Here stands a tribute. The Isaak Hermann Albert Altmann Bust honors a man who transformed Bremen’s landscape. He was no soldier, no king. He was a gardener.
Isaak Hermann Albert Altmann was born in Bremen in 1777. He died here in 1837. Altmann shaped Bremen and its surroundings. He trained as a gardener and settled in Bremen in 1800.
Let’s delve into Altmann’s story. He transformed the Riensberg-Park into an English-style landscape. He incorporated old defensive moats into the garden’s design. His work made the park seem naturally grown.
From 1803, Altmann reshaped Bremen’s Wallanlagen. These were outdated 17th-century fortifications. He turned them into a beautiful park. Napoleon’s troops invaded Bremen in 1811. This delayed the Wallanlagen project by thirty years. Altmann also converted Hamburg’s Wallanlagen into green spaces. This project began in 1816 and lasted until 1837.
Around 1815, he designed the landscape garden at Dammgut Ritterhude. From 1830, he was responsible for Wätjens Park in Bremen-Blumenthal. The Kurpark in Bad Oldesloe is also attributed to him.
This bust isn’t the original. Citizens of Bremen erected the first bust in 1877. It honored Altmann’s 100th birthday. The Bremen Garden Association initiated it. Diedrich Kropp, a Bremen sculptor, created it. It stood on the Doventor Bastion in the Wallanlagen. Bombs destroyed that bust in 1944.
Luckily, a second bronze bust survived. It resided in the facade of Altmannstraße 12. In 2002 and 2003, a copy was cast. It was placed near the original location. It now stands on a sandstone base near the Ansgari Bastion.
The Altmannshöhe in the Wallanlagen bears his name. It lies between Ostertor and the Weser. Hamburg also had an Altmannshöhe. The Altmannstraße there was built in 1875. A residential street in Bremen’s Schwachhausen is also named after him.
The Isaak Hermann Albert Altmann Bust reminds us of his lasting impact. He turned fortifications into places of beauty. He created green spaces for all to enjoy. His work continues to enrich Bremen. Altmann’s legacy lives on in Bremen’s parks and gardens. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you. Remember the man who helped create it.