Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 51°18′57″N 09°23′35″E / 51.31583°N 9.39306°E / 51.31583; 9.39306
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{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
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'''Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe''' is a landscape park in [[Kassel]], [[Germany]]. The area of the park is {{convert|2.4|km2|acre}}, making it the largest European hillside park, and second largest park on a hill slope in the world. Construction of the ''Bergpark'', or "mountain park", began in 1696 at the behest of the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel|Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel]] and took about 150 years. The park is open to the public today. Since 2013, it has been a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].
'''Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe''' is a landscape park in [[Kassel]], [[Germany]]. The area of the park is {{convert|2.4|km2|acre}}, making it the largest European hillside park,<ref name = "nominate">{{cite report |url = https://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1413.pdf |title = Water features and Hercules within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe -- Nomination dossier |publisher = Hessisches Ministerium fur Wissenschaft und Kunst |date = May 2011 |access-date = 10 September 2022}}</ref> and second largest park on a hill slope in the world.{{Citation needed|reason=I found no reference to the first largest park on a hill slope in the world|date=December 2019}} Construction of the ''Bergpark'', or "mountain park", began in 1689 at the behest of the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel|Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel]] and took about 150 years. The park is open to the public today. Since 2013, it has been a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] because of its monumental Baroque architecture and its unique fountains and [[water features]].<ref name = "unesco">{{cite web |url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1413 |title = Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe |website = UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 10 September 2022}}</ref>


==Geography==
==Geography==
=== Location ===
=== Location ===
[[File:Bergpark wilhelmshoehe talblick ds 05 2006.jpg|thumb|View towards Kassel]]
[[File:Bergpark wilhelmshoehe talblick ds 05 2006.jpg|thumb|View towards Kassel]]
{{Interlanguage link multi|Bad Wilhelmshöhe|de}}, a ''Stadtteil'' of Kassel in northern Hesse, is situated west of the city centre at the foot of the [[Habichtswald]] hill range. It is also known for [[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station]] on the [[Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway]] line.
{{ill|Bad Wilhelmshöhe|de}}, a ''Stadtteil'' of Kassel in northern Hesse, is situated west of the city centre at the foot of the [[Habichtswald]] hill range. It is also known for [[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station]] on the [[Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway]] line.

⚫
==Description==
The park comprises an area of about {{convert|2.4|km2|mi2}}, stretching from Kassel up to the Karlsberg mountain at {{convert|526.2|m|ft}}.<ref name = "unesco"/> At the summit of the park stands the [[Hercules monument (Kassel)|Hercules monument]], a 40-meter high pyramid with a 8.5-meter bronze statue of [[Hercules]]. Behind the monument, a series of reservoirs gather water, which passes through a complex series of channels, valves, aqueducts, and water-wheels as it flows from the monument down through the park.<ref name = "unesco"/> The water tumbles through a Baroque water theatre, grotto, fountains, two hydraulic organs, and several waterfalls (including a Great Cascade that is 350 meters long) before arriving at the pond, with the Great Fountain.<ref name = "unesco"/> At about 50 meters (160 ft) high, the Great Fountain was the largest fountain in Europe at the time of its creation in 1767.<ref name = "nominate"/> Below the pond and Great Fountain, the water runs in to ponds and pools at the [[Wilhelmshöhe Palace]], built for the Elector of Hesse [[William I, Elector of Hesse|William I]] in the late 18th century.<ref name = "nominate"/>

