Nymphenbrunnen

myminifactory

Together with the parks and Vogelzang Middelheimmuseum makes Den Brandt Park part of Nachtegalenpark. The 21-hectare park in Antwerp is the western part of Nachtegalenpark. In 1396, the name "Den Brandt" was first used to describe a piece of land. It is believed that the name originated from a burnt spot, a former method of mining where heath and forest were burned to create agricultural land. On the property, there was once a farm, later a playhouse, and finally, around 1582, a court called Brande Court. The present castle was built in the Louis XVI style in 1790 after the previous building was demolished. In 1820, the owner made significant changes to the estate by digging ponds. The Kreglinger family became the owners of the castle and its 16-acre park in 1910. They sold part of the park to the city of Antwerp, which opened it on May 7, 1911. To mark the occasion, a reproduction of Michelangelo's "David" was placed near the entrance, but with a fig leaf due to decency. However, the original statue had no fig leaf and stood completely nude. This copy also appeared at the World Exhibition in Brussels in 1910, on display at the Italian pavilion. The Kreglinger family bought another sculpture from the exhibition, "Dancing nymphs," which became a popular location for wedding photos. A fountain near the entrance represents three dancing women, often referred to as the "Three Graces." These statues are of three slender girls with trendy hairstyles and dresses that flow wide below their knees. They balance on the edge of the water, trying not to let it fall. The sculptor Walter Schott created these statues for the World Fair in Brussels in 1910, where they adorned the German pavilion. In 1962, the city officially acquired the entire castle grounds, and in 1995, the castle's annexes were listed as historical sites. The gardens are beautifully landscaped with a mix of French and English styles, featuring canals and ponds. Many people visit Den Brandt Park for walking or jogging, and it hosts an annual Jazz Middelheim event. A small cottage, often called the "gingerbread house," adds to the park's romantic atmosphere. A similar statue stands in Central Park in New York, known as the Untermeyer Fountain after Samuel Untermeyer, who commissioned it in 1947. Walter Schott was a German professor and sculptor born on September 18, 1861, in Ilsenburg. He studied at the Academy of Hanover from 1880 to 1883 and later at the Berlin Academy. As a sculptor, he designed many monuments for the Berlin School of Neobaroque Sculptors. Despite his connections to Kaiser Wilhelm II, Schott received little support during the Weimar Republic. He died in Berlin on September 2, 1938, and was buried in Ilsenburg alongside his father's urn.