A double row of pergolas stands before you. Welcome to Sch önnauer Park. This beautiful entrance wasn’t always here. It’s a 2002 addition. It commemorates the former Sch önnauer Rittergut. The Rittergut a manor house was once the heart of this area.
Sch önnauer Park is a landscape park in Leipzig’s Sch önnau district. It began as a manor house park. Today it serves as a local recreation area for residents. Especially those in the Gr ünau Plattenbausiedlung. This means that it is a park for the people living in the large prefabricated housing complex. The park is a protected landmark.
The park is roughly rectangular. It measures about 450 meters north-south and 300 meters east-west. This adds up to a total area of 14 hectares. Its main entrances are on the west and south sides. The west entrance is marked by the impressive pergola. It stands where the manor house once stood. The south entrance leads to Parkallee a tree-lined avenue. Four rows of lime trees lead towards Robert-Koch-Park.
The park boasts a mix of straight avenues and winding paths. Many old trees from its days as a manor park remain. They include rare species such as ginkgoes weeping beeches yellow pines and sweet chestnuts. These show off the status and representational needs of the former owners. Grasslands and wooded areas create a varied landscape. A 2620 square meter pond is in the northern part of the park. Next to it is a children’s playground with a slide sandbox ropeway and toboggan hill.
In the southern part stand three abstract stone sculptures. They are collectively titled Remembrance of a Sunny Day. Two are by Peter Makolies and one by Klaus-Dieter Köhler. These sculptures invite contemplation. They are a wonderful addition to the tranquil atmosphere of the park.
The village of Sch önnau was first mentioned in 1517. It then became a manor estate. After many changes in ownership it came to Leipzig merchant Caspar Dietrich Reinhard Schmidt in 1786. He had the manor house rebuilt the following year. Through the marriage of Schmidt’s granddaughter the Müller family became owners in 1858.
At the end of the 19th century the garden east of the manor was transformed into a park. Paths avenues were created and numerous trees were planted. A weathered stone marks its founding in 1885. After Sch önnau was incorporated into Leipzig in 1930 the city bought the estate and park in 1937. They needed the fields to build the Lindenau harbor. They renovated the manor house and maintained the park.
When the Gr ünau housing estate was built in the 1970s much of old Sch önnau had to be demolished. This included the manor house which was demolished in 1979. The park became a recreation area for Gr ünau residents. The children’s playground was created. The three stone sculptures were added in 1988/1989. They aimed to integrate art into the park.
So take a moment to breathe in the history and beauty of Sch önnauer Park. A green space that evolved from a manor’s private garden to a beloved community haven. It is a truly special place.