Franconia Living Lab

The Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg covers a number of larger cities (at least in German standard) like Nuremberg and Bamberg, which contain a lot of Urban Agricultural Heritage (UAH) sites. Few sites are already recognized by UNESCO – some designated as immaterial cultural heritage or part of listed World Heritage Sites but a lot of UAH remains uncovered and needs identification, awareness and to undergo the process of Heritagization.
The metropolitan administration has ambition to restore local and regional food chains and markets. However, both, the city administrations and farmers are unaware of the rich history of urban agriculture in the region and its various forms which still characterize the urban landscape today.
The INSUAH Tewam Germany will map the heritage and its associated underlying collective memories in a systematic manner. It will undertake case studies in hot spot areas like the Knoblauchsland (Garlic Land), one of Europe’s largest and oldest urban market-gardening areas. Through a creative, participatory approach – which engages administrations, local stakeholders and people to work together through history workshops, storytelling excursions, press items and so on – a better understanding and appreciation of heritage will be achieved. This will intentionally lead to innovative, heritage based solutions within urban-regional agriculture structures.

Exploring living local heritage in two Franconian cities

Two strong frontrunner cities with many highly motivated and active actors and a wide range of diverse heritage-based initiatives to learn from!

Nürnberg

Diverse spatial and immaterial urban agriculutral heritage sites, large variety of traditional products, strongly intertwined city- and countryside relationships & an ongoing application for the first GIAHS designation in Germany.

Nuremberg, the capital of Franconia, boasts a rich urban agricultural heritage intertwined with its history and landscape. This heritage encompasses various forms of urban agriculture, including historical city gardens, community-managed green spaces, and urban farms. The urban agricultural heritage of Nuremberg encompasses not only tangible practices but also intangible cultural values. Traditional craftsmanship related to agriculture, such as seed saving, crop rotation techniques, and artisanal food processing methods, has been passed down through generations, enriching the city’s cultural tapestry.

Nuremberg has become an internationally important trade fair city and enjoys a good reputation for its numerous and well-known traditional products and manufacturing and processing methods. Due to its central location on the major European trade routes, however, the heart and administrative centre of the metropolitan region has played a supra-regional role since the Middle Ages, when traders and merchants exchanged goods on their journeys from the Belgian and Dutch seaports to the Danube countries or across the Alps. In the course of industrialisation, thanks to its early connection to the railway network and its location on the only navigable link between the Rhine and the Danube, Nuremberg’s importance in European goods handling and logistics increased.

Benefiting from its location and very diverse surroundings (both geopolitically and physically), Nuremberg and its surrounding and densely interlinked urban agglomerations have a very rich agricultural heritage, great agricultural biodiversity, a broad range of craft traditions and an above-average rural-urban interface. One notable aspect of Nuremberg’s urban agricultural heritage is its Knoblauchsland vegetable-growing region, which extends within the city limits. This region has a long tradition of vegetable cultivation and contributes to the city’s culinary identity. Additionally, Nuremberg’s dense urban fabric includes numerous sites dedicated to the production, distribution, and processing of diverse agricultural products, highlighting the close integration of urban economies and ones in the countryside.

Although much of the culinary, manufacturing and agricultural heritage is still actively practised and passed on in the urban area of Nuremberg, awareness of the values of these traditional structures and the inscribed knowledge for sustainable management of local resources is and community resilience only an exceptional phenomenon.

But there is hope: Efforts to protect and promote Nuremberg’s urban agricultural heritage have gained momentum in recent years, with local initiatives and governmental support aiming to safeguard traditional practices and sites. There are already a number of very successful projects and strong actors and local initiatives: Both civil society and governmental actors have been successful in recent years in their attempts and strategies to develop and protect individual heritage sites and initiatives, such as the traditional water meadows, which were listed as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2023.

Additionally, the management of the metropolitan region, led by Dr. Christa Standecker, is pursuing the first GIAHS designation in Germany, signaling a commitment to preserving and promoting the region’s unique agricultural heritage – a process that INSUAH is happy to accompany, support, inform and research.

Bamberg

Traditional urban (market) gardening and historic agrobiodiversity, gardeners' district, retrofitting traditional practices, business re-organisation and diversification & part of an ensemble carrying an UNESCO label.

