Johan Ludvig Mansa

Johan Ludvig Mansa (born April 14, 1740 in Zweibrücken , † April 13, 1820 in Fredensborg ) was a Danish gardener and castle administrator of German origin. He was instrumental in redesigning several Danish castle gardens in the style of the English landscape garden . He published a collection of garden plans and a small book on practical gardening.

Life

Mansa was born as the son of a castle gardener in Zweibrücken. Nothing is known about his mother and his youth. He trained as a gardener in Germany and emigrated to the Kingdom of Denmark in 1762.

In 1765 he worked as a gardener in Fuglsang . In 1784 he became a gardener and administrator of Marienlyst Castle . From 1794 he held the same functions at Frederiksberg Palace and from 1799 until his death at Fredensborg Palace . He led the redesign of the existing (baroque) gardens in the contemporary modern English style in all of the facilities he managed ; some old elements were retained due to the national bankruptcy (1813). Mansa was considered a staunch advocate of landscape gardens.

Fonts

Garden plan (1798)

Mansa's work was reflected in two publications, a large volume in Querfolio format with 22 garden plans and a small book with advice on creating kitchen gardens:

• Have-Katekismus eller Grundregel für nyttige Have-Vexters Dyrkning ... (1787, with two copper plates by G. Haas; five editions, two of which are posthumous)
• Udkast til Hauge-Anlæg i den engelske Smag, including Anvisning til at inddele og beplante smaae Partier (1798; engraved by Gottfried Nicolai Angelo )

The collection of plans appeared at the same time in a German (plans for gardens in English taste, along with instructions on how to divide and plant smaller lots) and a French translation ( Plans de jardins dans le goût anglais et instructions dans l'art ... ) . In an appendix to the “Garden Catechism”, Kaffe-Drikkens Skadelighed (“The Harmfulness of Drinking Coffee ”) is discussed.

Marriage and offspring

Mansa married twice, in 1774 and 1791: Anne Christine Voigt (approx. 1730 to approx. 1790) and Louise Toxværd (1769-1853), daughter of a merchant and later owner of Ludvigslund (Falster). He had six sons and four daughters, including: Christian Ludvig (1792–1833), who succeeded his father in Fredensborg Palace Gardens, Frederik Vilhelm (1794–1879), Jacob Henrik (1797–1885) and Johan Ludvig (1802–1886 ), who reissued his father's garden book. Mansa died in 1820 and was buried in Asminderød .

literature

sorted alphabetically by author

• Margarethe Floryan: Garden culture lessons . The publications by CCL Hirschfeld and JL Mansa in German, Danish and Russian . In: Die Gartenkunst  25 (1/2013), pp. 105–112.
• Axel Lange: Mansa, Johan Ludvig. In: Dansk Biografisk Leksikon , founded by Carl Frederik Bricka. Volume 15. Schultz, Copenhagen 1938, pp. 292-293.
• Åge Nicolaisen: Mansa, Johan Ludvig. In: Dansk biografisk leksikon , founded by Carl Frederik Bricka. 3. Edition. Volume 9. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1981, ISBN 87-01-77451-4 , p. 402.