embraced this topic. She develops existing and designs new green elements on the grounds of Geisenheim University. Many beds are also used for teaching and are designed as display beds.

Professorship of Planting Design

Alexander von Birgelen
Prof. Dr. Alexander von Birgelen
Building 6701
Room 107
Phone +49 6722 502 773
Alexander.Birgelen(at)hs-gm.de Details
Habitat trees - old wood, new life

The university location is committed to preserving old, special habitat trees. Of course, parks should be attractive, vital and well maintained. Dying or already dead trees apparently do not belong in the picture. But these old "habitat trees" offer a particularly large amount of living space for a wide variety of creatures - from birds and bats that nest in tree hollows to special species of beetles that appropriate the wood. The decomposition processes may limit the stability of habitat trees and dead wood and are therefore particularly carefully monitored and checked. But not all habitat trees are dying or are already dead wood.

 

Healthy trees can also provide special habitats - which is why there are habitat trees in the park that have been awarded a plaque. The most important examples are explained here.

Competence Area Tree Nursery & Woody Physiology

Jörg Kunz
Dr. Jörg Kunz
Building 1000
Room 318
Phone +49 6722 502 538
Joerg.Kunz(at)hs-gm.de Details

PLANTINGS

The central campus is located to the east above the railway line. In addition to the historic Rudolf Goethe Park, important green structures here are often representative beds and edge plants.

The southern campus is below the railway line and is essentially characterized by the historic Monrepospark and its beds.

 


More about the Professorship for Planting Design

News

Geisenheim receives funding approval for “Zukunft Stadtgrün”, a joint program of the Federal Government and the Länder

Source: Ulrike Eschweiler, Geisenheim

The university town of Geisenheim has been officially accepted onto the “Zukunft Grün” (“Future Urban Greenspace”) funding program. In Frankfurt on September 5, 2018, the town’s mayor, Christian Assmann, accompanied by Stephanie Braun-Fischer from Hochschule Geisenheim University, was presented with the official notice of admission from Hessen’s Environment Minister Priska Hinz.

Hochschule Geisenheim University is acting as local partner in the funding application, and will thus play an advisory and initiatory role in the planned development of urban green infrastructure. Thanks to the existing cooperation between town and university in the project “Green Geisenheim”, the foundations have already been laid for the joint development and improvement of the town’s and university’s green spaces. In addition to the development of urban greenspace, the Green Geisenheim project also aims to build stronger networks and collaboration between the project partners.

Zukunft Stadtgrün”, the new joint program of the Federal Government and the Länder, was first launched in 2017 with the goal of providing support for measures aimed at strengthening green infrastructure.  The university town of Geisenheim was successful in securing funding during the second call for applications in 2018 and was accepted onto the program along with three other municipalities. The total funding amount is 565 000 Euros. At the presentation of the notice of admission Minister Priska Hinz explicitly highlighted the existing cooperation between the town and the university as a guarantee for success.

This financial aid is made available to municipalities for the development or improvement of their urban green infrastructure. This particularly applies to the creation, development and upgrading of green spaces and planted open areas, as well as green networks and environmental justice. Other key areas of the funding program are the preservation of biodiversity, the greening of buildings and grey infrastructure and the integration and use of urban gardens.

At a time when the effects of climate change are being increasingly felt, the importance of urban greenspace is gaining considerable momentum. This year in particular the increase in the number of hot days and extended periods of drought have been particularly noticeable and they are having an effect on health and wellbeing. Local extreme rainfall events, too, are becoming increasingly common and causing major damage in both settlement areas and natural landscapes. In the light of this, cities and municipalities are charged with the important task of dealing with the consequences of climate change and mitigating its adverse effects through the development of green infrastructure.

But urban greenspace also has a vital role to play in the question of how we want to live in our towns and cities. Urban green spaces and parks, water areas, the greening of squares, streets, facades and roofs – all these elements make our cities more attractive and pleasant to live in, while also making a significant contribution to recreation and health maintenance.

