During the week of Pentecost (10–14 June 2025), the Institute of Landscape Architecture at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) conducted the first of two intensive “Compact Courses in Garden Heritage Conservation”, offering a professionally relevant introduction to both the theory and practice of preserving historic gardens.
Over the course of five days, Prof. Dr Inken Formann and Prof. Dr Michael Rohde guided 17 students through all core aspects of heritage methodology, structured around the central question: What makes a garden a monument, and what are the responsibilities of landscape architects in the context of garden heritage? Exercises and discussions placed particular emphasis on active, self-directed learning. To this end, the seminar group worked not only within the Institute but also in its immediate surroundings: the faculty gardens, the Georgengarten, and the Great Garden of Hannover-Herrenhausen.
The aim of the course was to understand garden heritage conservation through direct engagement with the site and to integrate it into the participants’ own field of experience. Herrenhausen, with its dense concentration of green cultural heritage sites, offers ideal conditions for this approach. Both instructors also bring extensive professional experience: Formann served as director of the parks and gardens of the Hessian State Palaces administration until 2023, while Rohde was for many years garden director of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg and is supporting teaching for future landscape architects this year.
Entering History: Assessing, Analysing, and Acting as in Professional Practice
On the first day, the well-known grass pyramids in front of the Institute building – referencing designs by the Swiss landscape architect Ernst Cramer (1898–1980) – were examined and analysed. Planning tasks and conservation challenges in the Georgengarten were the focus of the second day. Rohde explained heritage methodology using the Park Care Plan for the Georgengarten (three volumes, 1987–1991), which he had developed as a former LUH staff member together with landscape architect Ruprecht Dröge (principal contractor). Additional scholarly input was provided by architectural historian Prof. Dr Markus Jager, who contributed insights into the architectural history research on the Laves bridges in the Georgengarten and along the Graft.
Using the Staudenhof at Herrenhäuser Straße 2 as a case study, students worked in groups on the following day to develop a conservation objective. They established foundational data, conducted a site survey, examined the garden’s history, and subsequently formulated exemplary evaluation criteria and conservation measures. Karin Degenhardt and Sebastian Schwinge, both landscape architects at the Herrenhausen Gardens, supported the course with their expertise on the Great Garden and provided information on current conservation projects, including the restoration of the Orangery Courtyard and the Garden Theatre to their respective Baroque states.
Communicating the Value of Historic Gardens
Alongside historical perspectives, a strong focus was placed on future-oriented questions. Why are historic gardens professionally restored as part of a societal mandate? Why is it worthwhile to maintain labour-intensive seasonal flower beds? How is public interest defined? What opportunities and responsibilities accompany designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? What professional fields exist in garden heritage conservation, and which competencies are required?
Questions such as these were repeatedly discussed with the instructors, who drew on a wide range of examples from their professional experience. In this way, students developed a foundational understanding of garden heritage conservation and acquired robust arguments that they can carry into their future professional practice, enabling them to advocate for the broad spectrum of values embodied by historic gardens.
The compact seminar will be offered again with the same teaching team from 18–22 August 2025. Currently, 5 of the 20 available places remain open. Interested students are invited to contact Prof. Dr Inken Formann or research associate Michel Eckert in the Teaching and Research Area of the History of Landscape Architecture and Garden Heritage Conservation. Late registration is possible until 10 August 2025.
Text: Genia Wackerhahn
