After successful completion of the course, students are able to describe the main lines of development of European garden and landscape architecture according to their characteristic features and to consider current issues such as urban wilderness as a cultural context.

The course explores the cultural-historical dimension of a current discussion about wilderness. This is done both chronologically and typologically in the first part of the course on garden art. The focus is therefore on periods and cultural trends in which motifs of wilderness are very present in the conception and design of gardens, such as Mannerism or Romanticism. In addition, images and features , such as the forest, glade, mountain, cave, hermitage or ruin are analysed with regard to their meaning and genesis using classical examples of garden art. As a transition to the second block, namely the student research/seminar work on the historical development of open spaces in their home communities since modernism, a colleague from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Dr. Brenda Zoderer, will present her current research on urban wilderness for discussion.

On the one hand, lecture, reflection and discussion in the first block of the course and, on the other hand, a study of the open space situation in the students' home communities in three time periods (grandparents, parents, students) with a view to the open space types and motives discussed.

Parts of the course will also take place online (via zoom). This will be arranged with other organizational details in the first lesson.

Presentation 

and

paper: Description and analysis of the open spaces in the home community in the years 1920, 1970 and 2020 with regard to location, function, use, character of nature