Stichelsdorf Estate

The Stichelsdorf estate is a place of open children's and youth work for the Francke Foundations and, together with the two tenants, the Children's farm Halle and the vegetable farmer René Zimmermann, offers city children and interested parties from young to old a special open space for environmental education, experiential education and animal-assisted therapy.

History

In order to ensure the self-sufficiency of the Halle orphanage and its associated facilities, the Francke Foundations acquired additional agricultural estates in the area surrounding Halle as early as the 18th century, including in Kanena, Beesen, Ammendorf and Berga (Kyffhäuser).
The Stichelsdorf estate, which consists of a farmhouse, several farm buildings and around 100 hectares of cultivated land and belongs to the municipality of Peißen, was added in 1890.

The last tenants before and during the Second World War (1932 to 1945) were Wilhelm and Martha Frenz from Württemberg. Thanks to additional leases from farmers from Peißen, the Tornau hereditary farm, the church, the town of Halle and Otto in Passendorf, the cultivated area totalled around 190 hectares at the time. The main crops were cereals, sugar beet, lucerne, potatoes and vegetables. In addition to around 70 dairy cows, around 165 pigs and 500 to 750 laying hens were also kept. Together with milk deliveries to the central dairy in Halle, milk, eggs, fresh vegetables and potatoes were delivered daily to the Francke Foundations and St Barbara's Hospital.

When the foundations were dissolved in 1946, they also lost the Stichelsdorf estate. A freeze-drying facility, a greenhouse with a heating plant and residential buildings with 12 flats were built on the site. Failed privatisation attempts led to the closure of the freeze-drying facility.
In 1997, 27 hectares of the old estate, including the residential building, farmyard, stables, barn and greenhouses, were removed from the privatisation area and transferred back to the foundations. It was not until 2001 that the remaining areas became the property of the Francke Foundations again.

From 1999 to 2008, the »Bauhof« youth workshop was active on the estate. Together with the foundations, the institution developed a concept for setting up an organic farm and an eco-educational centre and offered groups, clubs and school classes of all ages a hands-on experience of ecology.

The Francke Foundations have been running the estate themselves again since 2010. Refugees from Syria have been supporting the work of the family centre on site since 2016 as part of the Federal Volunteer Service.

Since autumn 2023, vegetables have been grown here again by the Children's farm and the tenant of the greenhouses, and animals have been living on the farm.
There are environmental and experiential education programmes for children, young people and adults. Members of the association cultivate the farm garden and the orchard in Stichelsdorf together with children and young people, who also look after the chickens, rabbits and sheep. Following a tried-and-tested concept, participants can experience nature in its entirety, help to shape it, look after it, harvest, cook and enjoy it.
In addition, the Krokoseum and the TIQ youth club regularly visit the estate as part of their open work with children and young people. One of the highlights of the year is the Family Centre's family hobby days, which are organised with great attention to detail.