The Botanical Garden of the University of Würzburg: An old garden with a strong scientific background
Founded in 1696 as a medicinal garden (Hortus medicus) for a local hospital, the Botanical Garden of the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg was originally located in the city centre of Würzburg. In 1945, during the last weeks of World War II, it was almost completely destroyed by a bombing raid. This dramatic event and the city’s need of space for development in the 1950s necessitated a relocation of the Botanical Garden to its present site on the outskirts of Würzburg. This relocation took place from 1960 to 1968. A former clay pit and a vineyard in the southern part of Würzburg were used as grounds for the Botanical Garden as it presently exists. Today it covers a total area of about nine hectares, including 2,500 m² of greenhouse space.
North American prairie.
Guided tour in the tropical greenhouse.
The Botanical Garden was strongly influenced by the outstanding characters of its directors August Schenk (1856-1867), Julius von Sachs (1868-1897), Gregor Kraus (1898-1914), Hans Burgeff (1925-1958), Wilhelm Simonis (1958-1967), and Otto L. Lange (1967-1992).
The Botanical Garden is located in the direct neighborhood to three botanical research departments, forming the campus of the Julius von Sachs Institute for Biosciences. Currently, the Garden´s main purpose is to support research and teaching. In 2003 it became a central unit of the University. Seven of the Garden’s 15 glass houses are accessible to the public while eight are devoted to propagation and maintenance of the collections. From 2006 to 2008 the greenhouses with tropical and subtropical plants were technically modernized.
