PARKSOMMERTRÄUME ALTDÖBERN (Sommer’s dream in Park).

Like every year, the event of the year for the Castle’s Park in Altdöbern takes place on the second weekend of August: the Parksommerträume. For us, volunteers in the Altdöbern’s Castle Garden, of course, is it! This initiative follows other castles’ tendencies to celebrate a special night/weekend for commemorating and remembering the history of the place.

Altdöbern is a village between Berlin and Dresden, close to Cottbus. The special connection with Dresden, due to the proximity, made it the perfect place to a hunting mansion... and here we are, we got it, a palace that combines baroque, renaissance and rococo elements. The history of the place is agitated and different, but since 2008 the Schlosspark (Castle’s Park) has become again an amazing place, little by little, with the help of many people and of course the volunteers (BFD and ESC). This event, the Parksommerträum, is one of the initiatives that started with the recovery project.

But, what is exactly the Parksommerträume? This event is a whole weekend party where you can eat something, play and have fun in general. There are concerts and a small market. A part of the Castle is opened for the exhibitions. The historical tours are very important and the reconstructions tours that we, the volunteers, do in the garden. A part of this is re-built every year. This year we had the pleasure to present a new way with bushes area and even an oak’s bridge that we built during the winter (with a little help). However, we also tell historical, ecological and botanic aspects of the park. There is theater too and the highlights: the fireworks! This year the fireworks weren’t so big because of the drought, such a pity. The children have an important slot on Sunday when there are more activities for them (although maybe the adults we want to enroll the games too).

As a volunteer, the Parksommerträume is the result of a whole year of work. Everything we work on is in the direction of this event, so that should be perfect. The event means a meeting point too. The volunteers from other years come and enjoy the party and have fun with the actual volunteers. So the night is also to tell funny stories and have fun, to share and share, because that is what to be volunteer means.

Thank you to Mr Hohmann (our and project’s boss in the park) for teaching us and the volunteers-friends so much. We will meet next year at the next Parksommerträume.