The historic greenhouses of the Greifswald Botanic Garden (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany) – rescued in the nick of time

Abstract

The historic greenhouses of the University of Greifswald, built between 1884 and 1886 and covering an area of almost 300 m², are characterised by their riveted frame construction typical of the era. After almost 130 years of uninterrupted use, they were briefly on the brink of collapse in 2014 because damage caused by corrosion had reached a critical level. The State Monument Preservation Office campaigned strongly for the greenhouses, so that the university, with the support of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and other sponsors, was ultimately able to successfully carry out the restoration. The costs are expected to amount to around €4.3 million. The construction work undertaken on the tropical, palm and cycad houses guarantees that valuable plant collections will be preserved and that more extensive growth phenomena and ecological relationships can be demonstrated in the future.