Castle Park
The entire area of the former castle park is about 135,000 m². Already in 1617 there was a baroque Knotted Garden east of the castle, shown on the map. Later the park was changed into an English Landscaped Garden.
There are some very old oaks, Weymouth pines and tulip trees. The park was well known up to the end of WWII for the many rhododendrons, azaleas and Greek laurels (Taxus baccata). Count Julius von Zech-Burkersroda looked after the park personally in the five years up to his death, sometimes with the assistance of village schoolchildren who were happy to earn pocket money during their school holidays.
One week after he died in Bautzen, one of the most beautiful and tallest tulip trees east of the castle died, as if in sympathy with him.
The lake was last dredged in 1936 and is leased to a fish concern. After 1989 there were sufficient subsidies available but nobody bothered to apply for them.
After 1989 the state decided to keep only about 20,000m² around the castle for the retirement home's use and the rest was handed over to the administration of the village of Börln which was incorporated into the City of Dahlen in 1994.
The Bismarck Oak
planted to mark Bismarck's
80th birthday on 1st April 1895
Photo: May 2009.
The Bismarck Oak in Autumn 2010
Oil Painting by Steffen Gröbner
(www.steffen-groebner.de)
In the 1990s the historic Distillery that belonged to the State was demolished without any permits by the tenant, Landgut Börln GbR using government subsidised unemployed workers and the rubble was deposited in the castle park. To this was added more and more rubble, resulting in a 9,000m² mountain. Described by the culprit as a "skiing mountain" it was never suitable for winter sports at all. It is now let by Landgut Börln GbR for horse riding sports, even to the Police from Dresden - although it is actually "owned" by the town which receives none of the income.
Adjacent to the foot of this mountain of rubble is an old oak tree that has the biggest diameter in the entire forestry revier of Taura.
Castle Park declared "Recreational Forest"
During purchase negotiations (2003) with Dahlen's then mayor, Roderick Hinkel was informed that there would be no problem purchasing the town's part of the castle park. This would have enabled the park to be restored as a single entity.
Although in Bad Muskau in Görlitz there was no problem to rejoin the two halves of the historic Fürst-Pückler-Park which was left split into two countries (Germany and Poland) at the end of WWII, this was not possible in the small village of Börln due to a "power struggle" with former Stasi secret police members who still wield an unhealthy amount of power. In 2004, when Roderick Hinkel wanted to restore the entire park for the State Garden Show in 2006, using European Union funds, there was hefty opposition. The then deputy mayor, who owns Landgut Börln GbR, and his two sons threatened citizens using undemocratic methods learned during previous activities in GDR times (including a lifelong ban on hiring the self catering restaurants/function halls and attending the bi-annual riding ball). Under duress, 150 citizens signed a petition on 26.02.2004 at a meeting in Börln, calling for a sale of the park or any restoration for the Show to be disallowed. Roderick Hinkel was himself not permitted to attend the meeting and his two gardeners, although invited, were banned from entering the hall. The baker was forcibly removed for asking why Roderick Hinkel was not allowed to attend.
Roderick Hinkel's presentation "State Garden Show 2006 - Castle Park Börln" was presented to the City Council and citizens on 20.03.2004 but received an equal reception. One Town Councillor said he did not want an English Garden (he had been to London and the parks there did not appeal to him - a visit to the gardens in Wörlitz might have explained a lot to him). He was of the doubtful opinion that one should instead have a "Saxon Park", whatever that might be. His father, a former member of the GDR's Central Committee parliament and great friend of Walter Ulbricht who was a frequent visitor to Börln - he had the Berlin Wall built - was of the opinion during his rhetoric reminiscent of Goebbels, that Mr. Hinkel - who would buy up the entire village - should rather start by renovating the castle's roof than by fixing up his garden.
The responsible official at the "Office for Rural Development" in Wurzen, responsible for allocating Saxon State and EU funds for such projects, was heard at a public meeting on the "Park Dreams" Project to say "Just because this man has bought a castle for himself, I won't go along with it!" Only in 2008, a result of many complaints including allegations of corruption was she removed from office. One returned aristocratic family v.B. was even told "If there are any subsidies then you will be at the bottom of my list". But the damage was done and together with the old Communist Guard unfortunately still controlling this region 21 years after the Wall fell, the park had to say goodbye to valuable subsidies forever.
The end of this woeful tale was that the mayor handed over the city's part of the park to the Taura Forestry Office to be managed by them as a "recreational" forest, so that the town, which has a severe lack of funds, would have all costs borne by the state. Forestry is 100% subsidised. Using unemployed youths, including girls who stated they would have preferred to do sewing, who initially had no suitable tools, the first step was to remove all jasmine bushes and azaleas from the park. Azaleas are, according to the forester, a cause of "allergies" for many visitors. Although the Monument Authority in Dresden was supposed to be involved with the planning but according to the law has only an equal right of determination with the Forester, the work could not be stopped. The felling of trees began. Only a few exotic Weymouth pine trees could be saved, thanks to the intervention of Roderick Hinkel. The forester was of the opinion that these trees had no place in a "Saxon Park". At this juncture, Roderick Hinkel who is a direct neighbour and also a Town Councillor was simply not invited to further meetings about the (former) park.
In 2008 the City of Dahlen, at the behest of the head of the village council whose father owns Landgut Börln GbR, lined the paths in the park with rough stones usually using for mixing in cement, suposedly due to a lack of funds. This has made it very uncomfortable to walk on, especially for childrens' prams and wheelchairs. Other than the normal saftey measures in trimming branches over paths, the City of Dahlen has not undertaken any positive measures to improve the park. The mobbing against Roderick Hinkel continues, usually in the form of placards throughout the park and village whenever a cultural event is held, on the lines of Mielke's guideline number 1/76 page 47 and page 48. All future attempts of this kind will, however, remain fruitless, as most of the citizens of Börln meanwhile realise that they were lied to at the protest on 26.02.2004.
In 2010 further valuable, irreplaceable trees were felled. More felling is planned of beautiful trees which have already been marked with a white "X" - the next victims of the madness, for sale as firewood.
"The Bouquet"
Roses and Epheuranken, Cyanine, Violets and Chrysanthemums,
Tulips, Forget-me-nots, Lilies, Myrtle, Jasmine,
Buds and Blossoms and Moss, Snowbells, Narcissi and Hollyhocks,
Hyacinths and Oh, every Child of Nature,
Have the Poets stolen! Empty Forest, Gardens and Fields,
And through defloreated stream errs, o Loved One, your Friend,
Broken with bloody hand unfriendly thorns and thistles. ---
Love only breaks them, they are made into a Bouquet!
Carl Gottlieb Hinkel
The Long Wait
At least the privately-owned part of the castle park will be lovingly restored; indeed a part has already been restored. The next generation of Börln's inhabitants, which is growing up in freedom in Saxony and is not subjugated by any regime, will surely decide differently to their parents and grandparents. The park area will once again be joined together, unified, and be eye-catching! After a long winter of communism will come spring, with its multiplicity and beauty!
Spring on the banks of the moat in May 2009