⚫
=== Hercules ===
⚫
{{Main|Hercules monument (Kassel)}}
The Kassel Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod [[Heracles]] (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). It is a copy of the third century [[Farnese Hercules]] statue, created by Johann Jacob Anthoni, a goldsmith from [[Augsburg]]. Beneath the stature of Hercules are basins and figures such as centaurs and fauns who hold horns.<ref>{{cite web |title=Water features and Hercules within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe |url=https://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1413.pdf |website=World Heritage Convention |publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> When this water display is turned on, the pressure change produces a sound through the horns.<ref>{{cite web |title=The water games in Kassel's Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe |url=https://entdecke-deutschland.de/en/bundeslaender/hessen/the-waterspouts-in-kassel-mountain-park-wilhelmshoehe/ |website=Entdecke Deutschland |publisher=Entdecke Deutschland}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
Originally laid out in the [[Baroque]] style of the [[giardino all'italiana]] and the [[French formal garden]], with [[water feature]]s running downhill in cascades to [[Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]], it was later re-arranged into an [[English landscape garden]].
Originally laid out in the [[Baroque]] style of the [[giardino all'italiana]] and the [[French formal garden]], with [[water feature]]s running downhill in cascades to [[Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]], it was later re-arranged into an [[English landscape garden]].


In 1143, [[Canons Regular]] from [[Mainz]] established the Weißenstein monastery at the site of present-day Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, which was dissolved in the course of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. Landgrave [[Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse|Philip I of Hesse]] used the remaining buildings as a [[hunting lodge]], largely rebuilt by his descendant [[Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Maurice of Hesse-Kassel]] from 1606 to 1610.
In 1143, [[Canons Regular]] from [[Mainz]] established the Weißenstein monastery at the site of present-day Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, which was dissolved in the course of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. Landgrave [[Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse|Philip I of Hesse]] used the remaining buildings as a [[Jagdschloss|hunting lodge]], largely rebuilt by his descendant [[Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Maurice of Hesse-Kassel]] from 1606 to 1610.


=== 1696–1806 ===
=== 1696–1806 ===
[[File:Bergpark wilhelmshoehe grosse fontaene.jpg|thumb|The large fountain]]
[[File:Bergpark wilhelmshoehe grosse fontaene.jpg|thumb|The large fountain]]
The Bergpark came into being as a Baroque park under Landgrave [[Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Charles I of Hesse-Kassel]]. In 1701, the Italian architect {{Interlanguage link multi|Giovanni Francesco Guerniero|de}} started the construction of the Hercules monument and the giant cascades. In 1785, [[William I, Elector of Hesse|Wilhelm (William) IX, Landgrave of Hesse]] started a large extension of the park, and the following year his architect, [[Simon Louis du Ry]], designed the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] palace Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.
The Bergpark came into being as a Baroque park under Landgrave [[Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Charles I of Hesse-Kassel]]. In 1701, the Italian architect {{Interlanguage link multi|Giovanni Francesco Guerniero|de}} started the construction of the Hercules monument and the giant cascades. In 1785, [[William I, Elector of Hesse|Wilhelm (William) IX, Landgrave of Hesse]] started a large extension of the park, and the following year his architect, [[Simon Louis du Ry]], designed the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] palace [[Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]].


Meanwhile, the ideals of the landscaping changed from the French [[Baroque]] to the [[English garden]]. In the course of the extension and modifications, {{Interlanguage link multi|Heinrich Christoph Jussow|de}}, apart from contributing to the design of the palace, created constructions still characterizing the park today: artificial ruins like the {{Interlanguage link multi|Löwenburg (Kassel)|de|3=Löwenburg (Kassel)|lt=Löwenburg}} (Lion's Castle) and the [[Roman aqueduct]], as well as extensions of the water garden like the Lac, the fountain pond, and the ''Teufelsbrücke'' (Devil's Bridge) with the ''Höllenteich'' (Hell's Pond). In 1793, Karl Steinhöfer added the Steinhöfer Waterfall to the water garden.
Meanwhile, the ideals of the landscaping changed from the French [[Baroque]] to the [[English garden]]. In the course of the extension and modifications, {{Interlanguage link multi|Heinrich Christoph Jussow|de}}, apart from contributing to the design of the palace, created constructions still characterizing the park today: artificial ruins like the {{Interlanguage link multi|Löwenburg (Kassel)|de|3=Löwenburg (Kassel)|lt=Löwenburg}} (Lion's Castle) and the [[Roman aqueduct]], as well as extensions of the water garden like the Lac, the fountain pond, and the ''Teufelsbrücke'' (Devil's Bridge) with the ''Höllenteich'' (Hell's Pond). In 1793, Karl Steinhöfer added the Steinhöfer Waterfall to the water garden.


