From the 16th to the 18th century
The Echternach park is established on the land between the ancient Benedictine abbey and the river Sûre. It is originally built as an orchard enclosed by high walls. In the 16th century it is located outside the city walls. The orchard, separated from the monastic enclosure by a moat, is then only accessible by a culvert. By the end of the 17th century the ditch is filled in, and the orchard is even considerably enlarged by an extension to the west. It is called the “large garden”, or the “old garden” since the construction of the new orangery garden (1736). In 1765 Abbot Michael Hormann has a fine pleasure pavilion built in the purest Rococo style in the “old garden”.
19th century
In 1797 the former monastic buildings and the large garden are confiscated as a national property and sold by the French government. The ownership passes to the Dondelinger family. Due to a property division within the family (1829) the garden is crossed by a dividing wall from north to south. In 1843, the eastern part of the property, including buildings and the gardens, is purchased by the State of Luxembourg, in order to install barracks and exercise grounds for the ‘hunter battalion’ (“bataillon des chasseurs”) from 1845 to 1867.
The garden, now called the “military casino garden”, is partly landscaped as an arboretum.
In 1874 a new railway linking Diekirch to Wasserbillig (“Prinz Heinrich Bahn”) crosses the casino garden from east to west. Thus, the garden area is further reduced. In 1892, the City of Echternach, tenant of the garden belonging to the State, hands over its management to the local “Society of Beautification”.
20th century
In 1900, the State decides to call on the famous French landscape architect Edouard André (1840-1911), in order to redevelop the garden into a public park. The project envisions an opening of the park towards the river by demolishing the enclosure wall, as well as extending it towards the Sûre bridge. However, this project fails to be carried out.
On January 16th, 1918, an enormous river flooding demolishes the enclosure wall and causes havoc in the garden.
The park is then redesigned from scratch, in 1924, by a local architect, Nicolas Wagener (1896-1943) from Echternach. He creates a pleasing promenade along the Sûre, curvilinear walks and a small formal flowerbed between the fountain basin and the Rococo pavilion.
This pleasure ground succumbs to the Ardennes offensive (“battle of the Bulge”) in winter 1944-45.
In 1946, the town and landscape planner Henri Luja (1899-1977) produces a new plan, in accordance with the ‘true mind of the 18th century’. The ruined park is redesigned in the ‘French style’ (“à la française”), including a central water basin (the “rond d’eau”), two formal parterres, groves (“bosquet”) and garden rooms (“cabinet de verdure”), as well as lime tree alley along the Sûre.
Deventer Plan, c. 1560 (detail)
Ferraris Map, 1770-1778 (detail)
Lithograph, c. 1840
Photograph, c. 1875
Photograph, flood of January 16, 1918
Park advertisement, c. 1925/26