Dispute Over Blocked Allotment Garden Shortcut in Silberhöhe: City Administration Shifts Blame as Gardening Association Points to Municipal Path
Halle residents locked out as garden group blocks key shortcut
A locked gate in the southern part of Halle (Saale) has sparked frustration among locals. What was once a convenient shortcut for residents between Eierweg and Karlsruher Allee is now permanently blocked by gates. The "Sonne" Allotment Garden Association (KGV) has sealed off the path through its grounds, allowing access only to plot holders with keys. For many residents, this means either time-consuming detours or navigating an unpaved, unlit dirt track.
City Administration Claims Its Hands Are Tied
The issue recently reached the municipal Committee for Climate Protection, Environment, and Public Order. In response to a query from SPD politician Julius Neumann, the city administration clarified that it has no legal authority to intervene. The land does not belong to the city but rather to the Oelhafe-Zeysesche Foundation and the Hospital St. Cyriaci et Antonii Foundation—both of which, incidentally, include city representatives.
In a written statement, Deputy Mayor René Rebenstorf emphasized that decisions on opening paths fall under the association's house rules. The city can only note that, according to framework regulations, allotment gardens should generally be accessible to the public.
Gardening Association Slams City's "Incomplete" Response
The Halle/Saale Gardening Association (Stadtverband der Gartenfreunde) has strongly criticized the city's account, accusing officials of providing incomplete information.
According to association chairman Andreas Klemmstein, a viable alternative already exists: the so-called "Schweineweg" (Pig Path), which runs between the "Sonne" and "Eierweg" gardens. The crucial detail? This land is owned by the city of Halle.
The issue was discussed in the Allotment Garden Advisory Board as early as September 2025, and an on-site inspection took place on December 11, 2025, to assess the "Schweineweg" as an official alternative. Later that month, the city's Property Management Department was formally asked to reclaim the land and designate it as an official public path.
Waiting for a Resolution
To date, the association has received no response from City Hall. The gardening group regrets that the city—despite owning the adjacent path—has failed to propose a solution.
While the city administration cites the associations' house rules, the gardeners stress that their grounds are open to the public during designated hours, with specific access times set by each association's bylaws.
For now, residents remain dissatisfied. Whether the "Schweineweg" will soon emerge from obscurity as a properly developed, safe passage—or whether the deadlock will persist—now rests with the city's decision-makers.