=== 1806–1866 ===
=== 1806–1866 ===
Kassel became capital of the newly created [[Kingdom of Westphalia]], a [[vassal]] state of [[France]], ruled by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]]'s brother [[Jérôme Bonaparte]]. He kept court at the palace of Wilhelmshöhe (which was renamed ''Napoleonshöhe'') until 1813, after Napoleon's defeat and the restoration of the electorate. The king's Head Chamberlain and governor of ''Napoleonshöhe'' was Count Heinrich [[von Blumenthal]]. In 1826, [[William II, Elector of Hesse]] ordered the last large construction of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, the ''grosser Wasserfall'' (Great Waterfall).
Kassel became the capital of the newly created [[Kingdom of Westphalia]], a [[vassal]] state of [[France]], ruled by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]]'s brother [[Jérôme Bonaparte]]. He kept court at the palace of Wilhelmshöhe (which was renamed ''Napoleonshöhe'') until 1813, after Napoleon's defeat and the restoration of the electorate. The king's Head Chamberlain and governor of ''Napoleonshöhe'' was Count Heinrich [[von Blumenthal]]. In 1826, [[William II, Elector of Hesse]] ordered the last large construction of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, the ''grosser Wasserfall'' (Great Waterfall).


=== 1866–1918 ===
=== 1866–1918 ===
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[[File:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 089.jpg|thumb|Rembrandt's "Saskia"]]
[[File:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 089.jpg|thumb|Rembrandt's "Saskia"]]


Having sided with Austria in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] for supremacy in Germany, the principality was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1866. The Prussian administration united [[Nassau (duchy)|Nassau]], [[Frankfurt]] and Hesse-Kassel into the new Prussian province of [[Hesse-Nassau]]. Kassel ceased to be a princely residence, the dynasty of the creators of the park ended.
Having sided with Austria in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] for supremacy in Germany, the principality was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1866. The Prussian administration united [[Nassau (duchy)|Nassau]], [[Frankfurt]], and Hesse-Kassel into the new Prussian province of [[Hesse-Nassau]]. Kassel ceased to be a princely residence, the dynasty of the creators of the park ended.


In 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan]], French Emperor [[Napoleon III]] was sent as a prisoner to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe before going into exile in Britain. From 1899, German Emperor [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II]], who went to school in Kassel, chose Wilhelmshöhe as his summer residence, which turned the castle and the park into a centre of European politics for the next two decades. After the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|armistice which ended World War I]], the [[Oberste Heeresleitung]] led by [[Paul von Hindenburg]] organized and led the withdrawal and demobilization of the German troops from here from November 1918 to February 1919.
In 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan]], French Emperor [[Napoleon III]] was sent as a prisoner to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe before going into exile in Britain. From 1899, German Emperor [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II]], who went to school in Kassel, chose Wilhelmshöhe as his summer residence, which turned the castle and the park into a centre of European politics for the next two decades. After the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|armistice which ended World War I]], the [[Oberste Heeresleitung]] led by [[Paul von Hindenburg]] organized and led the withdrawal and demobilization of the German troops from here from November 1918 to February 1919.
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=== 20th and 21st century ===
=== 20th and 21st century ===
Schloss Wilhelmshöhe was damaged by Allied bombs in [[World War II]]. From 1968 to 1974, it was rebuilt as an art museum. It houses a [[wallpaper]] collection, a collection of [[Graeco-Roman]] antiques, and a gallery of Old Masters paintings.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.museum-kassel.de/en/index_navi.php?parent=9527 | title=Museum Palace Wilhelmshöhe | publisher=Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel (MHK) | accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref> The collection focuses on the 16th and 17th century, containing masterpieces by German, Italian, French and Spanish painters. It comprises the second-largest collection of [[Rembrandt]]s in Germany. Rembrandt's famous "[[Saskia van Uylenburgh|Saskia]]" and "The Man with the Slouch Hat" by [[Frans Hals]] are among them.
Schloss Wilhelmshöhe was damaged by Allied bombs in [[World War II]]. From 1968 to 1974, it was rebuilt as an art museum. It houses a [[wallpaper]] collection, a collection of [[Graeco-Roman]] antiques, and a gallery of Old Masters paintings.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.museum-kassel.de/en/index_navi.php?parent=9527 | title=Museum Palace Wilhelmshöhe | publisher=Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel (MHK) | access-date=9 July 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619202958/http://www.museum-kassel.de/en/index_navi.php?parent=9527 | archive-date=2015-06-19 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The collection focuses on the 16th and 17th century, containing masterpieces by German, Italian, French and Spanish painters. It comprises the second-largest collection of [[Rembrandt]]s in Germany. Rembrandt's famous "[[Saskia van Uylenburgh|Saskia]]" and "The Man with the Slouch Hat" by [[Frans Hals]] are among them.


