Landscape – Great Idea! X-LArch III - Department für Raum ...

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Fig. 2: Rose and Perennial Show 1914. Master plan by
E. T. Wotzy (Schechner 1913: 287)
not name the competition in Linz of the year before but
probably referred to it as it was the first and only contest
in Austria. Wotzy pointed out that the success of a competition
depended on the quality of the jury (Wotzy 1913:
58). In order to achieve the best and most appropriate
results, future juries were to consist of garden architects
propagating the old landscape style and those sympathizing
with the modern one as well as of other artists not
considering style and tradition but looking at the artistic
and objective quality of the projects. Wotzy stated that
competitions in general raised interest in garden architecture
and proved that gardens and parks could be
designed unlike it was common then.
Following Wotzy‘s request of promoting good garden art,
the Österreichische Gartenbau-Gesellschaft launched two
competitions for garden architects in the issue of February
1914. The first competition demanded new archetypes of
garden design, a mansion garden and a villa garden, and
for contemporary garden elements such as garden houses,
pergolas, fountains, fences, and benches. Although the jury
was well-balanced concerning the style attitude, Theodor
Jahn and Karl Pfeifer, both following rather a traditional
approach, won in the categories ‚mansion garden‘ and
‚villa garden‘. In the category ‚garden elements‘, only Titus
Wotzy‘s entries were awarded. Looking at the design topics
of the competition, the Österreichische Gartenbau-Gesellschaft
still adhered to the traditions although it was progressive
in propagating modern garden architecture. In the early
1910s, the modern style philosophy seemed to have no
effects on the development of tasks. After all, designing private
gardens remained the primary job of garden architects
before the First World War.
The second competition, launched in 1914 by the Österreichische
Gartenbau-Gesellschaft, was the result of a
lively discussion about a ‚Künstlergarten‘, a site for temporary
exhibitions of sculptors. Among the 17 members
of the jury were the modernists Viktor Goebel and Titus
Wotzy and the traditionalists Anton Umlauft and Louis
Wolff. The Gartenzeitung published only the project of
the architects Franz Koppelhuber and Ferdinand Langer,
an axial, almost baroque design of an artist‘s garden.
The outbreak of the First World War might have stopped
the plan to present the other three awarded projects and
the result of the competition‘s second stage.
First World War and Post-war Period
After the outbreak of the First World War, the volume of
the Gartenzeitung was extremely reduced since most of
the editorial members had to join the army. Wotzy and
other garden architects disappeared from the journal,
the style debate stopped. Designing cemeteries and
memorials were two of the very few tasks described in
the ensuing years. At that time, the social question of
garden architecture first appeared in the Gartenzeitung.
Leberecht Migge postulated that it was possible to create
regional youth parks to commemorate soldiers and to
propagate the idea of the Soziale Garten (Migge 1916:
155f.).
In addition, the allotment garden movement gained in
importance as it eased the food crisis and supplied the
urban population with fruits and vegetables. Various
experts looked at the topic from different aspects, like
feeding, education, health, social relevance, and urbanism.
Only garden architects did not participate in
the discussion. Finally, at the end of the war, officials
recognized the importance of a professional layout for
allotment gardens. In 1920, thus, the Österreichische
Gartenbau-Gesellschaft and the city council of Vienna
arranged a competition to design a master plan for
allotment gardens at the Schafberg in Vienna. 14 teams
participated, among them Albert Esch and Alois Berger.