ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN, BERLIN: DIRECTOR, DR. HECK
The history of the Garden at Berlin is divided into three periods; the
first embraces the time of preparation and the foundation, from 1841 to
1869.
This Zoological Garden is the third oldest in Europe, and the oldest
of all the German Gardens. The credit of its foundation belongs to the
well-known Berlin zoologist and African traveller Lichtenstein, who
could hardly have realized his intentions had not the Prussian Royal
House given its favour to this public-spirited undertaking. Not only
is this shown by the opening mandate issued by Frederick William IV.
on May 7, 1845, but by the presentation of the royal pheasantry to
the Company of the Zoological Garden. At the same time the Emperor
made a grant of £3,000 to the society, which was increased by £2,000.
The greater part of the Emperor’s own animals and birds were also
transferred to the Zoological Garden.
On August 1, 1844, the Garden was opened. For the first twenty-five
years of its existence the arrangements were particularly modest. In
March, 1846, there were not 100 kinds of animals in the Garden, and
there were only half a dozen houses. In 1868 only 191 shares of £15
were taken up by the public. Owing to the then great distance from the
town, the Garden progressed but slowly for a long time. In 1848 the
income was only £900, and these first twenty-five years must count as
the infancy of the Garden.
The second division of the Gardens development begins with the year
1869. Professor Peter, the successor of Dr. Lichtenstein, undertook,
with the then Minister of Finance, Von der Heydt, to reconstruct the
Company. A thousand new shares were issued in exchange for old ones.
Estimates for the plans of large buildings were drawn up, and the
direction was altered in a conspicuous manner, Doctor Bodinus, who came
from Cologne, being placed regularly in charge of it. Imposing and
artistic buildings were erected, and the lion house was altered so as
to look like an African house.
In 1869 the restaurant was opened.
In 1870 a new lion house and bear pit were built; in 1872 an antelope
house; in 1873 an elephant house; in 1874-75 a great concert-house; in
1883 a new monkey house was erected.
At the same time the Garden rose to the highest place in public favour,
owing to its public concerts, which, until 1884, were held three times
a week under the direction of Herr Wieprecht. In 1884 electric light
was introduced. Daily double concerts were instituted at half-price,
and brought a great number of people to the Garden. In 1900 the
entrance money taken amounted to £27,321, and the season-tickets
brought in £5,849. In 1884 Director Bodinus died. Dr. Max Schmidt was
named as his successor, he having for twenty-five years looked after
the Zoological Garden at Frankfort-on-Main. In 1888, however, he died,
and Dr. Ludwig Heck, who came from the Zoological Garden at Cologne,
was chosen as Director. In his first year he devoted his attention to
increasing the stock of animals, with the result that now 25,000 living
creatures are to be seen, including 12,000 species of animals and birds.
[Illustration: LLAMA AND MOUFFLON ROCKERY, BERLIN.]
In 1893-94 the drainage was renewed; in 1895 the new wing of the
well-arranged aviary was built; in 1896 a new deer house and a goat
and sheep house were built; in 1896-97 the beautiful stork and crane
house; in 1897 the camel house; in 1898 more deer houses, moufflon
rocks, and two restaurants were erected, and other improvements made.
This period, from the death of Dr. Bodinus in 1884 to the death of
General Duncker in 1897, forms the second division in the history of
the Berlin Garden.
[Illustration: ELEPHANT HOUSE, BERLIN.]
The year 1897 marks a new period in its history. The eclat of the
Garden as a place of amusement, the increased number of specimens, and
the favourable position of the site in the west of Berlin led to the
new organization of an institution which was so promising.
In 1898 1,000 new preference shares were issued, and a second increase
in capital brought the total capital of the Company up to £113,500. By
this means numerous alterations and improvements were undertaken. A new
official residence was erected, and Japanese and Chinese pavilions,
coffee-houses, bridges, halls for children to play in, lavatories,
machine houses, a pump house, three new pig houses, improvements in the
antelope house, new llama rockery, and refrigerators for dead fish were
made. A view-tower, pheasantries, and many other minor improvements in
walls, banks, bridges, and ponds were added. Herr Begas presented one
of his celebrated centaur statues, and Uechtritz a nymph with swan. All
these things have made the Garden more attractive, and all Berlin comes
to see them. The Garden and restaurant are visited by 60,000 people on
a fine Sunday in the summer.
