CHAPTER XIX
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.
LLAMA AND MOUFFLON ROCKERY, BERLIN.
ELEPHANT HOUSE, 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.
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.
OSTRICH HOUSE, BERLIN.
DEER SHED, 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.
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.