Mission
The Eduard Petzold European Centre for Garden Art (ECSO) is an innovative social initiative of the Sarny Castle Trust combining the ideas of a museum and a heritage interpretation centre. Relying on Silesian cultural and natural values, it aims to play a dynamic role in the life of the region as a place for learning and experiencing the garden heritage.
It is also supposed to function as an inclusive interpersonal integration circle and a centre supporting the sustainable growth and cohesiveness of the local community by creating the tourist and economic attractiveness of the region. Remembering the significant role of gardens in the identity of inhabitants of Silesia is aimed at developing the awareness of and attitudes to heritage protection and inspiring greenery-oriented actions.
The aim of the ECSO’s activity is to preserve and disseminate knowledge on the garden art of historical lands of Silesia and to support greenery-oriented international co-operation. ECSO started its activity in 2020, and the opening of the seat is scheduled for 2025.
Our Exhibitions – click here for details
Patron
Eduard Petzold (born 1815 in Königswalde, today Lubniewice; died 1891 in Blasewitz, current district of Dresden) is the author of 174 designs of garden and residential parks as well as municipal squares and promenades in the current territory of Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey. In 1831, he started to learn gardening in Muskau Park under the direction of Jacob Heinrich Rehder and Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau and subsequently continued this education in Great Britain, Italy, France and Switzerland. Thanks to his theoretical work, Eduard Petzold became the most important representative of the “Muskau” gardening school and one of the leading theoreticians of European gardening in the late 18th and entire 19th century.
In 1880, at the request of the then owner of the estate – manufacturer Max Schneider, Eduard Petzold designed a landscape park by incorporating local dominant elements of the view into its composition and arranging the broad valley of the Włodzica river.
Seat
The permanent seat of the ECSO will be located in a 19th-century barn located in the northern part of the manor of Sarny Castle. Its space will be divided into a few parts, including the reception section open to visitors, the scientific–educational section and the exhibition section with three galleries.
- Gallery of the garden art of Silesia (permanent exhibition)
The exhibition will tell the story of Silesia’s gardens from the Middle Ages till modern times. Its most important motifs will include the cultural history of gardens, craft, engineering and garden design, techniques of gardeners and designers and types of layouts. The narration will be illustrated by thorough analyses and mock-ups of the most valuable objects and parts of their furnishing.
- Gallery of Eduard Petzold (permanent exhibition)
Presentation of the life of Eduard Petzold, with special regard to his design techniques, heritage and contribution to European garden art.
- Gallery of temporary exhibitions
Presentation of the garden heritage of Silesia in respect of European and world influences.
Team
Jacek Kuśmierski is a conservator of historic gardens and a museum professional. During his studies at the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wroclaw, he co-operated with landscape architecture studies and cultural institutions, such as the National Heritage Board of Poland and the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw. A member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Association of Landscape Architecture and a collaborator of the European Route of Historic Gardens (ERHG).
Łukasz Przybylak is a conservator of historic gardens. The author of a few dozen restoration and development studies for historic mansions, including the castle park in Sarny. He has collaborated, e.g., with the VOGT landscape architecture studio in Berlin and Brandenburgische Schlösser GmbH. Since 2020, he has done doctoral research at the Dresden University of Technology. Vice-President of the European Route of Historic Gardens and member of the German Society for Garden Design and Cultural Landscapes (DGGL).