General information
History of the Botanical Garden in Würzburg
The University of Würzburg has had a botanical garden since 1696. It emerged from the medicinal plant garden (Hortus medicus) of the Juliusspital in today's city centre and is now located on the southern outskirts of the city after its third relocation. In 1960, work began on the new garden on Mittlerer Dallenbergweg.
The Botanical Garden is a central facility of the University of Würzburg. It serves various sub-disciplines of botany and other institutions of the university as an important resource for research and teaching. It is open to the public.
The development of the Botanical Garden can be divided into 6 periods according to its spatial and structural changes, which will only be presented here in a brief overview.
1587
Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn promises the Faculty of Medicine a place to cultivate native and exotic plants just 5 years after the re-founding of his university (first founded in 1402).
1604
J. G. Stengel, the 'professor practicus' responsible for the 'practice' of medicine and also (Julius) hospital doctor, is commissioned by Prince-Bishop Julius to create a medicinal plant garden.
1690
An existing "Wündtering" (= wintering house) is extended. The "Neue Windterung" (approx. 200 m²) existed in the same size until at least 1715. This "Windterungsbau" was not only used to house the frost-sensitive potted plants (e.g. orange and cypress trees) common in princely gardens, but certainly also medicinal plants for the hospital pharmacy.
1696
FOUNDING DOCUMENT by Prince-Bishop Johann Gottfried II von Guttenberg (1684-1698):
"Prospect of the beautiful Julier Spithal in Würtzburg ..."
View across the Baroque garden to the façade of the north wing of the Juliusspital. At that time, the botanical garden was still on the right (west) behind the hedge-lined groves (bosquets), which may have been fruit trees.
The Old Botanical Garden was located in the present-day park of the Juliusspital (right) from 1696 to 1854.
For more details see:
Buschbom, U.: Die Entwicklung des Würzburger Botanischen Gartens. In: Vierhundert Jahre Universität Würzburg - Eine Festschrift, pp. 567-600, published on behalf of the Julius-Maximilians-Universität by P. Baumgart, Verlag Degener & Co., Neustadt a.d.Aisch, 1982.
or:
Buschbom, U.: Der Botanische Garten. In: Gärten und Grünanlagen in Würzburg - Ihre Entwicklung und Bedeutung, Eine Ausstellung des Staatsarchivs Würzburg und des Stadtarchivs Würzburg, p. 77-168. In: Exhibition catalogues of the Bavarian State Archives, published by the Directorate General of the Bavarian State Archives, No. 26, 1990
