Ochsenzwinger green space, Görlitz Redesign of the upper terrace

From the beginning of the 14th century, the town of Görlitz was surrounded by an imposing fortification system, a double ring of walls with bastions and gates secured by fortified towers. A remnant of this defensive wall remains in Görlitz on the Neisse.

In 1953 and 1954, the charming gardens in the Zwinger between the Nikolai Tower and St. Peter's Church were created according to plans by Henry Kraft, a garden architect of great merit from Görlitz, and in 1962 a second garden, the Ochsenzwinger, was built about 80 meters upstream.

The Nikolaizwinger was renovated from 1995 onwards, whereby the reconstruction of the grounds designed by Henry Kraft was dispensed with and the narrow terrain was given a new look, incorporating existing valuable trees and shrubs. The grounds are divided into several rooms, which include a perennial garden, a walled garden and a fountain terrace.



You enter the Ochsenzwinger through a gate and are surprised by a fountain terrace with a Baroque design. Four elaborate flowerbeds with ornaments made of cut chamomile and boxwood are framed by six fountain basins in which small fountains bubble. At the end of the fountain terrace, a staircase leads to the upper terrace. There, the pergola, overgrown with blue reeds, frames a courtyard space whose other decorative elements include a fountain, a perennial bed and potted plants. The design of this part of the complex was recognized with a certificate from the Association of German Landscape Architects in 2001. The part of the Ochsenzwinger complex adjoining the strictly formal fountain terrace to the south is landscaped and characterized by trees, shrubs and lawns.

AppreciationGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2001

Jury verdict: In one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, public open space is now also becoming a topic of urban renewal. Now that the redevelopment of the inner-city buildings is almost complete, the city is turning its attention to the open space.

The public space is to be given the same quality as the redeveloped buildings. The plaza honored here is likely to make the downtown attractive again as a place to live. The stylistic devices of a Mediterranean garden used are sensibly chosen on this south-east exposed slope.

It sets an example of the importance of open spaces for urban repair.