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Mountain garden of Wilhelmshöhe

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Germany (Europe and North America)
Date of Submission: 20/09/1999
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)
Category: Cultural
Submitted by: Ständige Konferenz der Kultusminister in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
State, Province or Region:

Hesse, Kassel
Coordinates: N51 18 W9 24
Ref.: 1365

Description

1. The landscape-park of Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel is positioned on the slopes of the Habichtswald mountains. This position enabled its sculptors to enclose a wide variety of effects produced by water flowing: cascades, water-falls, artificial streams and lakes. The central axis of the park was laid out as a monumental cascade, still working during summer time. In seize and variety of its elements this park on a mountainside is unique world-wide. Originally laid out as a geometrical garden in baroque stile it was recreated in the end of the 18th century as a landscape garden in English style. In art history this garden is to be counted as the top of landscape gardening in the end of the 18th century, as well as a prime example of water-engineering in this time.

The local prince, Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse, financed this project of his by money which was paid to him by the English government for troops he rented them during the American War of Independence. So this park is also a witness to the political situation and system of "absolutism" in pre-revolutionary Europe just before the effects of the French revolution took over mainland Europe.

2. The spacious Friedrich Square with Fridericianum Museum, the Ottoneum, the Staatstheater and documenta hall opens up to the plain of the river Fulda and the hills of Kaufunger Forest. As the architectural hub of the city it forms the entrée to Kassels first palace garden - Karlsaue Park. From the renaissance pleasure grounds Moritzaue, which lay on the tip of a boggy river island between the arms of the Fulda, the Landgraves Karl and Friedrich II built an enormous baroque park between 1700 and 1770. A fan-shaped layout of what were once five parks axes draws attention to the palace-like Orangery. From its central pavilion a view opens up to the three-large axes: Mittelallee, Küchengraben and Hirschgraben. Siebenbergen Island concludes the tension curve with a unique splendour of flowers and thickets. This is where Karlsaue Parks ends. The design of the baroque park can be attributed to who is arguably the most famous garden architect of his time - Le Nótre in Versailles, who was commissioned by Landgrave Karl. From 1787 onwards the formal garden was rebuilt in stages on the basis of contemporary English landscape gardens.

3. From Wilhelmshöhe the crosses Rasenallee heading north. After 9 km, near the village of Calden, you will find a jewel from the rococo - a piece of France on Hessian soil, park and palace Wilhelmsthal. Landgrave Wilhelm VIII, the founder of the Kassel picture gallery, had Wilhelmsthal palace and park built from 1743 in rural surroundings as his summer residence, pleasure grounds and hunting lodge. The palace building is one of the region's most important monument and one of the most significant creations of the rococo period still in existence. Some parts still remain from the never quite completed rococo park from the middle of the 18th century; the southern axis with the canal and grotto, witch were build with the cooperation of the famous Prussian architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, and the former duck pond. From the middle axis, which is partially bordered by lime trees, the former water basin which was to have supplied the planned cascade with water can still be recognized as a depression in the ground. Of the three Kassel royal gardens Wilhelmsthal is the park least affected by changing trends and is surrounded by fields and forest as it was when it was originally build.