In 1972, the Chancellor of [[West Germany]] [[Willy Brandt]] and the Prime Minister of the [[German Democratic Republic]] [[Willi Stoph]] met in Schloss Wilhelmshöhe for negotiations between the two German states.
In 1972, the Chancellor of [[West Germany]] [[Willy Brandt]] and the Prime Minister of the [[German Democratic Republic]] [[Willi Stoph]] met in Schloss Wilhelmshöhe for negotiations between the two German states.


No extensions were made to the Park in the 20th century. Extensive renovations to the Hercules monument and cascades have been ongoing in the 21st century, and are still in progress; much of the monument continues to be shrouded in scaffolding.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kulturportal-hessen.de/de/downloads/category/16-museen-schloesser-parks | title=Herkules – a living myth | publisher=Kultur Portal – Hessen | accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref>
No extensions were made to the Park in the 20th century. Extensive renovations to the Hercules monument and cascades have been ongoing in the 21st century, and are still in progress; much of the monument continues to be shrouded in scaffolding.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kulturportal-hessen.de/de/downloads/category/16-museen-schloesser-parks | title=Herkules – a living myth | publisher=Kultur Portal – Hessen | access-date=9 July 2013}}</ref>

⚫
==Description==
The park comprises an area of about {{convert|2.4|km2|mi2}}, stretching up to the Karlsberg mountain with the [[Hercules monument (Kassel)|Hercules monument]] on the summit at {{convert|526.2|m|ft}}.

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=== Hercules ===
⚫
{{Main article|Hercules monument (Kassel)}}
⚫
[[File:Wilhelmshoehe - Herkules mit Kaskaden.jpg|thumb|Water running down the cascades, a coloured picture before 1903]]
The Kassel Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod [[Heracles]] (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). It is a copy of the third century [[Farnese Hercules]] statue, created by Johann Jacob Anthoni, a goldsmith from [[Augsburg]].


==Today==
==Today==
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is administrated by the [[States of Germany|State]] of [[Hesse]] and affiliated with the [[European Garden Heritage Network]] since 2009. On 23 June 2013 it was proclaimed as a [[World Heritage Site]] during the [[UNESCO]] meeting in [[Phnom Penh]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1049 | title=Sites in Germany and Italy bring to 19 the number of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List this year | publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Organization | date=2013-06-23 | accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref>
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is administered by the [[States of Germany|State]] of [[Hesse]] and affiliated with the [[European Garden Heritage Network]] since 2009. On 23 June 2013 it was proclaimed as a [[World Heritage Site]] during the [[UNESCO]] meeting in [[Phnom Penh]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1049 | title=Sites in Germany and Italy bring to 19 the number of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List this year | publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Organization | date=2013-06-23 | access-date=9 July 2013}}</ref> It is part of the [[Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel]].


