It would have been a drastic intervention in today’s World Heritage site; at least 80 historic buildings would have been destroyed, and Bamberg’s intangible heritage would have suffered lasting damage: In the 1960s, the “Durchbruch Mitte” traffic plan called for a road to be cut through the Untere Gärtnerei, which would have caused massive damage. The special exhibition “Saved Heritage: Bamberg’s Untere Gärtnerei and the ‘Durchbruch Mitte’ Traffic Plan at the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum” now explores the background of this story.

“The willingness to accept the destruction of cultural heritage in favor of a faster traffic connection seems, fortunately, unimaginable to us in Bamberg today,” says Stephanie Eißing, director of the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum, “but in the 1960s, the prevailing trend was indeed to subordinate everything to the ‘car-friendly city.’” Thanks to persistent resistance from the public and among Bamberg’s gardeners, the “Durchbruch Mitte” was ultimately not realized. Why the planning nevertheless left a significant mark on the area and to what extent the past designs influenced Bamberg’s application for World Heritage status can be explored by interested visitors until November 5, 2023, in the special exhibition at the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum.

Museum director and local historian Stephanie Eißing will also be offering special guided tours of the exhibition on the following dates: August 17, August 18, September 8, and October 6, each at 4 p.m. Only the museum admission fee applies. 

The museum’s full annual program can be found on the museum’s website at www.ghm-bamberg.de. For additional events, lectures, and activities related to the theme of the Garden City, visit: www.welterbe.bamberg.de/de/projekte/jubilaeum.

Poster: Stephanie Eißing