
Project
"We never want to stop planting” (Joseph Beuys)
Zeitlupe, Ahrensburg
Projekt
"We never want to stop planting” (Joseph Beuys)
Zeitlupe, Ahrensburg
Profile
Organisation/Company
Zeitlupe, Ahrensburg
Project name
"We never want to stop planting” (Joseph Beuys)
Project period
01.01.2023 – 31.12.2026
Project gallery
Project partner
Zeitlupe (“slow motion”) is a no-profit society dedicated to the preservation of threatened cultural heritage. It focuses mainly on collections of pictures, words and landscapes. Projects that now also enjoy nationwide attention and support have been developed over a number of years. In all areas, the society places great emphasis on cooperation with experts whose specialist knowledge provides additional support.
Project description
Germany’s most famous contemporary artist, Joseph Beuys, would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2021. Between 1982 and 1987, 7,000 oak trees – that will continue to be a characteristic part of the urban landscape – were planted all around the city of Kassel. Zeitlupe identifies very strongly with the ideas that prompted Beuys to create this work and has dedicated all its plantings since 2021 to his memory.
Over the next three years, the planting of about 1,200 new trees to preserve old fr4uit varieties is planned, with a view to planting 1,000 more in the course of the following years.
In Dänischenhagen, in the eastern uplands near the Baltic Sea, an arboretum covering several hectares will be created for the preservation of old fruit and nut varieties. This new plantation will become an orchard meadow that provides a habitat for many insects, wild animals and grassland plants.
Project aims
- New planting of trees to preserve old fruit varieties.
- Care of trees and grassland.
- Training for the staff of the farms involved to ensure that they can be cultivated independently.
- Development of schemes that will allow people with special needs who work on the farms to pursue a meaningful occupation.
Project status
Extract from the activity report April 2024 - March 2025
Gutshaus Stellshagen
Another 80 trees are currently being planted here, including at least 50 cherry trees that are currently still in the tree nursery. The planned wild fruit orchard, consisting of 30 fruit trees, has been established.

The beginning of the Speierling blossom in Stellhagen
Hof Grüner Weg Oederquart
Another 80 trees were passed on. In February 2025, the entire fruit population was mapped and some special features were identified for the further development of the conservation project. Of particular note is an avenue of unknown old sour cherries (photo), possibly an old, robust variety was discovered here.

Replanting

Unusual, the sour cherry avenue
Gut Wulfsdorf, Ahrensburg
Around 120 trees and shrubs (wild and cultivated forms) were made available for the main objective, the reintroduction of wild fruit trees and shrubs.

First cornelian cherry blossom at the end of February 2025
Hof Klostersee, Cismar
Here, 73 fruit trees were planted on an area that was still grazed and large planting frames were erected.

Material was delivered with heavy equipment
Erdmannshof, Krukow
At the end of 2024, 20 trees were planted on a grazed area, and the planting of further trees and the maintenance of the old stock of 50 trees is planned.

Very important in the background: the catering mobile with coffee and cake
Picture credits: all pictures Michael Heißenberg
Wir wollen die Pflanzung ja niemals beenden April 2024
A further 435 trees were planted.
The number of varieties in the collection is now over 1,100.
Wir wollen die Pflanzung ja niemals beenden July 2023
700 trees were planted last season
Care and protection of the young plants
Wir wollen die Pflanzung ja niemals beenden May 2023
Trees mapped and limed
Wir wollen die Pflanzung ja niemals beenden January 2023
120 saplings planted
Wir wollen die Pflanzung ja niemals beenden Dezember 2022
Various nut varieties planted