==Evaluation==
==Evaluation==
Art historian [[Georg Dehio]] (1850–1932), inspirator of the modern discipline of historic preservation, described the park as "possibly the most grandiose combination of landscape and architecture that the [[Baroque]] dared anywhere" (''"vielleicht das Grandioseste, was irgendwo der Barock in Verbindung von Architektur und Landschaft gewagt hat."'').<ref name='HR 2004-04-08'>{{cite web|url=http://www.hr-online.de/website/fernsehen/sendungen/index.jsp?rubrik=19288&key=standard_document_1831036 |title=Die unendliche Baugeschichte des Kasseler Herkules |accessdate=2009-03-25 |last=Schuhmann |first=Rainer |date=2004-04-08 |work=HR-Online |publisher=Hessischer Rundfunk |language=German }}</ref>
Art historian [[Georg Dehio]] (1850–1932), inspirator of the modern discipline of historic preservation, described the park as "possibly the most grandiose combination of landscape and architecture that the [[Baroque]] dared anywhere" (''"vielleicht das Grandioseste, was irgendwo der Barock in Verbindung von Architektur und Landschaft gewagt hat."'').<ref name='HR 2004-04-08'>{{cite web|url=http://www.hr-online.de/website/fernsehen/sendungen/index.jsp?rubrik=19288&key=standard_document_1831036 |title=Die unendliche Baugeschichte des Kasseler Herkules |access-date=2009-03-25 |last=Schuhmann |first=Rainer |date=2004-04-08 |work=HR-Online |publisher=Hessischer Rundfunk |language=de }}</ref>


== Literature ==
== Literature ==
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* Jutta Korsmeier, ''Wasserkünste im Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe'', hrsg. v. d. Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg und Regensburg 2000, {{ISBN|3-7954-1287-0}}.
* Jutta Korsmeier, ''Wasserkünste im Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe'', hrsg. v. d. Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg und Regensburg 2000, {{ISBN|3-7954-1287-0}}.
* Helmut Sander, ''Das Herkules-Bauwerk in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe'', Kassel 1981.
* Helmut Sander, ''Das Herkules-Bauwerk in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe'', Kassel 1981.

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== References ==
⚫
{{reflist|2}}


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="140px" heights="140px" perrow="4">
<gallery widths="130px" heights="130px">
File:Kassel asv2022-02 img50 Wilhelmshöhe Gewächshaus.jpg|The orangery
File:Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe 001.jpg|Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, as seen from downtown Kassel
File:Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe 001.jpg|Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, as seen from downtown Kassel
File:WasserspieleKasselNachts kasselgalerie de.jpg|Water arts, lit at nighttime
File:WasserspieleKasselNachts kasselgalerie de.jpg|Water arts, lit at nighttime
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File:Renovation and Restoration of the Hercules Monument with Hercules Statue sign Jul 2013.jpg|Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, sign describing the renovation still in progress in 2013
File:Renovation and Restoration of the Hercules Monument with Hercules Statue sign Jul 2013.jpg|Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, sign describing the renovation still in progress in 2013
File:Kulturerbe herkules fontäne.ogg|"Wasserkunst" experienced by tourists, 2016
File:Kulturerbe herkules fontäne.ogg|"Wasserkunst" experienced by tourists, 2016
⚫
File:Wilhelmshoehe - Herkules mit Kaskaden.jpg|Water running down the cascades, a coloured picture before 1903
</gallery>
</gallery>

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== References ==
⚫
{{reflist|2}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons}}
{{Commons}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1413 Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe : UNESCO Official Website]
*[http://www.museum-kassel.de/index_navi.php?parent=1707 Website of ''Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel'']
*[http://www.museum-kassel.de/index_navi.php?parent=1707 Website of ''Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707234314/http://www.museum-kassel.de/index_navi.php?parent=1707 |date=2019-07-07 }}
*[http://www.kassel.city-map.de/city/db/102302010201.html City Map Kassel – The water arts at the foot of the Hercules.]
*[http://www.kassel.city-map.de/city/db/102302010201.html City Map Kassel – The water arts at the foot of the Hercules.]
*[http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/kassel/index.html Stadtpanoramen.de – Panoramas of Bergpark & Schloss Wilhelmshöhe and the Hercules monument & cascades]
*[http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/kassel/index.html Stadtpanoramen.de – Panoramas of Bergpark & Schloss Wilhelmshöhe and the Hercules monument & cascades]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC2IiHeOerA Youtube – Illuminated water arts in Kassel at night]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC2IiHeOerA Youtube – Illuminated water arts in Kassel at night]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_q3Y6yjRw Youtube – Water arts at in Kassel]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_q3Y6yjRw Youtube – Water arts in Kassel]
* {{HessBib PPN|11879051X}}
* {{HessBib PPN|11879051X}}


