Die Aufgaben eines Botanischen Gartens im Wandel der Zeiten

Abstract

The origin of the botanical gardens is shown with the help of an outline of a history of  culture. The development of gardens from the 16th to the 19th century can be viewed  alongside the different periods of global discovery and research travels, and the influx  of plants. Coupled with the rapid development of natural science this, at first, bought  about a growth, in and of, botanical gardens. Already by the beginning of the 20th century. however, a seperation took place between the development of botanical gardens  and their motivating force, botanical science. An ever stronger change of direction towards microbiology and other subdisciplines, as well as grave changes in administration led finally to botanical gardens fading from public awareness. It was not until the  more and more obvious oncoming environmental destruction and the resulting increasing awareness of ecological topics that the botanical gardens added to their  “traditional” tasks of teaching and research and the extension and preservation of collections. The new tasks being public relation work and preservation of species.