The Botanical Garden

 

The Botanical Garden in Berlin-Dahlem is one of the largest and most distinguished of its kind in the world. Originally founded in 1899 for research purposes and opened to the public in 1904, today it combines science, education, and recreation: a living encyclopedia of the global plant kingdom. At its heart are 15 imposing display greenhouses where tropical, subtropical, and desert plants thrive. Particularly impressive is the Great Tropical House, one of the largest greenhouses in the world, featuring palm trees up to 25 meters tall and a giant bamboo that grows up to 30 centimeters a day. In addition to its plant diversity, the garden also impresses architecturally: the Art Nouveau greenhouses made of glass and steel are considered masterpieces. Visitors appreciate the Botanical Garden both as a research facility of Freie Universität and as a green oasis in the heart of the city.

1 - A WELWITSCHIA from the Namib Desert is one of the botanical sensations in Berlin. It can continue to grow throughout its entire life, live for over 1,000 years, and survive extreme drought in the wild thanks to its 30-meter-long roots. It is the only specimen in the world that produces seeds in a botanical garden.

2 - The leaves of the GIANT WATER LILY “VICTORIA” from the Amazon region reach a diameter of up to three meters and can support a person of light weight. The plant was named after Queen Victoria of Great Britain and is a major attraction in the Botanical Garden.

3 - The TITAN ARUM from Sumatra is the flower with the largest bloom in the world: it can grow to over three meters tall. Its intense rotten-meat odor attracts beetles, which provide pollination. Because it blooms only once every three to ten years, this is a rare spectacle.

4 - Botanist EVA POTZTAL (1924–2000) shaped the work of the Berlin Botanical Garden for decades. She oversaw the public collections as well as the herbarium holdings, thereby making a significant contribution to plant research. After World War II, she led the museum’s reconstruction.

5 - The brothers Alexander (1769–1859) and Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) are among Berlin’s most prominent scholars. Wilhelm was a linguist and the founder of the University of Berlin. Alexander traveled the world and brought groundbreaking insights into climate, geography, and natural relationships back to Berlin: The HUMBOLDT PENGUIN is named after him.

6 - Plant ecologist and professor LORE STEUBING (1922–2012) influenced generations of scientists. In 1969, she established the first Institute for Plant Ecology in the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin-Dahlem, authored seminal works on biological practice, and advised policymakers on environmental issues.

7 - The botanist KÄTHE VODERBERG (1910–1978) was a professor and director of the Institute of Botany at Humboldt University. Her work focused on cell biology and plant development. She promoted the training of young female scientists and advocated for women in research.

8 - The botanist and geneticist ELISABETH SCHIEMANN (1881–1972) conducted research in Berlin-Dahlem, including at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. She was one of the first women in Germany to earn a habilitation in botany. During the Nazi era, she courageously stood up against the discrimination of her Jewish colleagues.

9 - A group of WHISTLING FROGS (Eleutherodactylus coqui) lives in the Berlin Botanical Garden. In the evening, they begin their loud, characteristic whistling concert, which sounds like bird calls. These small frogs are native to Puerto Rico, and with a little luck, you can spot them during a visit to the Bromeliad House.

Did you know …
… that the Botanical Garden covers about 43 hectares? Over 20,000 plant species grow on its grounds: this makes it the largest botanical garden in Germany and the third-largest in the world.