UPWr scientists: royal gardener designed the Książ Castle Gardens

• An avenue of trees and a park promenade – two elements of the former garden and park composition
  
• Książ as a model park. Two strategies for the revaluation of the terraces have been developed
  
• From design to implementation: changes on the Daisy Terrace and plans for the Entrance Terrace

Thanks to the collaboration between Książ Castle in Wałbrzych and the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław, more information about the history of the garden and park complex in Książ is coming to light. – We have established that the gardens in Książ in the 1870s were designed by Eduard Neide, the director of the Royal Gardens Tiergarten in Berlin. He is known not only for his projects for the Tiergarten Park in Berlin but also as the designer of the gardens in Albrechtsberg in Dresden and urban areas in Hamburg – explains Dr. Justyna Jaworek-Jakubska from the Department of Landscape Architecture at UPWr.

Avenue of Trees and Park Promenade

The new arrangement of the terraced gardens in Książ was commissioned by Prince Hans Heinrich XI von Hochberg-Pless, who initiated an extensive reconstruction of the castle and gardens along with their surroundings. "The final effect of the transformations is known only through numerous photographs from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as currently, little remains of the gardens designed by the Berlin designer," adds the UPWr researcher. She explains that between 1909-1923, the terraces were completely transformed as part of the grand expansion of the castle complex.

To this day, two exceptionally valuable elements from Eduard Neide's former garden and park composition have been preserved. On the Chestnut Terrace, we can see a characteristic avenue of trees, consisting of chestnuts, which according to Dr. Robert Sobolewski from the Department of Landscape Architecture at UPWr, are the oldest trees on the garden terraces. The second element is a park promenade, once called "Kunststrasse," connecting the Forecastle with the Lubiechowa Gate. The promenade was considered a "masterpiece of landscape gardening." Scenically integrated into the slopes of the Pełcznica Valley, it offered changing views of Książ Castle and the valley. It's a well-known tourist route, winding among rhododendrons, leading to a viewpoint known as the Giant's Grave.

Książ as a model park

The collaboration between UPWr scientists and Książ Castle began in 2018, initiated by Anna Żabska, the president of Książ Castle in Wałbrzych, and Prof. Anna Chełmońska-Soyta, the vice-rector for international affairs.

– During this time, two strategies regarding the directions for the revaluation of the garden terraces and the park complex in Książ were developed. Starting the collaboration, we were primarily focused on developing a new, more integrated approach to managing the historic garden in Książ – explains Dr. Justyna Jaworek-Jakubska, the project coordinator.

The project was carried out with the participation of an interdisciplinary team of UPWr scientists and employees of Książ Castle in Wałbrzych. Right from the start, it was agreed that the end product would not only be a classic study document, serving as a starting point for future revaluation projects, but also an integrated database about the monument, supporting current and long-term management of the site. Therefore, the project was implemented in two modules.

The first one included historical and conservation research, whose main goal was to assess the state of preservation and indicate possible directions for the protection and revaluation of the garden and park complex.

The second module involved preparing a spatial data inventory using photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning methods, as well as creating a spatial 2D and 3D database for the garden terraces at the castle.

"As a result, a modern tool for the employees of Książ Castle was created for integrated garden management," notes Dr. Przemysław Tymków, task manager and team leader from the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics and the Center for Resources and Educational Support (Marta Lewińska, Piotr Królik, Dr. Paweł Jarzembowski, and Adam Pałęcki).

From design to implementation

The strategy jointly developed by UPWr and Książ Castle has been incorporated into current gardening work and included in subsequent revaluation projects. Although all actions are still in the implementation phase, the first applications can already be noticed. Over the past year, visitors have observed changes on the Daisy Terrace – the historical appearance of the terrace is gradually being restored. Decorative flower beds have been replaced with smooth lawn surfaces, and at the end of last year, two tulip trees were planted in their historical locations.

Shortly, a comprehensive revitalization of the park pond and the long-awaited revaluation of the Entrance Terrace are planned, made possible by unique photographs from the 1930s provided by Mateusz Mykytyszyn, the president of the Duchess Daisy von Pless Foundation.

Not only projects but also current activities are the subject of cooperation between UPWr and Książ Castle. A new approach to park maintenance has been developed. For several years, a greater presence of flowering plants has been observed in the park's undergrowth and lawns. This is the result of conscious zoning of the park – restoring park meadows and regenerating the park's undergrowth.

– This is just the beginning of the planned actions. We all realize that this will be a process that will take years. We are pleased that our knowledge of the gardens in Książ is more complete, and access to it is easier, which greatly facilitates our conservation and design decisions – says Kamil Cieliński, Head of Development and Manager of Książ Greenery.
 

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