Sachsen

On 5 February 2026, the New Year’s reception organised by the Saxony Regional Association of the Federal Association of German Landscape Architects (Bundes Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekt:innen, Landesverband Sachsen e.V.) took place at Lingnerschloss in Dresden. For the third time, the event provided a successful setting for networking, discussion and professional inspiration to kick off the new year.

Many guests used the time leading up to the official start at 5.30 pm to strike up initial conversations. 

Following the official welcome, presenter Carolin Gerlach guided the evening’s proceedings with her relaxed and engaging manner. 

Ulrich Krüger, Deputy Chair of bdla Saxony, kicked things off with his welcome address to the guests. 

This was followed by an initial moderated discussion with Holger Rothamel on listed outdoor spaces caught between tradition and climate adaptation, from a researcher’s perspective.

Dr Sascha Döll, Head of the Department for Urban Greenery and Waste Management at the City of Dresden, then emphasised how important it is to refocus more strongly on the aesthetics of our surroundings. He called for action to be taken to address the challenges of climate change.

In a second interview, presenter Carolin Gerlach spoke with Nora Kindermann from the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments about aspects of collaboration and perspectives on dealing with historic open spaces caught between tradition and climate adaptation.

Nora Huxmann, junior lecturer in the teaching and research group on the use of plants in landscape architecture at TU Dresden, introduced the Friends of the Institute of Landscape Architecture and encouraged people to become members and support the association. Founded in 1998, the Friends’ Association is a charitable organisation that promotes teaching and research at the Institute and helps to raise awareness of issues relating to landscape architecture.

A professional highlight of the evening was the subsequent lecture by Heiner Luz (LUZ Landscape Architecture, Munich) entitled ‘Perenne all’Arrabbiata’. Using vivid examples and thought-provoking ideas, he gave the guests fascinating insights into the use of plants.

Many guests also took up the association’s invitation to add a splash of colour to their outfits under the slogan ‘Pin a flower on!’. The creative floral accessories created a lively and colourful atmosphere in the hall.

Before, during and after the programme, the band ETF from Dresden kept the mood lively with their upbeat music.

At the buffet that followed, featuring delicious food and drinks, there were plenty of opportunities to chat with colleagues and representatives from politics, the civil service, education and the green sector until late into the evening.

A popular meeting spot was the photo booth in the foyer. Many humorous snapshots were taken there, which will remain a lovely memento of the evening for numerous guests.

Photo booth

Music to round off the evening and a subsequent tour of the terrace brought the evening to a close. The 2026 New Year’s Reception demonstrated once again just how valuable personal encounters, professional exchanges and fresh ideas are for the further development of landscape architecture in Saxony. For many guests – for the third time now – it was an all-round successful and inspiring evening.

We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support:

 

Text: Anna Neumann, Robert Heinze

Photos: Anna Neumann, Fotobox

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