Jacobsbergs park
Jacobsbergs park in the parish of Follingbo on the Swedish island of Gotland is a landscape park that was created at the beginning of the 19th century.
The designer
The owner of the area and namesake of the park was Jacob Dubbe (also called Dobb, 1769–1844), a moneylender, wholesaler, shipowner and lime patron . He was responsible for handling the ships stranded on Gotland's coast - a very lucrative source of income. He began his career as a camp helper. By luck and skill he became one of the richest men in Visby . In 1798 he bought the large stepped gable house (Lilliehornska House) in Visby. He also owned the Katthamra farm near Katthammarsvik on Östergarn. Nearby, he built the summer house Annas nöje (Anna's joy) for his wife Anna .
Rosendal farm
By marrying the wealthy Anna Torsman in 1802 he became the owner of the Rosendal farm with a castle-like house with more than 30 rooms. Rosendal is still a large farm today. However, Dubbe's house fell victim to a fire in 1902. The property included a threshing plant, a gardening, dairy, orangery and horse mill, a sawmill, a forge and stable building. Agriculture produced the richest crops in the area. The farm experimented with new cultivation methods and the keeping of exotic animals.
The park
An avenue of poplar trees leads from Rosendal to Jacobsberg. The park, surrounded by a limestone wall, was laid out in a hilly landscape as a pleasure garden. In the north there was a plateau with an unusual observation tower. A three-story wooden house was built in a scaffolding made of stone pillars. The floors housed cabin-like rooms. There is a terrace with cannon batteries by the observation tower. The name Jacobsberg is carved into the rock on the back. So that the eyes could wander, Dubbe had a wide swath cut through the forest in the direction of Visby. After the family's three young daughters died in quick succession, a mausoleum was set up. Dubbe had a burial chamber made of fireproof brickwork built between two hills. The portal with the copper-clad doors is made of marble. A heavy tombstone from the 14th century, which had previously been in the ruins of St. Hans Church in Visby, was put on the roof. He had a small grove planted over it. The children's coffins were laid out inside. Outside, a planting of boxwood, ivy, yew, honeysuckle, roses and vines creates a paradise garden.
In the garden there are arbors, borders, winding paths and viewing areas. In the lowlands, a bath house, fish ponds, a pavilion and a spring complete the ambience. Everywhere you come across plantings surrounded by exotic trees.
After his wife's death in 1837, Jacob Dubbe left the island. He died in Stockholm in 1844. His heirs showed little interest in the park. So the observation tower fell into disrepair and collapsed, but was rebuilt. From the late 19th century to the 1950s, the park, only six kilometers from the city, was a popular destination for Visby residents. In 1958 the tower burned down. Since then, the listed complex has been largely inaccessible to visitors.
literature
- Marita Jonsson, Sven-Olof Lindquist: Gotland cultural guide . Almqvist and Wiksell, Uppsala 1993, ISBN 91-88036-09-X .
- Louise Hellstrand: Jacobsberg - Lustträdgård och begravningsplats. En documentation, trädgårdshistorisk study and functional analysis. Södertörns Högskola, Huddinge 2013. ( online)
Web links
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 57 ° 35 ′ 34.4 ″ N , 18 ° 22 ′ 32.1 ″ E