Orchard meadows in Hesse

 Orchard meadows are considered a valuable biotope and they are an old form of fruit growing. In addition to the growth of urban structures and the development of modern orchards with low-trunk varieties in monoculture, today's orchard meadows are rather relicts of a formerly more widespread form of use.

Typical for orchard meadows are tall fruit trees, mostly of different varieties and ages, scattered over a grassy area. This allowed a dual use, in that the orchard meadow could additionally be used for hay production or as pasture.

Large-scale fruit cultivation outside settlement areas such as villages only gained importance during absolutism (17th and 18th centuries) and expanded significantly from 1800 onwards with the abandonment of vineyards in the wake of the Little Ice Age. Through breeding, over 6000 different varieties of the main species apple, pear, plum / damson and cherry were created in the course of time. In more sheltered locations, sweet chestnut and walnut are also common. All these fruit varieties were introduced to Central Europe by the Romans. In the Rhine-Main region, the orchard meadows have had an impact on beverage culture. The national drink of southern Hesse, "apple wine” (a kind of cider), is a consequence of the change from viticulture to apple cultivation in the course of the climate cooling in the 19th century.

Since the Second World War, the area and quality of orchard meadows has declined significantly. The remaining meadows are also poorer in trees and many tree stands are poorly maintained and overaged. Many of the traditional, more robust and low-maintenance fruit varieties are rare today, as they play no role in plantation fruit growing. The reasons for this are a change in the agricultural policy of the European Union, the higher labour requirements for harvesting and the growth of the cities. The remaining meadow orchards are of great importance due to their high biodiversity and as a gene pool reserve for fruit varieties.

The regionally most important orchard meadow "Berger Hang" is located east of Frankfurt on the "Berger Rücken", a ridge north of the Main. This hill was formed when the river Main burrowed into older (Tertiary) deposits during the Ice Age (Pleistocene). The slope between Frankfurt and Hanau faces south and forms the northern edge of the river valley. 

The old fruit tree population near Bischofsheim forms the largest contiguous orchard meadow area in Hessen. It has only been used for fruit growing since about 1910. Originally it was pasture land, which was later also used for viticulture.  Extensive orchard meadows and ecologically valuable dry grasslands have survived in a 10-hectare core area. Since 1954, the Berger Hang has been protected from destruction as a nature reserve. 

Even Babenhausen has smaller orchard meadows. Only a few minutes' walk from the school, in the direction of the railway station, there is a small stand of fruit trees which is maintained by the Babenhausen branch of NABU (a nature conservation association). The fruit trees have to be looked after - for example by pruning the branches and mowing is also necessary so that the area does not become overgrown with bushes.

Many of the orchard meadow areas are leased out - even if you can't tell by looking at the unfenced areas. Since fruit is also stolen by passers-by time and again, managed trees are now often marked with yellow warning tapes that say "I harvest myself!