Schwetzingen - Schlösser-Magazin

VI.
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).
186
VI. Schwetzingen – Historical Context
but nevertheless, a commission of experts
had come to Schwetzingen for the purpose
of inspecting the buildings and garden. 38
The record shows that the flowers and the
orangery plants were much reduced, and
so was the degree of maintenance, but the
gardens were still being cared for.
Pigage died in 1796, and Sckell succeeded him
as building and garden director. In 1803, those
parts of the Palatinate situated on the east
bank of the Rhine (rechtsrheinische Kurpfalz),
including Schwetzingen, became part of the
Grand Duchy of Baden. Sckell continued at
Schwetzingen until 1804, working for Grand
Duke Carl Friedrich von Baden 39 . Then Carl
Theodor’s successor, Elector Maximilian
Joseph, summoned him to Munich and made
him court garden supervisor for all of Bavaria.
38 GLA 221/46 Protocollum Commissionale of 1795.
39 Carl Friedrich von Baden, 1728-1811, fom 1746 Margrave, from
1803 Prince Elector, from 1806 Grand Duke.
His post at Schwetzingen was given to Johann
Michael Zeyher. 40
The plans of the palace garden drawn up
in Zeyher’s time, reveal a strong tendency
to “allow things to grow”, due in part to the
reduced degree of maintenance, but also
indicative of a stated preference for a more
natural appearance. Zeyher also remodeled
parts of the garden in accordance with this
attitude. From 1804 onwards, he planted
an arboretum on the site of the former
menagerie, converted the sea horse garden
into a landscaped area (cp. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7)
and turned the great basin into a naturallooking
pond (cp. Fig. 8). In 1834/35 the court
of honour, until then just an open space for
the reception of visitors’ coaches, received two
large oval beds (cp. Fig. 9). They consisted
mostly of lawn, but they were bordered with
lilac trees and enclosed oval flowerbeds,
probably planted with roses.
Zeyher was also active as an author; in
1809, he collaborated with Georg Roemer
to publish a guidebook to the gardens of
Schwetzingen. 41 This was followed by another
guidebook, published in 1826, this time with
Johann 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 Schwetzingen, 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
40 Johann Michael Zeyher, 1770-1843, grand ducal court gardener,
garden director in Schwetzingen.
41 Johann Michael Zeyher/Georg Christian Roemer, Beschreibung
der Gartenanlagen zu Schwetzingen, Mannheim 1809.
42 Johann Michael Zeyher/Johann Georg Rieger, Schwetzingen
und seine Gartenanlagen, Mannheim 1826.
43 Verzeichnis sämmtlicher Bäume, Glas- und Treibhauspflanzen
des Schwezinger-Gartens, ed. Johann Michael Zeyher 1809.