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Online exhibition: John Bergmans, garden architect and botanist

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6 augustus 2020

John Bergmans (1892-1980) was a garden architect who grew into a botanist and author of books on the world of plants. This online exhibition showcases some stunning examples of his work. He designed villa parks, gardens districts, botanical gardens, recreational parks, and cemeteries, mainly in Noord-Brabant and Limburg.

Bergmans' designs

Bergmans worked predominantly in Limburg and Noord-Brabant, from the mid-1920s to the mid-1960s. He designed both elite villa gardens for the elite, as well as public green spaces for the working-class housing projects of the State Mines and the Philips company, recreational parks and botanical gardens. Bergmans was a true plant connoisseur and also a prolific writer on perennials and rock gardens.

Examples

Open air theatre in Oisterwijk, 2011 (photo: M. van Lidth de Jeude)
Open air theatre in Oisterwijk, 2011 (photo: M. van Lidth de Jeude)
Botanical Garden Kerkrade, 1960-1970 (photo: J. Savelkoul, Municipal archives Kerkrade)
Botanical Garden Kerkrade, 1960-1970 (photo: J. Savelkoul, Municipal archives Kerkrade)

Database TUiN

John Bergmans' work consists of approximately 700 designs for 608 private or public gardens, parks and other green areas. The designs are described in the TUiN database. The drawings and their related documents can be consulted in the Special Collections reading room of the Forum Library.

Biography

The book 'John Bergmans (1892-1980), tuinarchitect and plantenkenner' by Marianne van Lidth de Jeude and Johanna Karssen-Schüürmann, offers an extensive description of his work. The online exhibition drew extensively from this book.

John Bergmans (1892-1980), tuinarchitect and plantenkenner. Hilversum : Verloren, 2018.
John Bergmans (1892-1980), tuinarchitect and plantenkenner. Hilversum : Verloren, 2018.

Questions or remarks? Please don't hesitate to send us an email: speccoll.library@wur.nl