Henrik August Flindt

Henrik August Flindt

Henrik August Flindt (born April 24, 1822 in Århus , † January 19, 1901 in Frederiksberg ) was a Danish landscape architect and gardening inspector. His work spanned around two hundred garden projects, including large public parks in Copenhagen including the new botanical garden . Most of his designs take up the style of the English landscape garden .

Origin and education

Flindt was the son of the first lieutenant and later major general Carl Ludvig Henrik Flindt (1792-1856) and his wife Anna Sophie Caroline (nee Flindt, 1797-1854), daughter of a captain and chamberlain (a third cousin). From 1839 to 1844 Flindt trained as a gardener in the palace gardens of Fredensborg and then of Rosenborg under Rudolph Rothe . In 1844 he passed the gardening examination and worked as a simple gardener in Bregentved until 1846. A five-year stay abroad took him to the gardens of Booth ( Flottbek ), Dalbeith Castle (Scotland) and Kew Gardens (England).

Copenhagen Botanical Garden , in the background the central wing of the Palm House

Landscape gardener and planner

In 1851 Flindt returned to the Danish heartland and settled down as a landscape gardener. His work included numerous changes to palace gardens and manor gardens throughout the state and Sweden . Many baroque gardens were converted into English parks by Flindt, in keeping with contemporary tastes, and lost their original character. Flindt married in 1861 Oligra Petrine Constance Holm (1827-1903), daughter of a naval lieutenant.

In the 1870s, Flindt was entrusted with extensive planning tasks in Copenhagen. This included the redesign of the former ramparts; his most important designs were the new botanical garden and the Ørstedtpark . In 1877 Flindt became inspector of the royal gardens. Together with Vilhelm Dahlerup, he planned the important urban promenade (Langelinien) in Copenhagen, his last major work.

Flindt was an honorary member of the Royal Danish Garden Society (since 1889) and the Danish Gardeners Association (1899). He was buried in Solbjerg . A bust of Flindt is in the Botanical Museum .

Works (selection)

• Haseldorf mansion garden (Holstein), redesign
• Botanical Garden , Copenhagen (1871–1874)
• Ørstedpark , Copenhagen (1876–1879)
• Charlottenlund , redesign of the palace garden in a landscape style (1880–1881)
• Aborrepark , formerly Helmers bastion (1885–1888)
• Langeliniepark , Copenhagen (1894-1900); with Vilhelm Dahlerup , there since 1913 the sculpture The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen

literature

• Axel Lange: Flindt, Henrik (Henry) August. In: Dansk Biografisk Leksikon , founded by CF Bricka. Volume 7. Schultz, Copenhagen 1935, pp. 116-117.
• Åge Nicolaisen : Flindt, Henrik (Henry) August. In: Dansk biografisk leksikon , founded by CF Bricka. 3. Edition. Volume 4. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1980, ISBN 87-01-77391-7 , pages 453-454.