Rose Garden, Coburg
The Rose Garden (German: Rosengarten) is a park in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany, located between the Ketschentor (town gate) and the Angerturnhalle (gymnasium). Orginally it was a field called the Zollbauernwiese. The city of Coburg bought it in 1846. In 1906, the Sintflutbrunnen ("deluge fountain") was built by Ferdinand Lepcke at the south side of the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden reached the peak of its popularity in 1929, when the "German Rose Revue" took place and attracted 200.000 visitors. The Rose Garden is place for the citizens to relax, as it has been in the past.
Reconstruction
The Rose Garden was significantly adapted in the 1960s, when the Congress Centre was built in the 1960s at the north of the park. The park was opened up and a big lawn was laid in the middle of the park. The garden lost its special charm and the citizens were not pleased, by the radical reconstruction and loss of many historical details. Between 1987 and 1988 the Rose Garden was redeveloped again, and this time more emphasis was made on a natural and free concept, giving the garden a new identity. There are over 72 types of roses in the park. A palm-house and some biotopes were also built.
Recreation centre
Since 1998, the Rose Garden has been an inner-city recreation centre. Despite its location being near streets, noise levels are low, and the appearance of the park has improved as the plants have grown. The big lawns are used in the summer for picnics. Adimission to the Rose Garden is is free. A annual festival has been held in the Rose Garden since 2007.(The "Sintflutbrunnenfest").
Commemoratives plaques
There are two plaques in the Rose Garden, one commemorating Johann Strauss, who married in the town hall of Coburg and he lived in Coburg until he died. The house where he worked and lived was in the Alexandrinenstraße until 1988. The other plaque commemorates Julius Popp, one of the creators of the rose garden.
Palmhouse
The palmhouse is at the south of the Rose Garden beside the fountain. It was opened on 10 March 1984 and has an area of 255 square metres. The building (20x15m) made up of two parts: thevestibule and the main building. There are various types of orchids, bamboo, cactus and even birds. The house is open year-round and admission is free.
Congress Centre
Coburg's Congress Center is in the north of the Rose Garden. The building, completed in 1962, is a made of glass and iron and has plenty of light. The centre has two big halls for congresses for up to 1100 people and other rooms for conferences. The centre also has a restaurant with a great patio affording panoramic views of the Rose Garden in summer.
Plans
The future of the Rose Garden and the Congress Centre is uncertain. The new concept for the city centre (Neues Innenstadt Konzept) plans a radical reconstruction of the garden and the demolition of the Congress Centre. The fountain is to be moved to the north of the Rose Garden. When and whether these plans are to be realized has not been decided. In May 2008, an architectural contest closed.
