Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-17
CHARITY A SCIENCE.
As It is Practiced in the City Of
Berlin.
Berlin Letter in the Brooklyn Eagle


Berlin Letter in the Brooklyn Eagle.
Every observant tourist is astonished and
somewhat nonplussed by the sight which
greets his eye as his train approaches the
German capital city. After passing through
the beautiful suburbs of Potsdam, the YER
sailles of Germany; of Schlachtensee, with
its placid lake; Of Grunewald. with it's grim
forests. the train rolls slowly through large
stretches Of level ground. At first the
scene resembles a. gigantic county fair
The large stretches are covered with rudely
constructed huts, foliage pavilions, tents Of
all shapes and hues. There is sea of
potato patches, beds Of cabbage, onions
turnips, cauifiower and melons interspers-
ed with typical German flower beds, rearing
sunflowers and flag poles,- upon which
waves the German national emblem. The
picture is enlivened by hordes Of rosy
checked children at all sorts of native
games or cavorting in true pastoral fashion
upon the green's Men and women in their
picturesque native dress are at work in the
gardens watching the children at play.
Tiny wreaths of blue smoke curl peacefully
from crooked stovepipes protruding from
the matched roofs.
What is this? Who are these people?
Are these the suburbs Of your great capt.
tal?" A stream of queries like these may
be heard from the lips Of the astonished
tourists. Often their curiosity Is appeased
when they are informed that these are
''laubenkolonien," or potato patches for the
poor. But if they pursue the subject fur
Their discover that these settlements and
strange colonies form one Of the most in
genious and successful Of the benevolent
and communal enterprises of Germany for
the amelioration Of the lot Of the poor and
laboring classes. They correspond some
what to the pet potato patch hobby of
the late Gov. Pingree of Michigan and to
the fugitive efforts made by the Salvation
Army to introduce truck farms for the poor
of great cities on public or private vacant
lots Of unsubdivided lands. Attemps of this
kind have been made in Detroit, Chicago
and other large American cities. But the
idea has been nowhere 80 successfully and
happily developed as in the suburbs of
Berlin.
Originally the "1aubenkolonien'' was an
idea launched by the charity association of
Berlin, which is an auxiliary of the munic-
ipal government and supported by special
fund reserved from the tax revenues. But
the enterprises soon outgrew the bounds
contemplated by the charitable association.
All the public or city lands were devoted to
these potato patch settlements and still
there was clamor for more. Consequently
private companies were formed with pro-
motors to stake out vacant unsubdivided
land near Berlin, and which was leased to
families wishing to join the '1aubenko-
lonien." For each family certain number
Of acres were staked off and board fence
prevented disputes about usurpation of
property. A well was sunk In each plot
and that formed the nucleus of family
settlement. Upon this plot Of ground the
family constructed a summer mansion &C.
cording to their own ability and tastes.
They dubbed these mansions with charming
titles just as the wealthy counts. barons,
geheimraths and financiers, who occupied
the costly villas in Grunewald and Pots
dam styled their homes. They painted
across the tops Of the entrances the names.
"Zillerthal," "Emma's Delight" WILLIAMS
Heights" "Rocen Villa" and other similar
names. Flower beds were planted. Vines
and foliage were trained to cover
completely the small huts, the fences and
pavilions. To show their gratitude and
loyalty to fatherland flag poles were erect-
ed in the front yards with the black and
white emblem fluttering high up in the air.