II. - Schloss Schwetzingen

III.
Fig. 7: Johann Michael
Zeyher, 1809, “Plan von dem
Grosherzoglich Badischen
Schlossgarten zu Schwetzingen”,
engraving by E. Wolff
(Bayerische Verwaltung der
staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten
und Seen).
Fig. 8: Carl Hout, 1834, “Plan
des Großherzoglich Badischen
Schloß-Gartens Schwetzingen”,
lithograph by S. Bühler, Mannheim
(Bayerische Verwaltung
der staatlichen Schlösser,
Gärten und Seen).
136
III. Schwetzingen – Historical Context
Georg Rieger as a collaborator. 42 Both books
were reprinted several times. Earlier works
by Zeyher were an inventory of the trees and
shrubs to be found in the palace gardens of
Baden, at Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Schwet-
zingen, which was published in 1806, and
an inventory of the plants of Schwetzingen,
which appeared in 1809. 43
B. The Development of Individual Areas
B.1. The Circular Parterre
The circular parterre is derived largely from
Petri’s garden design of 1753 (cp. Fig. 2). In it,
the semicircle of the quarter-circle pavilions is
complemented by two quarter-circle “berceaux
en treillage”, i.e. latticework arbour walks, to
form a full circle. Parthenocissus quinquefolia
was trained up the latticework. The circular
42 Johann Michael Zeyher/Johann Georg Rieger, Schwetzingen
und seine Gartenanlagen, Mannheim 1826.
43 Verzeichnis sämmtlicher Bäume, Glas- und Treibhauspfl anzen
des Schwezinger-Gartens, ed. Johann Michael Zeyher 1809.
ground plan was divided up by a crossroads
with a circular fountain basin at the intersection,
surrounded by four scrolled parterres
(parterres de broderie). These are beds planted
in ornamental shapes reminiscent of elaborate
embroidery, outlined by low box hedges and
fi lled in with coloured gravel. The beds are
framed by knee-high box hedges, a style that
came into fashion in the mid-18th century and
replaced the earlier framing border.
The main axis, running east-west, is lined by
four “parterres à l’angloise”. These Petri laid
out as lawns with a central basin each, and
surrounded by fl owerbeds. Decorative paths
divided up the lawns. The framing fl owerbeds
were broken up, as it were, by scrolled patterns
inserted on the narrow sides, a feature
belonging to the latest gardening fashion. The
transverse axis running north-south, features
four lawns with obelisks at their centres,
surrounded by lawn beds planted with trees.
They are terminated at both ends by “allées en
portique”, latticework pergolas, the supports of
which are planted with trees.
The main axis is lined with two avenues of
lime trees; the transverse axis is laid out with
three avenues of lime trees. At the time, the
trees were no longer cut into geometric shapes;
the aim was rather to keep them looking
like natural if youthful trees, in accordance
with the late Baroque preference for a more
natural look.
Petri fi lled the wedges between the intersection
proper and its circular frame with
bosquets of fl owering shrubs; they are also
mentioned in his detailed plan of the water
feature in the exact centre (Fig. 10).
To the west, Petri extended the main axis
beyond the circular parterre. The entrance was
marked by a semicircular basin with waterspouting
stags. From this the water ran over a
sill and into a rectangular basin.
On the whole, Petri’s design, the composition
as well as the proportions, is consistent with
the rules laid down by contemporary theo-