Wilhelm Gottlieb Becker's publication "Der Plauische Grund" (1799) and his contribution to German garden historiography

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Marcus Köhler
• Subject Area: Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 448694461

The landscape garden in Germany went through a highly heterogeneous development for the first five decades (1750–1800), which in its complexity represents a rich field of research. The garden writer, publisher and curator Wilhelm Gottlieb Becker (1753–1813) and his exceptional work “Der Plauische Grund mit Hinsicht auf Naturgeschichte und schöne Gartenkunst” (1799) stand out from previous garden historiography: The publication, planned as a contribution to garden art, draws upon scientific disciplines such as geology, geodesy, mineralogy, botany and entomology to describe the landscape area of the same name - and thus treads paths of interdisciplinarity at a time when the respective subject areas are still in their infancy. It is all the more surprising that author und book have received little attention so far. However, the study of them not only provides an important snapshot of the transition from the early days of experimentation to a mature classic landscape garden, but also promises to illuminate the approaches that led to a new landscape aesthetic, which has been known as a “land embellishment” since the beginning of the 19th century.The main aim of the project is to critically analyze the reception and impact of the publication in question by investigating stylistic and historical aspects thus providing a contribution to the historiography of garden art.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants