Dacha

Dacha in Germany

Dacha in Germany is one of those uncommon cases when the phenomenon typical of the former communist countries becomes a norm in an industrialized country. The word "dacha" is well-spread here as well. However, in Germany the meaning of the word “datscha”, loaned from the Russian language, differs a lot from its traditional variant.

Dachas in Germany started to appear in the mid 19th century. The idea of creating a nature oasis for city residents stroke Daniel Schreber, the citizen of Leipzig. Schreber was a doctor and an active supporter of healthy living. He considered that a people should be able to communicate with the flora and, if lucky, with fauna. That's why he proposed the city authorities to create original ecological enclaves with small gardens and lawns. Originally it was planned to hand down these small gardens to a rising generation, but the generation had no desire to dig in the ground. Therefore soon parents replaced children, so they became the first German "gardeners". Later garden plots in Germany were allocated in the suburbs.

In the countries of former USSR the term "dacha" is applied both to luxurious cottages and rickety bungalows. However, in Germany with its passion to order the word "datscha" has a quite clear definition: a small plot of land with a trailer or a small house. And people can use the house only as a "day" asylum but not as a place of living. The German state skillfully exploits the passion of the citizens of the country to work in the fresh air. A German citizen annually pays a great amount of money for the opportunity to grow apple-trees or parsley on his small plot of land.

The German law clearly regulates the size of a plot of land and permissible activity on it. Thus, it is officially forbidden in Germany to make any in-plant noise like shearing lawns, hitting or making something at weekends and on bank days. It will be more than strange for Russian people, as they make all these things just right at weekends and on bank days.