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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergpark Wilhelmshohe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergpark Wilhelmshohe}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kassel]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kassel]]
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[[Category:Royal residences in Hesse]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Hesse]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Hesse]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Hesse]]
[[Category:Hesse-Kassel]]
[[Category:Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Germany]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Germany]]
[[Category:Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel]]

Latest revision as of 06:16, 5 March 2024

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Hercules monument at the Bergpark, landmark of Kassel
LocationKassel, Hesse, Germany
CriteriaCultural: (iii), (iv)
Reference1413
Inscription2013 (37th Session)
Area558.7 ha (1,381 acres)
Buffer zone2,665.7 ha (6,587 acres)
Coordinates51°18′57″N 09°23′35″E / 51.31583°N 9.39306°E / 51.31583; 9.39306
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is located in Hesse
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
Location of Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Hesse
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is located in Germany
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Germany)

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is a landscape park in Kassel, Germany. The area of the park is 2.4 square kilometres (590 acres), making it the largest European hillside park,[1] and second largest park on a hill slope in the world.[citation needed] Construction of the Bergpark, or "mountain park", began in 1689 at the behest of the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel and took about 150 years. The park is open to the public today. Since 2013, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its monumental Baroque architecture and its unique fountains and water features.[2]

Geography[edit]

Location[edit]

View towards Kassel

Bad Wilhelmshöhe [de], a Stadtteil of Kassel in northern Hesse, is situated west of the city centre at the foot of the Habichtswald hill range. It is also known for Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station on the Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway line.

Description[edit]

The park comprises an area of about 2.4 square kilometres (0.93 sq mi), stretching from Kassel up to the Karlsberg mountain at 526.2 metres (1,726 ft).[2] At the summit of the park stands the Hercules monument, a 40-meter high pyramid with a 8.5-meter bronze statue of Hercules. Behind the monument, a series of reservoirs gather water, which passes through a complex series of channels, valves, aqueducts, and water-wheels as it flows from the monument down through the park.[2] The water tumbles through a Baroque water theatre, grotto, fountains, two hydraulic organs, and several waterfalls (including a Great Cascade that is 350 meters long) before arriving at the pond, with the Great Fountain.[2] At about 50 meters (160 ft) high, the Great Fountain was the largest fountain in Europe at the time of its creation in 1767.[1] Below the pond and Great Fountain, the water runs in to ponds and pools at the Wilhelmshöhe Palace, built for the Elector of Hesse William I in the late 18th century.[1]

Hercules[edit]

Main article: Hercules monument (Kassel)

The Kassel Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). It is a copy of the third century Farnese Hercules statue, created by Johann Jacob Anthoni, a goldsmith from Augsburg. Beneath the stature of Hercules are basins and figures such as centaurs and fauns who hold horns.[3] When this water display is turned on, the pressure change produces a sound through the horns.[4]

History[edit]

Originally laid out in the Baroque style of the giardino all'italiana and the French formal garden, with water features running downhill in cascades to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, it was later re-arranged into an English landscape garden.

In 1143, Canons Regular from Mainz established the Weißenstein monastery at the site of present-day Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, which was dissolved in the course of the Protestant Reformation. Landgrave Philip I of Hesse used the remaining buildings as a hunting lodge, largely rebuilt by his descendant Maurice of Hesse-Kassel from 1606 to 1610.

