Bee colonies on Lietzenburger Strasse
Since summer of this year, unusual residents have been sharing the Lietzenburger Strasse campus of UdK Berlin with students and faculty: two bee colonies under the knowledgable care of Benedikt Geiger, a horn player and student at UdK Berlin.

23 July 2025

Benedikt Geiger discovered his passion for beekeeping three years ago when a bee colony unexpectedly settled in his garden in Hamburg. What began as a chance encounter quickly developed into a labor of love with the support of a beekeeper friend. The colony has since split, and a special move was planned for the spring of this year. After obtaining the approval of the superintendent Sven Siemen and the responsible department at Udk Berlin, Geiger organised the night-time move of the two colonies from Hamburg to Berlin and their settlement at their new location on Lietzenburger Strasse. This move is particularly gratifying because the UdK Berlin is committed to supporting biodiversity in its climate charter – and even makes explicit reference to bees.

The bees have now settled in well. One of the two colonies is already showing stable development, and in July Benedikt Geiger was able to harvest a decent first batch of Berlin honey from this colony, weighing in at 26 kg. The second colony, which came to Berlin with an older queen, first had to find a successor: a young queen has now hatched and is bringing new life to the hive. Honey is not expected to be available here until next year.

The Berlin area offers good conditions for this. Urban honey is often particularly appreciated by those in the know – not least because of the considerable variety of flowering plants, which is sometimes greater in urban areas than in agricultural regions. Benedikt Geiger expects an aromatic honey, characterised by linden and chestnut blossoms, which are common in the vicinity of the two colonies around their new location.

At present, the small UdK apiary is still a purely personal project. However, there are initial ideas to develop a possible general studies format on urban beekeeping for 2026 – an interdisciplinary approach that could combine ecological topics, artistic perspectives and practical knowledge. Until then, all UdK members can enjoy another sign of vibrant diversity on campus – and perhaps soon the first jar of UdK Berlin honey.