The Steam-Powered Gardens of Potsdam and Berlin: Projecting Industrial Culture into the Landscape

In his lecture, Norton Wise will explore the steam-powered English Gardens in and around Berlin that were built or rebuilt in the nineteenth century. The aesthetic quality of these gardens often derives in part from the engines that powered them. Wise will show how the gardens and their engines can provide a view of the social history of industrialization literally on the ground, by making the now-invisible technology visible again and by reuniting it with the aesthetics of Berlin’s splendid gardens. The evening will be moderated by Anke te Heesen, Curator and Professor of the History of Science at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Please RSVP with the American Academy by Friday, April 13 (see website).