Life of a Samurai Metaphor – The Turbulent History of the Japanese Garden in Wrocław
Agnieszka PAWNIK
Stones, water and plants – everything in a Japanese garden is meticulously arranged, with each element contributing to a perfectly composed whole that evolves with the seasons, weather and even the perspective of the viewer, whether sitting, standing or walking. There are few Japanese gardens in Poland, but the most famous and distinctive one in Europe is located in Szczytnicki Park in Wrocław.
.Traditional Japanese gardens recreate natural landscapes in the spirit of the wabi-sabi philosophy, which symbolises modesty, simplicity and the beauty of ageing. The vegetation has both utilitarian and medicinal properties, while the ‘male’ and ‘female’ water cascades create harmonious sounds that change depending on where the visitor stands. Everything has a symbolic meaning.
The Forgotten Vision of Count Fritz
.The creation of the Japanese garden was suggested to the Breslau authorities by Count Fritz von Hochberg, a passionate enthusiast of Japanese culture. At the time, preparations were underway for the Centennial Exhibition commemorating the victory over Napoleon, so the idea found fertile ground. It was also significant that the eccentric traveller and arts patron had previously established a similar park with Oriental elements on his family estate in Iłowa.
The location chosen for the Japanese garden in Breslau was no coincidence. Szczytnicki Park was already one of the city’s largest parks, and it still showcases plantings in various styles –Baroque, Romantic, Neo-Romantic and English. The Centennial Hall, located in the southern part of the park, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 2006, adding to its unique value.
Between 1909 and 1913, the garden was developed under the guidance of Mankichi Arai, a master of Japanese garden design. The climate of Breslau required great creativity from the creators; they had to devise an irrigation system and a boiler house to heat water for certain species. The garden was first opened to visitors in May 1913, captivating them with its originality as the only Oriental feature at the Centennial Exhibition.
Although it was initially well received, the garden languished soon after the exhibition. It lost some of its Japanese elements, and maintenance ceased altogether. The devastation was further compounded by the Second World War. In the 1960s, however, the vision of the designers from half a century prior was revived by Wrocław’s enthusiastic gardeners. Social efforts commenced to restore it, and in 1974, plans for a more extensive reconstruction began when the pond was once again filled with water.
Reconstruction and Destruction
.In 1994, preparations began for the 46th International Eucharistic Congress, scheduled to take place in Wrocław at the turn of May and June 1997, for the first and only time to be held in Poland. The event culminated in a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. During this time, many monuments in the city were renovated, including the Japanese memorial in Szczytnicki Park. At the request of the city authorities, the Japanese Ambassador to Poland commissioned Professor Ikuo Nishikawa from Tokyo to restore the garden. According to a vegetation analysis conducted at the time, the Wrocław garden boasted 26 species endemic to Japan and 28 species from Japan and the East Asian region.
The collaboration between Polish and Japanese gardeners successfully restored the garden’s authenticity and atmosphere. Unfortunately, this revival was short-lived, as just two months later, Wrocław experienced the millennium flood, which submerged the newly renovated garden for nearly three weeks.
Although a two-year restoration commenced once the waters receded, the flood permanently altered the landscape. For instance, the yew trees leading to the arch bridge were destroyed. During the restoration, gardeners from the city of Nagoya planted the area with flowering wisteria to convey the bridge’s message – a path to paradise through the trials of mortality. Fortunately, some plants from the original garden have survived and continue to delight visitors to this day. The one-and-a-half-hectare garden is home to around 200 species of trees and shrubs, including nearly 100 from the Far East and 38 from Japan. Majestic oaks, yews, palm trees, holly, rhododendrons and azaleas are just some of the species we can admire.
Red-White Friendship
.Symbolically, the Japanese Garden in Wrocław reflects the life of a Japanese samurai. Entering through the Sukiya-mon main gate, we cross a bridge with the Yumedono Bashi viewing pavilion and arrive at a crossroads. A path along the edge of the pond leads from the gentle cascade of Onna-daki to the powerful cascade of Otoko-daki. The second path, leading over the Taiko Bashi arch bridge, takes you to the Azumaya tea pavilion.
Japanese gardens aim to replicate nature without embellishment or appropriation. Evidence of human intervention should be minimal – garden tending is considered a form of meditation. ‘Learn from nature, but do not imitate it,’ was the advice given to gardeners, as found in records from the 11th century.
In Wrocław, efforts have been made to uphold this philosophy, although the present garden does not fully resemble the one created over a century ago. The shoreline of the large pond, which is the focal point of the garden, incorporates, among other things, the Japanese concept meaning ‘white and red’ (haku-koen). It refers to the Polish and Japanese national colours and symbolises the efforts made to rebuild and revitalise the site. As is customary in Japanese gardens, koi carp – believed in Chinese tradition to possess the potential to transform into dragons – swim in the pond. Additionally, traditional Japanese lanterns and ritual hand-washing basins from the 18th and 19th centuries, which once graced other decommissioned gardens, have been relocated to the Wrocław garden, allowing the spirits of those places to find a new home. Furthermore, the Wrocław garden now houses traditional Japanese lanterns and ritual hand-washing basins from the 18th and 19th centuries, previously found in different gardens. According to beliefs, the spirits of those places have thus found a new home in Wrocław.
