Rieterpark
The Rieterpark is belonging to the Villa Wesendonck 1855 scale park in the Enge in Zurich, the first, and later was owned by the Rieter family owned the Wesendonck family. The park is the largest and largely original preserved landscape park of the 19th century in Zurich and now a public park in the city of Zurich.
History
Family Wesendonck ( 1855-1871 )
Middle of the 19th century, bought the German merchant Otto Wesendonck a large piece of land on the Gabler, a hill in the then independent municipality Enge near Zurich. Due to the well-known architect Leonhard Zeugheer he left a mansion, the Villa Wesendonck and by the art gardener Theodor Froebel design the associated parkland. This system then he moved with his wife Mathilde.
As a great patron of the arts, the Wesendonck granted in 1849 Richard Wagner their hospitality. Wagner had to leave Germany because of his participation in the liberal revolution of March. He could live in a made-up especially for him house opposite the Villa Wesendonck. This modest half-timbered house dating from 1850 had bought at an inflated price to prevent the plans of the psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger, who had bought the building in 1856 order to set up a Psychiatric Hospital Otto Wesendonck.
Mathilde Wesendonck became Wagner's lover and Wagner wrote therefore in Zurich his Wesendonck Lieder. 1858 ended both the Wagner affair with Mathilde Wesendonck and the marriage with his wife Minna and fled from Zurich. 1871 sold the Wesendoncks finally the created of them by now, " the green hill " called conditioning and traveled back to Germany.
Family Rieter (1871 to 1945)
1871 bought the industrial family from Winterthur Rieter the entire property. The plant was expanded to include the Park-Villa Rieter. After the death of Adolf Rieter Rotpletz (1882 ), his son Fritz Rieter let the old half-timbered house by Alfred Friedrich Bluntschli to Villa Schönberg and rebuild so that his widowed mother Henriette Elisabeth Bodmer Pestalozzi could live there. At the same time built Bluntschli, who later designed the nearby Church Close, Villa Rieter, 1912 the German Emperor Wilhelm II, housed in the Bertha - Rieter Bodmer few days as a guest.
The Rieter family was finally also the namesake for today's Rieterpark and Rietberg. Also on behalf of Fritz Rieter 1887 farm buildings and the orangery was created by Adolf Brunner.
City of Zurich (1945 to present)
1945 bought the Zurich city after a plebiscite to 68,000 m² large Rieterpark and the Villa Wesendonck for 2.9 million Swiss francs by the family Rieter. The villa Schoenberg remained until 1970 owned by the family. For the first time this park was now so open to the public.
By a popular decision in 1949 the reconstruction of the Villa Wesendonck and their use was defined as a museum for non-European culture. Foundation made the donation of Baron Eduard von der Heydt to the city of Zurich, who was presented with the opening of the Museum Rietberg from 1952 ( and from 2007 with a new extension ) to the public.
As the community of heirs of Rieter family in 1970, Villa Schönberg sold and this was threatened by demolition, she bought the Zurich city in 1976 and made the whole ensemble ( Rieterpark, Villa Wesendonck, Villa Rieter and Villa Schönberg) under monument protection. 1978 could then be opened, part of the Museum Rietberg mountain in Villa Schönberg.
Park
The park is oriented towards the south and rises from the Villa forth gently. In warm weather, so a view to the Glarus Alps is possible. Today, the park is also used for classical concerts and theater performances.
On December 26, 1999 parts of Rieterparks were badly damaged by the hurricane Lothar.
Art in the park
The park contains various works of art.
Thinker bronze artist unknown
Woman with Floating
Ganymede Bronze, 220cm Friedrich Werner Kunz
Shepherd Bronze, 102 cm Alice Boner
" Objet trouvé " Find circumstances and date unknown
Guard with horse Ming Dynasty, 15th century Southern China
Wagner Tele 1954
Wagner Tele 1954
Wagner bust Bronze, 1885 Fritz Schaper
Wasserträgerin Bronze, 62 cm Alice Boner