DOI Heft:
No. 178 (January, 1908)
DOI Artikel:Deubner, L.: Professor Läuger's gardens at Mannheim
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20776#0331
Prof. L'atLger s Gardens at Mannheim
GARDEN AT MANNHEIM EXHIBITION DESIGNED BY PROF. MAX I .AUGER
PROFESSOR LAUGER'S GAR- beds in " Jugend-Stil," and, instead of repeating
DENS AT MANNHEIM. once more the eternal star pattern, allows the noto-
rious " Belgian line " to disturb the wonted order-
A strange fact in connection with the liness of his beds. But it never enters his head
modern movement in German arts and crafts is that that this sort of thing only proves how irrational and
it has been brought about by rank outsiders, who incapable of understanding the deeper meaning of
so far from receiving the support of those engaged the movement he is when he sets himself against
in the various trades, have encountered, and still en- these endeavours to put an end to unnatural,
counter, the strongest opposition from those quarters. ridiculous imitation. He swears by the naturalistic
If we are able now to speak of German " Kunst- garden. How ludicrous is the idea of trying to
gewerbe," we owe it entirely to a small group of imitate an endless stretch of landscape in a small
sculptors and painters who perceived what the need confined space does not occur to him, and the con-
of our age was, and with the impetuous enthusiasm tention that house and garden should be treated
of youthful world-reformers took the field against as parts of a coherent whole seems to him absurd,
deceptions and senseless imitations of all kinds. Often indeed it looks very much as though the
And now after the lapse of a few years the same gardener, with his tortuous paths running this way
thing is taking place in regard to garden design, and that way, had taken pains to avoid contact with
and here, too, it is the painters and architects who the house wherever possible, as if wishing to
demand an abandonment of the usages hitherto in proclaim that house and garden are separate and
vogue and call for an arrangement of the garden at distinct. That the peculiarities of the site may
once more rational and in accordance with the call for study, and that the form of the garden may
spirit of the times. Again, too, are the reformers depend on the position of the house to which it is
vigorously assailed by the professional specialists an adjunct—such obvious considerations as these he
as presumptuous, officious disturbers of the peace. fails to grasp, and that is why he rises up in arms
The average gardener of the present day does, against those who wish to bring about a change,
indeed, claim to be " modern " and to go with the In years gone by the early pioneers in the arts
times when he plans his much-loved carpet flower- and crafts, after overcoming untold difficulties, had
297
GARDEN AT MANNHEIM EXHIBITION DESIGNED BY PROF. MAX I .AUGER
PROFESSOR LAUGER'S GAR- beds in " Jugend-Stil," and, instead of repeating
DENS AT MANNHEIM. once more the eternal star pattern, allows the noto-
rious " Belgian line " to disturb the wonted order-
A strange fact in connection with the liness of his beds. But it never enters his head
modern movement in German arts and crafts is that that this sort of thing only proves how irrational and
it has been brought about by rank outsiders, who incapable of understanding the deeper meaning of
so far from receiving the support of those engaged the movement he is when he sets himself against
in the various trades, have encountered, and still en- these endeavours to put an end to unnatural,
counter, the strongest opposition from those quarters. ridiculous imitation. He swears by the naturalistic
If we are able now to speak of German " Kunst- garden. How ludicrous is the idea of trying to
gewerbe," we owe it entirely to a small group of imitate an endless stretch of landscape in a small
sculptors and painters who perceived what the need confined space does not occur to him, and the con-
of our age was, and with the impetuous enthusiasm tention that house and garden should be treated
of youthful world-reformers took the field against as parts of a coherent whole seems to him absurd,
deceptions and senseless imitations of all kinds. Often indeed it looks very much as though the
And now after the lapse of a few years the same gardener, with his tortuous paths running this way
thing is taking place in regard to garden design, and that way, had taken pains to avoid contact with
and here, too, it is the painters and architects who the house wherever possible, as if wishing to
demand an abandonment of the usages hitherto in proclaim that house and garden are separate and
vogue and call for an arrangement of the garden at distinct. That the peculiarities of the site may
once more rational and in accordance with the call for study, and that the form of the garden may
spirit of the times. Again, too, are the reformers depend on the position of the house to which it is
vigorously assailed by the professional specialists an adjunct—such obvious considerations as these he
as presumptuous, officious disturbers of the peace. fails to grasp, and that is why he rises up in arms
The average gardener of the present day does, against those who wish to bring about a change,
indeed, claim to be " modern " and to go with the In years gone by the early pioneers in the arts
times when he plans his much-loved carpet flower- and crafts, after overcoming untold difficulties, had
297