Gestaltung, Ästhetik und Bedeutung der Mittelalterlichen Gärten Sowie Ihre Aktuelle Rezeption
The Formation, Aesthetics and Significance of Medieval Gardens and their Contemporary Reception

Summary/Abstract: This article attempts to highlight the qualities and values of the medieval garden. A garden is a composed and designed space, whose aesthetic qualities were also interpreted in a moral context. People ascribe a range of meanings to it, linking their lives and activities to the hortus. The character of this space and its components evoke specific feelings and reflections, and are deliberately shaped to achieve a sense of order and harmony. Garden utilitas does not exclude the possibility of experiencing venustas. This is reflected in the texts of medieval authors such as Walfrid Strabo, Albert the Great, and Peter Crescentinus. Contemporary reconstructions of ancient gardens, although faithful to or inspired by medieval texts and models, are interpreted in a completely different way by the modern viewer. A garden does not lose its meaning, but rather changes, expands, or directs it toward new qualities and cognitive values, which depend on the historical moment and cultural conditions.

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