Bamberg, situated north of Nuremberg at the confluence of the Regnitz and the Main-Danube Canal into the Main River, shares similar geological conditions with Nuremberg. However, its development has taken a distinct path. In 1993, UNESCO declared Bamberg’s Old Town a World Heritage Site, acknowledging its largely intact historic city center and notable landmarks. Since the Middle Ages, urban market gardening has thrived in Bamberg, particularly in the Gärtnerstadt (Market Gardeners’ District), an integral part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Celebrated for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural significance, Bamberg’s architectural ensemble is meticulously preserved. However, Bamberg faces a distinct challenge in safeguarding its traditional urban horticulture, intricately intertwined with its heritage. To revitalize urban horticulture, Bamberg embraces innovative initiatives bridging tradition and innovation, adapting gardening practices to contemporary needs.

Bamberg is one of the few cities, if not the only city, where urban horticulture has been able to preserve its traditional forms of cultivation authentically over such a long period. Recognized for both its tangible and intangible cultural heritage assets (including the forms of building and living of the gardeners, horticultural traditions, religious practices, clothing, language, and knowledge about seed production and processing techniques), Bamberg’s urban horticulture was added to the German National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. The Gärtnerstadt, characterized by its wide, open spaces within a perimeter block development, preserves Bamberg’s historic gardening structures and traditions, serving as a unique example of authentic urban horticulture.

The lush gardens and verdant plots that once flourished within Bamberg’s historic streets have been an integral part of its charm for centuries. However, in the face of modernization and changing lifestyles, traditional horticulturalists find themselves at a crossroads. The pressure of urban development, coupled with evolving consumer preferences, poses a threat to the continuity of Bamberg’s gardening traditions. Unlike some UNESCO sites where urban horticulture enjoys explicit protection, Bamberg’s garden culture is primarily safeguarded as part of the city’s overall ensemble. This presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches to preserve and revitalize its horticultural legacy.
To address these challenges, Bamberg is embracing new initiatives aimed at revitalizing its urban horticulture while ensuring its relevance in modern life. Efforts are underway to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, adapting gardening practices to contemporary needs and preferences. Moreover, there is a growing recognition of the economic, environmental, and cultural value of urban horticulture, spurring greater investment and support from both public and private sectors. Local authorities, alongside community groups and horticultural enthusiasts, are exploring sustainable methods and alternative models to support horticulturalists and encourage new forms of urban community gardening on traditional plots.

Heritage-based initiatives and urban farming projects are gaining momentum, fostering a renewed appreciation for Bamberg’s gardening heritage among residents and visitors alike. By nurturing a symbiotic relationship between tradition and progress, Bamberg aims to ensure the preservation and vitality of its horticultural heritage for generations to come. In navigating the delicate balance between preservation and adaptation, Bamberg emerges as a beacon of resilience and innovation, demonstrating the transformative power of heritage in shaping the future of urban landscapes.

As the city continues to evolve, its commitment to honoring its roots while embracing change serves as a good breeding ground and living testbed for local, heritage-based initiatives. Examples that INSUAH would like to accompany, support, and research include setting up organizations, applying for funding, and facing challenges, essential for the success of living local heritage-based initiatives.

Research by Living Lab Actions

Detecting history & assessing the potentials of heritage based initiatives

map and raise awareness of Franconia's especially rich heritage
identify different heritage-based initiatives and study their organization, potentials, challenges and needs
support and empower local acteurs in strenghtening their heritage-based initiatives
assess concept of universal outstanding vs. living local heritage
collect and examine different strategies and funding options to develop UAH
learn techniques for a carbon-neutral future from the past
outline the richness of UAH values, types and their potential for sustainable urban planning
recommend protocols and changes in regulations and policies to institutions

Examples of addressed initiatives by heritage strategy - so far....

