The Wilhelmsbad Park in Hanau

Just outside the Hessian town of Hanau is a former spa park. The park, which today covers about 28 hectares, has its origins in a spring found in the forest by two women in 1709, according to legend, which was said to have a healing effect and was known as the "Gesund- und Heylbrunnen" (well of health and healing).

Under the direction of the architect Franz Ludwig Cancrin, a park was laid out and spa buildings were erected from 1777 to 1781. While the spa building in particular was still built in the Baroque style, the park design already referred to the English landscape gardens. 

 

                                                                            (The artificial ruin)

The commissioner was Count Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel (1743-1821), who resided in Hanau. The park is named after him today. The spa facilities and park were paid for by leasing soldiers from the county to the English king, an uncle of Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel.

Wilhelmsbad was not successful as a spa - the healing properties of the mineral water were not worth mentioning and, moreover, the spring dried up in 1815. Until 1857, people made do with water imports from Bad Nauheim, then the spa operations were discontinued. When Wilhelm moved to Kassel, Hanau lost its importance as a royal seat. For these reasons, no major changes were made to the complex later on. It has been a listed building since 1974.

The baroque spa buildings have housed a doll and toy museum since 1983 and a small theatre, the Comoedienhaus, since 1781. It is one of the few historic theatres in which baroque stage technology and sets have been preserved.

This English landscape park is characterised above all by its remarkable buildings. The carousel constructed by Cancrin in 1780 is today the oldest surviving fixed carousel. It was saved from decay at the last minute by an association a few years ago and has been in operation now and then since 2016. 

 

( Landscape park with the carousel building in the back)

An artificial castle ruin contains a pleasure palace with private living quarters of Count Wilheim in its tower. Built in 1779, the neo-Gothic castle is one of the oldest artificial ruins in Germany. Several creeks had to be diverted for the neighbouring pond complex. On one of the islands is a four-sided pyramid which contained an urn until it was stolen in the 1980s. The tomb served to commemorate Count Wilhelm's eldest son, who had already died at the age of 12.