Die Hängenden Gärten von Babylon

Among the seven ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon hold a special place - also because they are the only ones that left no traces behind. Even into modern times, it remains disputed whether the monumental terraced architecture ever existed. This has not diminished the fascination with the Hanging Gardens - quite the opposite. From antiquity to Karl Friedrich Schinkel, a history of tradition and imagination tells how each era created its own image of this archetype of garden art - and of its legendary creator, the Babylonian queen Semiramis. Alongside reconstruction fantasies, which reached their peak with Robert Koldewey's archaeological rediscovery of Babylon around 1900, numerous gardens since the Renaissance testify to the influence of the Hanging Gardens: the Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza, the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, the Kleine Eremitage in St. Petersburg, or Le Corbusier's rooftop gardens. In the spirit of sustainability and climate protection, a green hortitecture today renews the ancient promise of the Hanging Gardens: blooming nature amidst built urban architecture.