Could these walls whisper tales of royal garden masters and dedicated professors? This is Villa Maatsch. It is a hidden gem near the Berggarten in Hanover. Let’s discover its story.
Villa Maatsch was built around 1866. It was built as a home for the royal garden master of the Herrenhausen Gardens. This happened during the time when Prussia took over the Kingdom of Hanover. The villa sits on the grounds of what was once the College for Horticulture and Landscape Culture. Today, it is part of the Leibniz University of Hanover.
Originally, King George III ordered Johann Jonas Christian Tatter to create a nursery on this land. Tatter was the garden master for both Great Britain and Brunswick-Lüneburg. The Villa Maatsch became a residence in this green area.
The building itself is a one-and-a-half-story brick structure. It features a high basement. The exterior showcases red brickwork with yellow lesenes and an Ortgangmauerung. The basement has cross-vaulted ceilings.
After World War II, several families lived in the small brick building. In 1949, Professor Richard Maatsch accepted a position teaching ornamental plant cultivation. He requested this specific villa as his residence. The ground floor was cleared for him after extensive communication with city officials. That’s when it became known as Villa Maatsch.
Professor Maatsch created a garden landscape south of the villa. It included a beautiful fern garden. A 1987 urban development report noted this addition. In 1997, the university building became a protected monument. This was mainly due to its history.
The Villa Maatsch and a wall from the 19th century are under protection. The wall was added to the list in 2010. In 2007, the Villa Maatsch underwent renovations. The attic had partition walls removed. The roof was replaced and the facade was renovated.
Today, the Villa Maatsch houses the Center for Radiation Protection and Radioecology of Leibniz University. The architectural firm of vorrink wagner architekten completed the conversion. The removal of partition walls in the attic created larger office spaces.
The Farngarten, created by Professor Maatsch, is also a protected monument since 2007. It sits in the background. It is a reminder of the villa’s horticultural history.
The Villa Maatsch stands as a testament to Hanover’s history. It is a blend of royal heritage and academic pursuit. It is more than just a building. It is a living piece of Hanover’s past.