Heritage Preservation:
UA Heritage Inventory MRN
Framing Franconian Culinary Heritage
Cultivation in Variety Gardens
Reconstruction of Heritage
social revival of UA – „H 2.0“ e.g. new forms of gardening in Bamberg
experience events like e.g. cherryblossom hike (ideas, actors, impact)
reframing spaces with historic agricultural significance like Nuremberg Burgfried (historic citrus cultivation vs. allotment gardening today)
Development of UAH:
Nuremberg GIAHS Proposal
empowering and connecting Nuremberg Metropolitan Region for (EU-)Research
more to follow…

Resilience by UAH

Sustainable regional development through addressing UA as Cultural Heritage

We assume that the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region carries an especially rich UA Heritage due to its unique…

... city & countryside relationships & strongly intertwined development

... predominance of medium-sized family-run business structures (Mittelstand) and its role on the development pace & style of the region

... diversity of agricultural products and food processing practices

... landscape structure and geopolitical history

(hostoric) trading routes
location on rivers and European watershed
geological conditions
water scarcity
arrangement following the Thünen model + river
monastic culture and knowledge transfer
forestry in the nearby Steigerwald
carp farming in the floodplains

... significance and diversity of culinary heritage and food-related customs (Brauchtum) & their strong role in the regional identity.

INSUAH believes this to be a very powerful motive for stakeholders and consumers, serving as one of the strongest drivers for sustainable development of UAH and urban resilience.

... practice of innovation, adaptation and modernization

You are what you eat - Franconian Food Culture as Heritage

A deeply rooted, longlasting and living local Food Cult(ure) in the MRN's cities as a key driver for the region's sustainable future and resilience

“I have to change to stay the same.”

This quote by the Dutch painter Willem de Kooning, who is among other things famous for his Action Painting concept, is a fitting description of the secret behind Nuremberg’s UAH success story. Franconian urban farmers have always been adept at this philosophy and reinvented and modernized their business organizations and techniques to stay competitive despite the limited urban agricultural production areas and available water. Although the region has above-average economic strength, it has always remained in the middle of the international rankings and never became one of the European key players. Perhaps because of the large proportion of medium-sized and family-run companies, its distinctive humor and lifestyle have remained authentic amid the waves of modernization and rising standards. Now, in the process of adapting to changing economic and social circumstances, climate change and in order to build resilience, the region can harness this uniqueness for its benefit.

In Franconia, a plethora of traditional foods is savored with remarkable regularity, yet they largely remain local: carp, Schäuferla (pork shoulder), sausage products, strawberries, asparagus, rose hips, beer, radishes, baked goods, and more. Overall, Franconian cuisine and regional products hold an esteemed position in Franken, steadily growing in prominence. While some individual refining businesses export to the national or global market, there is a strong emphasis on preserving the regional food culture, with much consumed within the region itself.
We posit that the already successful business diversification of a large number of agricultural businesses owes much to the deep-rooted awareness of Culinary Heritage and regional identity which is above-standard in Franconia. This awareness of the values of their cultural heritage is an integral part of the regional humor and identity, creating a demand in local products and culture that surpasses that of other metropolitan areas. As this promises local living heritage initiatives greater longevity, acceptance within the community, and effectiveness compared to conventional UA initiatives, we believe this to be a key driver for actors, providing a competitive edge in the market.

Nuremberg, with its role as a trade hub and strategic location on important trade routes, coupled with its layered landscape structure, water scarcity, the Steigerwald forest, and monastery culture, has been intricately organized since early times, fostering robust relationships with its surrounding areas. The abundance of land and resources available to farmers in the outskirts, coupled with the city’s vast market, has cemented these structures over the centuries.
Medium-sized enterprises have pooled resources to streamline logistics and infrastructure. Urban family businesses, facing perpetual land constraints, have had to continuously modernize and intensify operations. Yet, the social fabric, the deep-rooted connection to the land, and the agricultural legacy of families may well be the driving forces behind the region’s rich UAH. Ultimately, the region’s fragmented structures have curbed excessive growth and prevented an overreliance on the global market, thereby fortifying regional value creation. What was once considered a drawback now grants access to a well-preserved, rich UAH – along with a wealth of knowledge on agrobiodiversity, organization, and resource management.

Never among the giants, yet steadfastly smaller, the region has undergone a paradigm shift, rendering it remarkably resilient. The culture of innovation and adaptability, coupled with access to diverse, culturally tested approaches and practices, naturally contributes to this resilience. Let’s explore what lessons we can glean from our heritage to bolster the resilience of our Franconian cities in the future. One thing remains certain: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every region must chart a unique course, define and prioritize their core values, and set work objectives accordingly. Highly individualized.
But, once identified and appreciated, the rich local (urban agricultural) heritage will provide this process with the necessary tools to find an own way to navigate and manage the individual systems sustainably.