The history of Bendeleben Palace Park

"This English garden has infinite charms. It consists of meadows, lawns, fountains, ponds, large pools, ragged little groves..."
(Travel report by Crown Prince Friedrich Karl von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in May 1775. He visited the Bendeleben park about 10 years after its completion.)

General Map of Bendeleben Palace Park
© blattwerk bremen

The origins of the palace park

In earlier times the splendid promenade lined by four rows of linden trees framed the view to Bad Frankenhausen. Once the new palace had been completed, the building stood at the end of the line of sight. The remaining aged trees were cleared after 1960.
(Photo prior to 1945)

The park lying in front of you is one of the first products in the transition from formal baroque gardens to landscaped gardens in Germany. In 2015 the park celebrated its 250th anniversary.

Privy Councilor Baron Johann Jacob von Uckermann (1718–1781) and his wife had the dilapidated Bendeleben manor torn down in 1765 to make room for the construction of a stately building in baroque style. In place of the original "deer garden", a 21-hectare palace park was laid out. An early form of the landscaped garden, the park retained some baroque design elements such as the linden-lined promenade and the Roman bath.

• 1765 - Johann Jacob von Uckermann had the park put in next to his estate.
• 1860 - Wilhelm von Krause, owner of the estate since 1849, had the new palace built.
• about 1920 - Wilhelm Hugo Ernst von Krause built a bathhouse, riding arena and tennis court.
• about 1930 - Alexandra von Arnim (adopted daughter of von Krause) established a seed breeding business.
• 1945 - The government expropriated the von Krause family from palace, park and seed breeding business
• 1960 -The old rows of linden trees were felled. A pond was put in at the front of the palace.
• seit 1990 - The von Arnim family returned to the estate. The new palace is a nursing home. The park remains public property.
• 2015 - The 250th anniversary of the palace park was celebrated in baroque style in Bendeleben.

Later uses

The old Uckermann dreamed of the New Palace, which you can see from here. It was built in 1860 by a subsequent owner, the businessman Wilhelm von Krause. In the 1920s his son Wilhelm Hugo Ernst von Krause had a tennis court and a riding arena built on the property.

New Palace, photo taken before 1900
(Photographer unknown).

Photos

Rider in front of the park wall, 1930s
(Photographer: Baron von Krause)

Wilhelm Hugo Ernst von Krause had a tennis court built.

The park was privately owned.
Visitors required a permit.

Park Rules

Preserved sandstone water basin near the tennis court.

Recreated promenade with four rows of linden trees.
Photo taken in front of New Palace in 2012
(Photographer: R. Stein)