The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen 
THE FOUNTAIN BEFORE THE OLD ORANGERY 
years i860 and 
1863 were rebuilt 
by the architect 
Hagen. 
East of the cas¬ 
cade, in front of 
the conservatory, is 
a large space which 
is separated from 
the main grounds 
by an iron gate. 
This enclosure is 
called the Orange 
Garden, and in 
summer the trees 
belonging to the 
royal conservatory 
are placed here. In 
addition to the 
orange, bay and 
myrtle trees there 
are some fine specimens of Magnolia grandi- 
flora , Hybiscus Syriacus, Arbutus Unedo and 
pomegranate trees. Lastly we must not for¬ 
get to mention the fine assortment of fruits 
which is cidtivated in the west wing of the 
castle. 
The principal interest attaching to the in¬ 
terior of the palace centers around the fres¬ 
coes of the dining-room, executed by the 
Italian, Tomaso, and representing scenes in 
the history of Trov. Both wings of the 
building are occupied by the living-rooms of 
Ernst August and of the Electress Sophie. 
Forming part of the latter’s suite is the room 
where she passed many hours in conversation 
with one of Germany’s greatest philosophers, 
and from this circumstance the apartment 
has since been designated “ The Leibnitz 
Room.” Unfortunately the interior beauty 
of the buildings is not now to be enjoyed by 
the public, for neither the palace nor the con¬ 
servatories are at present open to visitors. 
In the castle it is said William I, after¬ 
ward the late Emperor William I, found 
protection on his escape to Berlin in 1848. 
It contained at one time a very good collec¬ 
tion of sculptures and paintings, but these 
were removed about the year 1866. It was 
at Herrenhausen that the first Elector of 
H anover ended his life, January 23, 1698. 
On September 3, 1725, the agreement of 
H errenhausen was settled in the castle, by 
which document England, Holland, France 
and Prussia united against the Emperor, 
Charles IV, and his ally, King Philip of 
Spain. During the fateful days of June, 
1866, the blind George V of Hanover here 
received the declaration of war which quickly 
filled his realm with hostile Prussian troops. 
After the capture of Hanover, Herren¬ 
hausen was for a long time under the admin¬ 
istration of Prussia. Only in the last few 
years has it been returned to King George’s 
son, the Duke Ernst August of Cumberland, 
Duke of Brunswick and Liineburg. The 
large gardens remain in their former condi¬ 
tion, but recentlv an attempt has been made 
to improve the Luststiick by restoring 
some features in accordance with the plans 
of its designer, the papers being still in 
existence after this portion of the estate 
had suffered changes. In strolling through 
the green alleys of the garden, between the 
fountains and cascades, the statues of stone 
and lead, and resting the eyes upon the deep 
perspectives of the hedges ; in contemplating 
these still surfaces of water and the sym¬ 
metrical lawns, our thoughts turn to the 
overtaken past and mark the difference be¬ 
tween the taste of those days and that of 
our own. We realize that an age has not 
only passed away but has been buried under 
modern customs and ideas which bring no such 
beautiful place as Herrenhausen into being. 
286 