In the near future, thanks to the financial support of the Federal Government and the Länder, Hochschule Geisenheim University will be in a position to implement measures for improving the quality of urban greenspace during the funding period, whereby the university will play a support role as a cooperation partner. The funding will allow the implementation of measures that will make the university town of Geisenheim a more attractive place in which to study, live and work, offering better quality of life, while at the same time contributing to local climate protection.

 

 

Archive

Geisenheim receives funding approval for “Zukunft Stadtgrün”, a joint program of the Federal Government and the Länder

Source: Ulrike Eschweiler, Geisenheim

The university town of Geisenheim has been officially accepted onto the “Zukunft Grün” (“Future Urban Greenspace”) funding program. In Frankfurt on September 5, 2018, the town’s mayor, Christian Assmann, accompanied by Stephanie Braun-Fischer from Hochschule Geisenheim University, was presented with the official notice of admission from Hessen’s Environment Minister Priska Hinz.

Hochschule Geisenheim University is acting as local partner in the funding application, and will thus play an advisory and initiatory role in the planned development of urban green infrastructure. Thanks to the existing cooperation between town and university in the project “Green Geisenheim”, the foundations have already been laid for the joint development and improvement of the town’s and university’s green spaces. In addition to the development of urban greenspace, the Green Geisenheim project also aims to build stronger networks and collaboration between the project partners.

Zukunft Stadtgrün”, the new joint program of the Federal Government and the Länder, was first launched in 2017 with the goal of providing support for measures aimed at strengthening green infrastructure.  The university town of Geisenheim was successful in securing funding during the second call for applications in 2018 and was accepted onto the program along with three other municipalities. The total funding amount is 565 000 Euros. At the presentation of the notice of admission Minister Priska Hinz explicitly highlighted the existing cooperation between the town and the university as a guarantee for success.

This financial aid is made available to municipalities for the development or improvement of their urban green infrastructure. This particularly applies to the creation, development and upgrading of green spaces and planted open areas, as well as green networks and environmental justice. Other key areas of the funding program are the preservation of biodiversity, the greening of buildings and grey infrastructure and the integration and use of urban gardens.

At a time when the effects of climate change are being increasingly felt, the importance of urban greenspace is gaining considerable momentum. This year in particular the increase in the number of hot days and extended periods of drought have been particularly noticeable and they are having an effect on health and wellbeing. Local extreme rainfall events, too, are becoming increasingly common and causing major damage in both settlement areas and natural landscapes. In the light of this, cities and municipalities are charged with the important task of dealing with the consequences of climate change and mitigating its adverse effects through the development of green infrastructure.

But urban greenspace also has a vital role to play in the question of how we want to live in our towns and cities. Urban green spaces and parks, water areas, the greening of squares, streets, facades and roofs – all these elements make our cities more attractive and pleasant to live in, while also making a significant contribution to recreation and health maintenance.

In the near future, thanks to the financial support of the Federal Government and the Länder, Hochschule Geisenheim University will be in a position to implement measures for improving the quality of urban greenspace during the funding period, whereby the university will play a support role as a cooperation partner. The funding will allow the implementation of measures that will make the university town of Geisenheim a more attractive place in which to study, live and work, offering better quality of life, while at the same time contributing to local climate protection.

 

 

Do you already know PLANT.ed?

PLANT.ed is a learning platform of the Professorship for planting design and represents a first point of contact for students who want to deal with planting design and planning. When looking for suitable information on these topics, one can quickly "get lost" in the "shoals" of an as yet undefined quantity and variety. On the one hand, PLANT.ed is intended to help with orientation in the subject area and, on the other hand, to support the teaching content of the various lectures and seminars. PLANT.ed is located on the ILIAS learning platform of Hochschule Geisenheim University and can be viewed by students and employees of HGU at any time.