The application by the town of Kleve to host the 2029 State Garden Show was submitted on Friday, 1 March 2024, by Kleve’s mayor, Wolfgang Gebing, to Silke Gorißen, Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. With Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences at its side, the town of Kleve is entering the race to host the 2029 State Garden Show.
The application by the town of Kleve to host the 2029 State Garden Show was submitted on Friday, 1 March 2024, by Kleve’s mayor, Wolfgang Gebing, to Silke Gorißen, Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. With Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences on its side, the city of Kleve is entering the race to host the 2029 State Garden Show. Its rival is the city of Steinfurt.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Minister Gorißen emphasised the importance of garden shows: “State Garden Shows provide excellent opportunities to sustainably improve the quality of life in our towns and regions and to promote the development of green infrastructure. Furthermore, horticultural shows are a prime example of the magnificent achievements of our strong horticultural sector in North Rhine-Westphalia. Every horticultural show is an attractive, supra-regional destination for many visitors. I am therefore delighted that the town of Kleve is entering the race to host the 2029 State Garden Show and would like to thank them for their application. It is now up to the independent assessment committee to make its judgement.”
Mayor Wolfgang Gebing highlights the wide-ranging opportunities offered by a State Garden Show: “I am delighted to be able to submit Kleve’s application to host a State Garden Show. Hosting a State Garden Show offers Kleve an enormous opportunity to showcase itself to a wide audience from across North Rhine-Westphalia and the neighbouring Netherlands. Furthermore, between now and 2029, we can carry out a wide range of projects that have the potential to transform the town in the long term, as our aim with the State Garden Show is to ‘create something that lasts’. I am certain that the State Garden Show would be an asset to the town and its residents, and that Kleve can offer visitors to the State Garden Show a unique experience. The Garden Show site along the Spoy Canal, combined with the historic city centre, the modern university and the Galleien – a landscape park with a special history – offers great diversity and a unique atmosphere within a compact area.” This is entirely in keeping with the bid’s motto, ‘Creating what lasts – City – Countryside – Water’, which encapsulates the defining characteristics of the city of Kleve.
Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is closely involved as a partner in the planning of the 2029 State Garden Show. As a sign of support, the President of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, accompanied the delegation from the city of Kleve. The university president highlighted the development potential for the university: “A State Garden Show in Kleve opens up a wide range of opportunities for collaboration, particularly in the field of sustainability. This ranges from the potential to remove impervious surfaces and introduce greenery on the campus grounds, through improved links to the city centre, to supporting the State Garden Show with academic programme elements. A State Garden Show in Kleve would be fantastic, not least because Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is celebrating its 20th anniversary in the same year.”
In April, an evaluation committee will assess the proposals put forward by the local authorities of Kleve and Steinfurt on site. The committee comprises representatives from various institutions in the fields of horticulture, urban planning, tourism and nature conservation. The evaluation committee will make recommendations, on the basis of which the state government will make its decision on 19 April 2024.
Further information can be found at:
Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. (1 March 2024). State Garden Show 2029: City of Kleve submits its bid to Minister Gorißen [Press release].
Application brochure from the town of Kleve for the right to host the 2029 State Garden Show.
