Baroque origins of the greenery of urban interiors in lower silesia and the border areas of the former neumark and lusatia

Abstract

The article is the first attempt to gather information on the beginnings of using green ele-ments in urban compositions in Lower Silesia and border areas, in the former Neumark and Lusatia. It presents Baroque urban arrangements with the use of green ground floors, tree espaliers and av-enues, from the earliest ones—occurring in the aftermath of the Thirty Years’ War—and the solu-tions applied in private municipalities in the Habsburg, Wettin, and Hohenzollern states, which were recovering from war damage, to urban developments at the end of that period, in the areas already under Prussian rule and its strict regulations. A comparison with the achievements of European urban planning in this field allows us to trace the paths of inspiration, but also to uncover some innovative achievements.