3. - Schlösser-Magazin

3. not
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3. Justification for Inscription
only to the uncommon concentration
of original features but also to the strict
adherence to historical sources, especially as
regards the care and rejuvenation of plantings.
Expert maintenance on site is ensured by
a state-owned gardening company, which
also guarantees the passing on of gardening
expertise. Maintenance of the garden is
thus an excellent example of the practical
application of Articles 10-12 of the “Florence
Charter” which stresses the importance of
a continuous, careful maintenance of the
historic garden.
4. Documentation:
As proved impressively by the detailed
inspection report of 1795, today in the
archives of the “Generallandesarchiv”
in Karlsruhe, there is a long tradition at
Schwetzingen to document and analyse
garden conditions and to preserve the
garden’s authenticity for the future by longterm
planning for its care and maintenance.
The park management plan drawn up in
1970, and still valid in its basic points, was
largely the work of Christian Bauer, Director
of State Gardens in Munich, and was one of
the first in all of Germany. It was updated
in 2006 by Hubert Wertz, and brought up to
date methodically – the first update of a park
management plan in Germany.
The text and image documents used in
the park management plan and building
management plan are also being made
available to the public. The “Garden
Documentation” exhibition in the south
quarter-circle pavilion familiarizes the public
with the garden’s history, the exhibition of
historical implements in the former building
materials repository with its care and
maintenance. The “Museum of town history”
in the Karl-Wörn-Haus documents the history
of Schwetzingen from the town’s point of
view, without neglecting the palace and
garden. This approach is in accordance with
Article 16 of the “Venice Charter”.
5. Cultivation of cultural traditions:
Last but not least the site’s authenticity is
preserved by a careful cultivation of the
immaterial values associated with the cultural
heritage that is the summer residence of
Schwetzingen. The revitalization of the town
by the annual festival of music organized
by the “Südwestrundfunk” radio station is
exemplary in this respect: On the one hand,
the repertory of music written and performed
in 18th-century Schwetzingen is cultivated; on
the other, the promoting of young artists and
premièring of contemporary operas continues
the programme established by Carl Theodor.
The examples cited are meant to show that at
Schwetzingen a high degree of authenticity
in accordance with the “Nara Document”
(ICOMOS 1994) is ensured. With this
authenticity comes the awareness that the
material and immaterial riches created in the
second half of the 18th-century, and passed
on through the entire 19th and 20th-centuries,
are inextricably linked. The nomination for
inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage
List gives voice to the determination of all
parties to faithfully preserve and care for this
cultural legacy in the future too.