Botanischer Garten Frankfurt

The Frankfurt Botanical Garden can look back on a long history (see overview of the chronology), which is summarized below based on MÖBIUS 1903 et 1937 and EGLE & ROSENSTOCK 1966. It began in 1763 with the SENCKENBERGs Foundation. The founder intended to support medical science in the first place. The approximately one hectare site was located between today's Stiftstrasse and Bleichstrasse at the Eschenheimer Tower. SENCKENBERG even planned the first botanical garden modeled after the LINNÉ rule garden in Uppsala. The garden was probably completed in 1774, long after the donor's death. Its main task was to be available to medicine as “hortus medicus”. Therefore, for the first hundred years, medical doctors were in charge. In addition, there was a trained gardener who took care of the practical issues. In 1867 a botanist was given responsibility for the first time. The medicinal plants were arranged according to the Linnaeus system. Over time, the number of existing plants increased steadily, so that in 1903 there were more than 4000 species. In the course of time, the Botanical Garden had to accept repeated losses in terms of land due to the construction of various buildings and the expansion of the community hospital. After all, it was only 7000 m² in size. Due to the resulting lack of space and, above all, due to the increased air pollution in the urban area, which made it more and more difficult to care for the plants, relocation of the botanical garden became more and more urgent towards the end of the 19th century.