Cucurbits in Lübeck

The city of Lubeck in Northern Germany has long been noted for its commerce, but recently it has become equally famous for its gourds, pumpkins and squashes. Liibeck, a port city on the Baltic Sea in West Germany, was a key member of the Hanseatic League in medieval times. A metropolis of over 250,000 people, it is now an important commercial and shipping center. A civic minded pharmacist, Dr. Uwe Hagenstrom, who is also an enterprising and enthusiastic cucurbit grower, is largely responsible for the transformation of Lubeck into a cucurbit-conscious city. He has managed to interest all segments of the community in his hobby. Thus, Lubeck has rapidly become the cucurbit center of Europe. According to Dr. Hagenstrom it all started in 1970 with the introduction of the "Turks Cap Gourd" (a cultivar of Cucurbita maxima) from Hungary. This exotic-shaped colorful gourd created tremendous interest in the cucurbits. Stimulation provided by the "Turks Cap Gourd" set off a veritable cucurbit explosion in Liubeck. In 1971, thirty different cultivars were grown, and in 1972, 300 cultivars from all over the world were in culture. In the following years, seeds of over 400 different kinds of gourds were imported from USA, Canada, England, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Japan. After examining the photographs, and from what we know of the ecology of the species of Cucurbita, it is safe to guess that the cucurbits grown in Lubeck are mostly cultivars of C. maxima and C. pepo. With this wealth of material on hand, backyard gardeners commenced to run out of space, and the city administration, through friendly persuasion, was coerced into donating land for this enterprise along with several private horticultural organizations. In the fall, the harvest was accelerated by volunteer help from pupils, students, apprentices, as well as many senior citizens. In 1976, the harvest was so abundant that the surplus fruits were cleaned, displayed, sold, and the proceeds donated to charitable organizations. Lubeck now holds a 3-day celebration where cucurbits are beautifully displayed. The festival is reported to attract thousands of citizens, along with vacationers and tourists. Dr. Hagenstrom reports that the City administration has wholeheartedly supported his efforts to make Lubeck cucurbit-conscious. Artists, craftsmen, and artisans have expressed interest in using cucurbits in their work. Painters and sculptors have exhibited pictures, drawings, and water colors with gourds as the central theme. A blacksmith has built iron gratings in the form of cucurbits. A florist has composed decorative arrangements featuring various cucurbits. A bank provides safe-deposit boxes which resemble cucurbits, and a bakery offers pumpkin bread. But my favorite is the milliner who has designed women's hats molded in the shape of fruits of cucurbits. The list cited above by no means exhausts the innovative and colorful use made of gourds and pumpkins by ingenious Lubeckers. The Lubeck cucurbit binge demonstrates clearly what can happen when a single group of plants captures the fancy and imagination of a large city. The results, sparked by the dedication of a few hobbyists, have brought people of many diverse interests together to create a much better, more interesting, and a more livable city. The experience of Lubeck has meaning for those of us who live in large cities all over the world.