Großsedlitz baroque garden

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baroque garden with Friedrichschlösschen and Upper and Lower Orangery
View from the "Silent Music" over the lower orangery ground floor to the lower orangery

The Großsedlitz baroque garden with the Friedrichschlösschen is located on a hill on the left bank of the Elbe southeast of Dresden in Großsedlitz , which belongs to the city of Heidenau in the Free State of Saxony . The place lies on a plateau between the valleys of the Müglitz in the west and the Seidewitz in the east, which is a foothill of the Osterzgebirge . From there you have a view of the Elbe valley .

The approximately 18 hectare garden is an outstanding example of French horticulture in Saxony; it is one of the most authentic baroque gardens in Germany and is one of the most important works of the Dresden Baroque , whose three leading architects designed it. The large number of bitter oranges , which underline the architecture of the terrace-shaped garden space, is also remarkable .

history

Wackerbarth's coat of arms in the gable of the Upper Orangery
Palace and garden around 1723
Palace and garden around 1840
The Upper Orangery by Johann Christoph Knöffel (1720 to 1721)
The Lower Orangery by Zacharias Longuelune (1727)
The stairs by Pöppelmann called "Silent Music" with putti making music

The baroque garden was built by Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth from 1719 to 1723 as a country residence with orangery (first the castle was completed in 1720, then the upper orangery in 1721). He had already acquired the manor that had burned down in 1715. The builder of the once three-winged palace in French- Classical Baroque style is unknown. Designs by Pöppelmann , Longuelune and Knöffel for the system are known. The shell was built by 1720; a design plan by Knöffel is likely, but not proven.

Elector August the Strong acquired the property as early as 1723 , although the purchase was kept secret until 1726 due to the tight financial situation of the electorate and the budgetary law of the estates . Wackerbarth, who was the supervisor of military and civil construction in the Electorate, therefore initially continued to appear as a private builder. The complex was expanded in terms of horticulture and architecture by 1727. An originally planned fortress-like castle was never built. In 1727 the construction work on the castle and in 1732 on the gardens were stopped because August the Strong lost his interest in the castle.

While Pillnitz Castle was used for courtly amusement events and excursions and Moritzburg Castle for holding large court hunts, Großsedlitz was to become the castle for the foundation festivals of the Polish White Eagle Order . On August 3, 1727, his anniversary, August the Strong began this one-day festival for the first and only time in Großsedlitz. After August's death in 1733, his son, Elector Friedrich August II. , From 1734 as King of Poland August III., Continued this tradition. Between 1740 and 1756 these festivities took place here twelve more times. The highlight was always the shooting competition in the lower orangery parterre ; Painted boards on the back wall of the "Silent Music" pool served as targets.

The complex fell into disrepair after 1750. The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) in particular caused severe damage , in which Großsedlitz temporarily served as the main camp of the Prussian army ; the lock was badly damaged. When peace was concluded in 1763, the garden was also devastated as a result of the military billeting. Also in the coalition wars (1792-1815) the park and especially the buildings were badly damaged. During the reign of King Johann, early securing work extended over a long period from 1846 to 1878. The Lower Orangery was modernized and also received warm air heating. The remaining obsolete structure of the castle was torn down in 1871 and in the following years a two-story new castle was built on the site of the original east wing, later called Friedrichschlösschen .

Up until 1928, both orangeries still housed potted plants, some of which even came from the time of August the Strong. In the winter of 1928/1929 all of the plants froze to death.

Parts of the baroque garden are ascribed to Johann Christoph Knöffel . The sculptures are by Johann Christian Kirchner ; some others are attributed to Johann Benjamin Thomae . Many other figures can no longer be determined with regard to their sculptors . Due to the slight slope, the baroque park was laid out in terraces. Its structure follows the horticultural principles of a French garden , buildings and sculptures are high-quality examples of the Dresden Baroque at the time of Augustus the Strong. As a pleasure garden , the complex was used for festivities at the Dresden court until 1763. The garden remained unfinished in the western part and was hardly changed in the following centuries.

The main entrance gate of the baroque garden is a relatively young complex. It was moved here in 1960 from the forecourt of the old country house in Dresden (now the City Museum ). The gate system was built between 1960 and 1963. The dolphin fountains in the entrance area are the work of Johann Christian Feige .

building

Friedrichschlösschen (from 1847)

The original baroque buildings still preserved today are the Upper and Lower Orangery . The Friedrichschlösschen was modeled on the Dresden Baroque in the 19th century and completed in 1847 according to plans by the court architect Bernhard Krüger . It embodies the former east wing of the three-winged castle, which was built from 1719 to 1720 and demolished in 1871 due to dilapidation.

The Upper Orangery , like the original castle, was built for the then owner Wackerbarth from 1720 to 1721 according to plans by Johann Christoph Knöffel as a heatable functional building for winter reception of orange trees. It is single-storey and has 23 window axes and corner pavilions with high mansard roofs on both sides. The triangular gable in the central axis is adorned with the coat of arms of Count Wackerbarth. The lower orangery , which is also one- story , was completed in 1727 based on a design by Zacharias Longuelune ; it is characterized by 31 window axes and a successful integration into the terrace structure of the garden.

