Court gardeners, architects, botanists and, of course, the princely commissioners themselves have all left their mark on the botanical gardens. Learn more about the history of the complex and its collections from the records displayed in the gatehouse.
The gatehouse.
Records on the history of the Karlsruhe Botanical Gardens were compiled in 2008, for its bicentennial celebration. In 1808, when Margrave Karl Friedrich von Baden had the complex built, he was already drawing on decades of Karlsruhe tradition in plant collecting. He continued this tradition, as did his successors. Historic plans: What did the gardens look like? What have we lost? There are also plaques in the green spaces highlighting interesting facts.
Over time, famous gardeners, botanists and designers made Karlsruhe the center of plant breeding. Christian Thran, Karlsruhe's first influential court gardener, collected plants for city founder Margrave Karl Wilhelm in Africa. Botanist Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter also worked and researched here in the mid-1760s. The 19th century saw many achievements: The first fully double dahlia and the Yucca x karlsruhensis were cultivated in the botanical gardens.
