Lawn in front of the State Chancellery? Monument remains sandy and bare!

Lawn in front of the State Chancellery? Monument remains sandy and bare!

A cool breeze blows over the city and brings fresh political news. The planned lawn in front of the State Chancellery in Schwerin will not be realized. Instead, the area around Julia Hansen's sculpture “Reigen” remains sandy and bare. This decision emerges from a letter from the Ministry of Finance and Digitalization dated September 29, 2025, which at first glance looks like a setback for the city.

The rejection of the lawn solution is the result of a political mandate from the city council on January 27, 2025, which wanted to design a green space concept in negotiations with the state. The mayor will address this issue in his “communications” to the city council on November 10th. But monument protection has the last word here: according to the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation (LAKD), it was considered decisive for the decisions.

Monument protection in focus

In 2022, the LAKD made it clear that the surface of the square should be based on the “Old Garden”. A lawn, the argument goes, would create paths, edges and transitions. This detail, which was intended to be avoided in the planning, was considered incompatible with the monument preservation requirements. The assessment of the state conservator, which was made on July 8, 2025, was viewed by the state building administration as incomprehensible.

There is also a practical aspect that speaks against a lawn solution: regular watering would be necessary, especially in hot and dry periods. The difference between the actual use of a meadow and what nature can produce in this barren environment is another point that those responsible could not ignore. A true climatic benefit would only be possible through a large-crowned tree population, but the security location does not allow such planting.

Schwerin and its cultural heritage

In a further context is Schwerin's application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Site with the “Residenzensemble Schwerin”. This shows that dealing with the city's cultural heritage is an urgent issue. This is also shown by the annual meeting of the Association of State Monument Preservators in Germany, which recently took place. Minister Bettina Martin and chairman Markus Harzenetter emphasized the importance of monument preservation for maintaining cultural identity in the city.

The exchange about cultural heritage, which is being discussed at the Technical University of Berlin, shows that the discussions are not only important locally, but also nationally. The process of ‘inheritance’ is not only a question of the past, but also of social and political interaction in contemporary urban society. It becomes clear here that dealing with cultural heritage in a city like Schwerin is of great relevance and should also be incorporated into future city planning.

It remains to be seen whether the struggle over the design of the area in front of the State Chancellery will be reached. One thing is certain: the connection between history and the wishes of today's population will continue to be a central theme in the city in the future. Whatever happens, the discussion about the design of public spaces and the consideration of monument protection will continue to concern us.

For all those who would like to find out more about decisions relating to monument protection, the information is available here Schwerin.news, TU Berlin and deGruyter a good starting point.