The Friedrichschlösschen now houses a historic restaurant, the Upper Orangery a registry office and a shop. The upper and lower orangery are used for concerts and exhibitions; the lower orangery also serves its original purpose as winter quarters for the garden's potted plants.

Baroque garden

Lower orangery parterre, at the south end the “Silent Music”, behind it a line of sight through the bosquets
Lower orangery with the arena-shaped parterre
Aha ditch with line of sight
The unfinished water steps

The park area, which is aligned along a north-west-south-east axis, now covers around 18 hectares. Although never completed, the complex is one of the most authentic baroque gardens in Germany. The garden is characterized by a hillside location with terracing, outside stairs and cascades, with lines of sight for landscape views. While the extension of a garden in the wide plain or a strong structuring of high elevations through terracing certainly corresponds to the ideal of the horticultural art of this time, the arrangement of the garden as a gentle valley basin at high elevations with views is a rarity.

The geometric network of paths is based on the three main axes of the facility. A much larger extension of the park was originally planned. On the one hand, the tall avenue tree plantings lead beyond the current boundaries of the garden and, on the other hand, the location of the old, two-winged castle and the associated courtyard area spoke in favor of a different axis of symmetry . On a plan from 1732 a mirror-image repetition of the lower orangery parterre can be seen beyond the central axis leading to the upper orangery; this second garden ground floor , which was also supposed to be framed by bosquets , was never carried out.

The lower orangery parterre on the east side of the park formed the garden's ballroom; here u found a. the price shooting takes place. The U-shaped facility, which is slightly lowered like an arena , is bordered on the north side by the Lower Orangery , and an unconventional staircase connects to the south. This outside staircase, called "silent music" because of the putti that adorn it , was probably designed by the master builder Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann . Here, two curved steps encircle a retaining wall that rises above a basin with three fountains. This is where the targets were set up during prize shooting. In the semicircle above this staircase there are figures of Juno and Jupiter, framed by figures of the seasons.

In the western part of the garden, the forest cascade with an upper basin known as the “Stone Sea” embodies the intention to create a “water axis” as the liveliest part of the garden. However, it remained unfinished, as did the parterre d'eau at the lowest point and the two water levels enclosed by the retaining walls of the upper orangery parterre . At the edge of the upper cascade basin are the personifications of the four continents. To the south of this group, the elements fire and water as well as air and earth are shown. Also noteworthy are the lovers of ancient mythology who found their position above the ice basin: Ceyx and Alkyone, Meleager and Atalante, Apollo and Daphne, Narcissus and Echo, Orpheus and Eurydice, Pan and Syrinx, Amor and Psyche as well as Bacchus and Ariadne, all by Johann Benjamin Thomae .

Sandstone figures

Preserved sandstone figures in the Upper Orangery

Of the formerly numerous sandstone sculptures from Roman and Greek mythology , 64 still decorate the garden today, including 24 originals. The originals of the sculptures that were replaced by copies in the park have been preserved and are located in the head building of the Upper Orangery. These include u. a. the figures of the spring goddess Flora, the great mother of the gods Cybele or the singing Melpomene. The richly preserved figural decoration sets the Großsedlitz garden apart from other comparable facilities.

  • flora

  • Cybele

  • Melpomene

Noteworthy are the figure groups created by the court sculptor Johann Christian Kirchner “Four Seasons” (winter, spring, summer, autumn), “Four continents” (Europe, Asia, Africa, America; Australia was still undiscovered at the time) and “Four elements” (fire , Water, air, earth), all of which still exist as originals. In the latter, two opposing elements are combined in a common figure: fire and water as well as air and earth are united here.

Seasons

Four figures on the lower orangery ground floor refer to allegorical representations of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

  • spring

  • summer

  • autumn

  • winter

Four continents

The personifications of the four continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America are located on the Stone Sea in the south-western part of the garden.

  • Africa

  • America

  • Asia

  • Europe

Lovers

Eight double figures, located between the ice basin and the cascades, represent couples in love from mythology.

  • Cupid and Psyche

  • Apollo and Daphne

  • Bacchus and Ariadne

  • Ceyx and Alcyone

  • Meleager and Atalante

  • Narcissus and Echo

  • Orpheus and Eurydice

  • Pan and Syrinx

Orangery

Lower orangery

As a collection of southern plants, orangeries were part of the classic canon of forms in baroque gardens . In addition to oranges, myrtles , pomegranates , laurels and figs were also cultivated in Großsedlitz. The tradition of orangeries goes back to Italian models from the Renaissance period. The Greek myth of Hercules played an important role in their design; According to this myth , Hercules was supposed to fetch golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides as one of twelve tasks . The obvious resemblance of oranges to golden apples suggested a flattering relationship of their owner with the virtuous traits of Hercules. In Dresden, Elector Johann Georg III. had four Hercules statues erected at both ends of an avenue of Hercules in the Great Garden , an early work by Permoser . August the Strong had a copy of Hercules Farnese placed in Großsedlitz . For August, the Hercules myth played a very special role precisely because of the obvious reference to his own legendary body strength; Permoser's Hercules Saxonicus carries the globe on the roof of the Wallpavillon in the Dresden Zwinger .