* * * * *
We will now walk round one of the finest Zoological Gardens in Europe,
and, indeed, in the world, as it is at the present moment well ahead
of our London Garden, both in the value of its animals and also in the
magnificence of its buildings. Some of the latter are truly remarkable
structures, being finely painted and decorated, and fitted inside with
the very best up-to-date arrangements for the health and comfort of the
animals.
After I had paid one mark at the entrance, my camera was immediately
pounced upon; I hope it may not be thought to be ‘sour grapes’ if I add
that it poured with rain the whole day when I visited the Garden, and
that most of the animals were housed indoors.
Turning to the left round a very large café, with seats outside capable
of accommodating several thousand people, we come to a very large
and lofty bird-of-prey aviary. Close to a children’s playground will
be found some stables, containing common domestic asses, Somali wild
ass, Burchell’s and mountain zebra--a cross between a donkey and a
zebra--and the inevitable Shetland pony, with which they always seem so
pleased in Continental Gardens.
The lion house, constructed on the very best principles, is one of
the finest in Europe, and contains German East African and Somali
lions, tigers, leopards, black leopards, jaguars, and a very curious
light-coloured variety of the jaguar, the only one known in captivity.
There were some cleverly constructed duck-ponds with pleasing rockwork,
trees, and waterfalls, and opposite to them was a large crane house.
Several of the houses are built in exact imitation of Chinese and
Indian temples and pagodas, which give the Gardens a very Eastern
appearance.
[Illustration: OSTRICH HOUSE, BERLIN.]
After passing several large duck and swan lakes and a wild-sheep
rockery, we come to the monkey house, which, however, is comparatively
small and disappointing. In front of some pretty beds of tulips is
a truly magnificent elephant house, built in imitation of a Hindoo
temple, the domes painted in yellow, brown, and blue. In the centre
of this palatial house is placed the skeleton of a full-grown
elephant. The ceiling is supported by huge columns, with two carved
elephant-heads on the top of each. The house contains three Indian
elephants, two African elephants, one Indian rhino, and some tapirs.
Huge sliding-doors lead out into large open-air paddocks fitted with
baths. Behind the elephant house are the wild-swine sheds.
[Illustration: DEER SHED, BERLIN.]
We now come to another finely decorated and well-constructed house--the
ostrich house. It is painted inside and out with large, ancient
Egyptian figures of men and birds. At one end of the interior is a very
realistic painting of two huge stone Egyptian figures in a sitting
position, bathed in a gorgeous sunset. The columns and the ceiling
in this house should also be noticed. It contains a good collection
of ostriches and cassowaries. The next house with large water-tank
contains two hippopotami. Opposite a high tower (entrance fee ten
pfennig, which goes towards the animals’ food) is a very long line of
pheasant pens, all prettily planted with tiny shrubs and trees.
Passing a large llama and tahr rockery we come to the antelope
house, built in an oval shape with minarets, the huge balls at the
top covered with gilt. It contains some rare animals. There are
water-buck, harnessed antelope, inyala, several _Oryx leucoryx_, two
addax, a beautiful pair of giraffes (South African form), a blessbock,
two eland, one roan (_Albifrons_), two tora hartebeest, one Cape
hartebeest, and one Lichtenstein hartebeest, the last four species of
antelopes being very rarely met with in captivity. In quaint brown
houses inlaid with white are several dwarf antelopes from the Cameroons
and other parts of Africa, the whole collection forming one of the most
complete in the world.
In the centre of this house with its glass roof is a large fernery with
a realistic group in stone of a lioness and her cubs. All the antelope
cages have outdoor paddocks attached. Opposite this house are several
deer sheds and a long line of buffalo and camel sheds, containing
animals too numerous to mention, and stretching for over 100 yards in
length.
There is one remarkably pretty deer shed with pointed roof and red
tiles. Close by is a seal pond, and not far from the entrance will
be found the bear dens, containing the finest collection of bears in
Europe. There are concerts in a large hall every night and special ones
on Sundays.
Taken all round, this Garden is far and away better than any other
garden at home or on the Continent for the beauty of its buildings, the
picturesqueness of its grounds, and the wealth of its animals. This
state of things has been brought about in a large measure through the
energy and forethought of the Emperor of Germany, himself a sportsman
and lover of animals.