1696–1806[edit]

The large fountain

The Bergpark came into being as a Baroque park under Landgrave Charles I of Hesse-Kassel. In 1701, the Italian architect Giovanni Francesco Guerniero [de] started the construction of the Hercules monument and the giant cascades. In 1785, Wilhelm (William) IX, Landgrave of Hesse started a large extension of the park, and the following year his architect, Simon Louis du Ry, designed the Neoclassical palace Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.

Meanwhile, the ideals of the landscaping changed from the French Baroque to the English garden. In the course of the extension and modifications, Heinrich Christoph Jussow [de], apart from contributing to the design of the palace, created constructions still characterizing the park today: artificial ruins like the Löwenburg [de] (Lion's Castle) and the Roman aqueduct, as well as extensions of the water garden like the Lac, the fountain pond, and the Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge) with the Höllenteich (Hell's Pond). In 1793, Karl Steinhöfer added the Steinhöfer Waterfall to the water garden.

1806–1866[edit]

Kassel became the capital of the newly created Kingdom of Westphalia, a vassal state of France, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte. He kept court at the palace of Wilhelmshöhe (which was renamed Napoleonshöhe) until 1813, after Napoleon's defeat and the restoration of the electorate. The king's Head Chamberlain and governor of Napoleonshöhe was Count Heinrich von Blumenthal. In 1826, William II, Elector of Hesse ordered the last large construction of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, the grosser Wasserfall (Great Waterfall).

1866–1918[edit]

Emperor Wilhelm II in the Bergpark in 1906
Members of the Oberste Heeresleitung, High Command of the German Army, November 1918
Rembrandt's "Saskia"

Having sided with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War for supremacy in Germany, the principality was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. The Prussian administration united Nassau, Frankfurt, and Hesse-Kassel into the new Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau. Kassel ceased to be a princely residence, the dynasty of the creators of the park ended.

In 1870, after the Battle of Sedan, French Emperor Napoleon III was sent as a prisoner to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe before going into exile in Britain. From 1899, German Emperor Wilhelm II, who went to school in Kassel, chose Wilhelmshöhe as his summer residence, which turned the castle and the park into a centre of European politics for the next two decades. After the armistice which ended World War I, the Oberste Heeresleitung led by Paul von Hindenburg organized and led the withdrawal and demobilization of the German troops from here from November 1918 to February 1919.

Schloss Wilhelmshöhe

20th and 21st century[edit]

Schloss Wilhelmshöhe was damaged by Allied bombs in World War II. From 1968 to 1974, it was rebuilt as an art museum. It houses a wallpaper collection, a collection of Graeco-Roman antiques, and a gallery of Old Masters paintings.[5] The collection focuses on the 16th and 17th century, containing masterpieces by German, Italian, French and Spanish painters. It comprises the second-largest collection of Rembrandts in Germany. Rembrandt's famous "Saskia" and "The Man with the Slouch Hat" by Frans Hals are among them.

In 1972, the Chancellor of West Germany Willy Brandt and the Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic Willi Stoph met in Schloss Wilhelmshöhe for negotiations between the two German states.

No extensions were made to the Park in the 20th century. Extensive renovations to the Hercules monument and cascades have been ongoing in the 21st century, and are still in progress; much of the monument continues to be shrouded in scaffolding.[6]

Today[edit]

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is administered by the State of Hesse and affiliated with the European Garden Heritage Network since 2009. On 23 June 2013 it was proclaimed as a World Heritage Site during the UNESCO meeting in Phnom Penh.[7] It is part of the Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel.

