The Kabinettsgarten is a small

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

on the eastern side of the

royal residence A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whic ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. The Kabinettsgarten adjoins the ''Allerheiligen-Hofkirche''.

History

In the mid-19th century, the courtyard was built on the eastern edge of the residence, which was surrounded by a wall and could only be entered through a narrow opening. Originally a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

stood in the middle of the lawn, which was bordered by four

linden trees ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain and Ireland they ...

along the courtyard wall and a wooden pergola. In the 20th century, the garden became overgrown and was used as a vegetable garden or as a chicken farm. In 2002, the Bavarian Ministry of Finance decided that the garden be redesigned by the landscape architect Peter Kluska. The construction lasted from October 2002 to June 2003, and its costs are stated to be 437,000 Euros.

Layout

The small garden of 1000 m² fills a niche in the building gable of the residence. It is accessible to the general public from ''Marstallplatz''. In addition, a newly created outside staircase leads from the inside of the residence to the garden. It can be reached from events at the ''Allerheiligen-Hofkirche'', the foyer of the

Cuvilliés Theatre The Cuvilliés Theatre (german: link=no, Cuvilliés-Theater) or Old Residence Theatre (''Altes Residenztheater'') is the former court theatre of the Residenz in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. History Elector of Bavaria Maximilian III Joseph (reg ...

and the ''Brunnenhof''. Through the narrow entrance, visitors are led to a small square with a sculpture by the sculptor Fritz Koenig. The subsequent middle ground is bounded by shallow water surfaces with geometric mosaics, which are in turn edged by narrow strips of grass. At the opposite end is again a small square with a round, low fountain lined with four

plane trees ''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except f ...

whose crowns are cut to grow together into a common roof. At the edges of the garden are side paths, so you can walk around the entire area. All around are benches where visitors can settle. Floor slabs, steps and stone blocks are of very light

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and loosen up the warm earth tones of the facades. The shallow pools have a dark base made of ortho

gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...

, which are divided by white stripes of glass stones. In them, a regular pattern of red and green glass surfaces is incorporated. Water and light give movement to the patterns. The garden was honored at the ''Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekturpreis'' 2005 (German Landscape Architecture Award) and was nominated for the DBA Prize 2006. It is described as a "little gem" that conveys a "serene atmosphere" and "enchanting mood." Kabinettsgarten-Residenz-München-Nacht

References

External links

Official website Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes

Kabinettsgarten in the Munich Residenz
{{coord, 48.1407, 11.5800, type:landmark_region:DE, display=title Munich Residenz Gardens in Bavaria Buildings and structures in Munich Historicist architecture in Munich Tourist attractions in Munich Parks and open spaces in Munich