Dessau und das Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich

Almost all the important voices of the time around 1800 praised Anhalt-Dessau. Prince Leopold Friedrich Franz had created a model state – drastically reduced military, lowered taxes, civic reform projects, exemplary landscape designs, minimized court maintenance, a fight against poverty, and a push for modernized trade and industry. A magnificent English garden and exemplary architectures were established. In short, a gigantic program of tolerance was brought to life. Dessau appears three times on the UNESCO World Heritage List: with the Garden Kingdom, the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, and the Bauhaus and its buildings. Starting from the main attractions of the Saxony-Anhalt city, this guide, with its abundance of current color photos and historical plans, leads through the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom and portrays a remarkable and unique cultural landscape. It vividly and culturally-historically describes the ongoing impact of realized Enlightenment visions by guiding visitors to the noteworthy places of their practical implementation. Here, the pedagogy was revolutionized at Basedow's model school "Philanthropin." Here, school sports and hiking were introduced. Here, Erdmannsdorff created buildings of continental classicism, and the style pluralist Franz also brought Gothic Revival here. With the "General Bookstore of Scholars," the "Chalcographic Society," and a changed appreciation for actors, art promotion has been practiced here without comparison, as well as a tolerant coexistence of nations, religions, and social classes. Following all these exemplary initiatives, which continue to have an impact to this day, on-site is an extremely stimulating experience. This fact-rich guide is both an invitation to explore and a helpful companion along the way.