Evaluation[edit]

Art historian Georg Dehio (1850–1932), inspirator of the modern discipline of historic preservation, described the park as "possibly the most grandiose combination of landscape and architecture that the Baroque dared anywhere" ("vielleicht das Grandioseste, was irgendwo der Barock in Verbindung von Architektur und Landschaft gewagt hat.").[8]

Literature[edit]

  • Giovanni Francesco Guerniero, Delineatio Montis, Cassel 1706
  • Paul Heidelbach, Die Geschichte der Wilhelmshöhe. Klinkhardt & Biermann, Leipzig, 1909
  • Horst Becker und Michael Karkosch, Park Wilhelmshöhe, Parkpflegewerk, Bad Homburg und Regensburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-7954-1901-1.
  • Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, ComputerWorks AG und Michael Karkosch, Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Gartendenkmalpflegerische Zielplanung mit VectorWorks Landschaft, Lörrach 2007.
  • Bernd Modrow und Claudia Gröschel, Fürstliches Vergnügen, 400 Jahre Gartenkultur in Hessen, Verlag Schnell und Steiner, Bad Homburg und Regensburg 2002, ISBN 3-7954-1487-3.
  • Michael Karkosch, Zeitreise in die Jahrhundertwende, Der Kaiserpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel, in: SehensWerte, Heft 4, Besuchermagazin der Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg 2008, S. 28f.
  • Dunja Richter, Der Duft der großen weiten Welt, Wilhelminische Pflanzenhausarchitektur in Kassel, in: SehensWerte, Heft 4, Besuchermagazin der Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg 2008, S. 30.
  • Michael Karkosch, Zurückgelassen in der Heimat, Erdmann – Lieblingsteckel Seiner Majestät, in: SehensWerte, Heft 4, Besuchermagazin der Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg 2008, S. 35.
  • Siegfried Hoß, Kaiserliche Farbenpracht – neu entfacht!, in: SehensWerte, Heft 4, Besuchermagazin der Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg 2008, S. 42.
  • Marianne Bolbach, Geschichte und soziale Bedeutung des Bergparks Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel 1988.
  • Paul Heidelbach, Die Geschichte der Wilhelmshöhe, Leipzig 1909, Nachdruck, hrsg. v. Dieter Carl, Vellmar 2005.
  • Alfred Hoffmann und Herrmann Mielke. Kassel – Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe – Bäume und Sträucher, hrsg. v. d. Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg 1994 (3. überarbeitete Aufl.).
  • Jutta Korsmeier, Wasserkünste im Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe, hrsg. v. d. Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, Bad Homburg und Regensburg 2000, ISBN 3-7954-1287-0.
  • Helmut Sander, Das Herkules-Bauwerk in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel 1981.

Gallery[edit]

  • The orangery
    The orangery
  • Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, as seen from downtown Kassel
    Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, as seen from downtown Kassel
  • Water arts, lit at nighttime
    Water arts, lit at nighttime
  • Hercules statue atop the octagon, as seen during renovation in 2011
    Hercules statue atop the octagon, as seen during renovation in 2011
  • Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, side view of the Hercules statue
    Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, side view of the Hercules statue
  • Closeup of Hercules statue
    Closeup of Hercules statue
  • The Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge)
    The Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge)
  • Artificial waterfall
    Artificial waterfall
  • The Löwenburg (Lion's Castle)
    The Löwenburg (Lion's Castle)
  • Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, sign describing the renovation still in progress in 2013
    Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, sign describing the renovation still in progress in 2013
  • "Wasserkunst" experienced by tourists, 2016
  • Water running down the cascades, a coloured picture before 1903
    Water running down the cascades, a coloured picture before 1903

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Water features and Hercules within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe -- Nomination dossier (PDF) (Report). Hessisches Ministerium fur Wissenschaft und Kunst. May 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Water features and Hercules within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe" (PDF). World Heritage Convention. UNESCO.
  4. ^ "The water games in Kassel's Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe". Entdecke Deutschland. Entdecke Deutschland.
  5. ^ "Museum Palace Wilhelmshöhe". Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel (MHK). Archived from the original on 2015-06-19. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Herkules – a living myth". Kultur Portal – Hessen. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Sites in Germany and Italy bring to 19 the number of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List this year". UNESCO World Heritage Organization. 2013-06-23. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  8. ^ Schuhmann, Rainer (2004-04-08). "Die unendliche Baugeschichte des Kasseler Herkules". HR-Online (in German). Hessischer Rundfunk. Retrieved 2009-03-25.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.
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