According to the inventory of 1736 had the baroque garden at that time 1,250 orange trees, where the stock of bitter orange (bitter orange) was particularly valuable. Years of neglect and probably a heating failure in the harsh winter of 1928/29 destroyed the last remaining stocks.

In 1997, 150 orange trees were purchased from Tuscany for the first time ; the current population has grown to over 400 potted plants, including 140 bitter oranges. They are overwintered at temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees Celsius in the Lower Orangery .

Current situation

The baroque garden came into the possession of the newly established Free State of Saxony in 1992. At the same time, extensive restoration and reconstruction of the garden and buildings began.

Today's publicly accessible facility includes the Friedrichschlösschen, the Old Gardener's House , the Upper and Lower Orangery , the Upper Parterre , the Water Parterre (Parterre d'eau) , “Silent Music”, the Lower Parterre , the forest cascade and the nature theater .

A variety of events take place in the garden from Easter to October each year. The highlight is the garden party on the first weekend in August. It is intended to commemorate the first festival of the Polish White Eagle Order , which was celebrated for the first time in Großsedlitz under August the Strong.

At the end of May 2018, the Saxon Citrus Days, which have been held annually since 2013, took place in the Baroque Garden for the sixth time . During this exhibition, the Baroque garden again presented its collection of precious citrus plants.

Visitor numbers

In 2017, 61,072 people visited the historic park after the renovation work. Compared to previous years, this was an increase of 52 percent. In the following year, only 55,290 people visited the baroque garden, which means a decline in visitors of 9.4 percent.

literature

  • Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments . Vol. Dresden. Munich, Berlin (Deutscher Kunstverlag) 2005, pp. 235–238, ISBN 3-422-03110-3
  • Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7
  • Andrea Hessler / Saxon State Ministry of Finance, Saxon Palace Administration (Ed.): Saxon Palaces, Castles and Gardens. Dresden 1994, pp. 35-42.
  • Hugo Koch: Großsedlitz then and now. In: Mitteilungen des Landesverein Sächsischer Heimatschutz , Volume XIV, Issue 9–12 / 1925, pp. 373–395
  • Simone Ruby: Grosssedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2013, ISBN 978-3-361-00689-8
  • Gustav Adolf Abendroth: Grosssedlitz - history of the royal palace and garden: and explanation of the statues in the park. Dresden 2015 Saxonia Book , ISBN 3957703484
  • Friedrich August Wendler: The royal palace and the garden at Gross Sedlitz. Pirna around 1850 ( digitized version )

Web links

Commons : Barockgarten Großsedlitz  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Georg Dehio: Handbook of German Art Monuments. Vol. Dresden . Munich, Berlin (Deutscher Kunstverlag) 2005, ISBN 3-422-03110-3 , p. 235
  2. ^ Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , p. 23ff.
  3. ↑ a b story. Retrieved June 15, 2020 .
  4. ^ A b Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , pp. 33, 55-57
  5. ^ Georg Dehio Handbook of German Art Monuments. Vol. Dresden . Munich, Berlin (Deutscher Kunstverlag) 2005, ISBN 3-422-03110-3 , p. 237
  6. ^ Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , p. 67
  7. ^ Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , pp. 27ff.
  8. ^ Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , p. 84
  9. ^ Hagen Bächler and Monika Schlechte: Guide to the Baroque in Dresden , Dortmund 1991, p. 76ff.
  10. ↑ Gustav Adolf Abendroth: Grosssedlitz - History of the Royal Castle and gardens: and explanation of the statues of the park . 2nd Edition. Saxoniabuch, Dresden 2015, ISBN 3-95770-348-4 , p. 9 .
  11. ^ A b Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , pp. 44-52
  12. ↑ The number of 360 mentioned in older literature cannot be proven today, see Hans G. Hartmann: Barockgarten Großsedlitz. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , p. 79
  13. ↑ Sculptures (PDF; 137 kB) State palaces, castles and gardens of Saxony. 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 28, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.barockgarten-grosssedlitz.de
  14. ↑ Elements, continents and seasons in the Grosssedlitz Baroque Garden (brunnenturmfigur.de)
  15. ↑ Ancient lovers in the Grosssedlitz Baroque Garden (brunnenturmfigur.de)
  16. ^ A b Jürgen Loose: Five unparalleled in Saxony. Reinhardsgrimma: Saxacon 2008, p. 53
  17. ^ Hans G. Hartmann: Großsedlitz Baroque Garden. Edition Leipzig 2002, ISBN 3-361-00550-7 , p. 68
  18. ↑ a b Orangeries (PDF; 130 kB) State palaces, castles and gardens of Saxony. 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 28, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.barockgarten-grosssedlitz.de
  19. ^ Decline in visitors in Pillnitz , Dresdner Latest News from 17./18. February 2018, p. 17
  20. ↑ Review of the 2018 season. In: Schlösserland Sachsen. Retrieved June 15, 2020 .

Coordinates: 50 ° 57 '4.8 "  N , 13 ° 53" 24.5 "  E