Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape: The Dark Side of Protection.

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1 Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape: The Dark Side of Protection. Authors: Ing. Jiří Dohnal, DiS., Department of Landscape Architecture Ing. Barbora Matáková, Ph.D., Department of Landscape Planning Ing. Lenka Kulišťáková, Department of Landscape Planning Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Horticulture, Lednice, CZECH REPUBLIC What is Lednice Valtice Cultural Landscape Lednice Valtice Cultural Landscape is situated in the southeast of the Czech Republic near the borders with Austria. It is an asset of forests, meadows, crop fields, vineyards, orchards, fishponds, wetlands, parks and alleys in an area of 150 sq. km. Its altitude ranges from 150 m above sea level in the floodplains of Dyje river to 280 m in hilly landscape on the border with Austria. Even the present landscape looks like a natural site, it is the result of long lasting and systematic cultivation over the centuries. Its cultivation started in early medieval times, but the real and precise design and cultivation comes into the focus with the noble family of Liechtenstein in the 14 th century AD. The Liechtensteins chose the land on both sides of the Lower Austrian Moravian border as the main seat of their numerous domains in central Europe. Their reign lasted here nearly 700 years. The very first step was establishing fishponds in wetlands of border brook Včelínek, which resulted in forming valuable natural habitats in later centuries and also inspired landscape architects in creating idylic landcape of mythical Arcadia. The Liechtensteins benefited from fertile land, floodplain forests full of wood and climate suitable for breeding wide range of various plant species. All the history long, the reasonable management of natural resources was inherent to the Liechtensteins, so that the landscape organisation and development went in hand with financial prosperity and aesthetical values. The exploitation of the land fully complied with what we now call sustainable development. Moreover, their care for the landscape brought one more value added the aesthetical value. The rulers of Liechtenstein believed that by perceiving anything beautiful they become better human beings. Therefore in their search for Beauty they employed the best artists, architects and landscape architects of their times and their aims resulted in precious monuments delicately situated in fabulous scenery. The Highest Rung of carefully managed landscape regarding aesthetical values is considered in designed landscape in accordance with English landscape garden style. But in the area between Lednice and Valtice, something really unique occured, like nowhere else. The principles of English landscape garden spread out far away from the Lednice chateau park, encompassing the whole landscape and creating probably the largest landscape park in the world. The Garden of Europe, as it was called in the 19 th century.

2 The designed landscape embraced all the existing land use and nature-friendly nondestructive production activities, but in terms of higher aesthetical value. This was achieved by organizing the landscape by setting up the main axes (roads lined with alleys), focal points Follies (chateaus, villas, hunting lodges, pavilions, chapels and other small-scale architecture) and secondary view axes (between focal points). The woody land cover especially forests, deer-parks, river and fishpond banks as well as other lush vegetation were shaped to induce the natural-like picturesque scenery. However, despite these ornamental efforts, the Liechtenstein domains were highly productive so that the best term characterizing the Lednice Valtice cultural landscape is Ferme ornée Ornamental Farm. Picture 1: Landscape Design Analysis of Lednice Valtice Cultural Landscape (Štěpánová, Kulišťáková, 2010). The time after the World War II, when the Liechtensteins had to leave the former Czechoslovakia, is characterized by outbalancing former dynamic balance between cultural and natural values. After hundreds of years of careful cultivation and landscape maintenance with aesthetical regards, new and different priorities emerged. The landscape started to be perceived only as a means of production and in combination with the position in Iron Curtain on the borders with the West it led to

3 neglecting and little maintenance of cultural values. This caused that the parts of the landscape which originally have been designed for productive and ornamental functions lost human-drawn management at the expense of natural processes. As a result, there are nowadays plenty of valuable natural habitats treasuring many protected and endangered fungi, plant and animal species. Natural and cultural values: Conflicts in different approaches to conservation It seems that in recent years some kind of balance between cultural and natural values has been achieved. This harmonious landscape treasuring cultural heritage on surface and liquid gold underground in wine cellars, attracts hundreds of thousand tourists each year and is included in Top Ten tourist destinations in the Czech Republic. However, high cultural and natural values bring also many problems. There is a variety of values but each value has its different owner or keeper who manages its efforts on local, regional, national or international level. The efforts of all the organisations target to conservation and increasing of preserved values in terms of sustainable development. But... The problem is that there are 33 overlapping protection regime categories, which are protected according to 27 national legislation acts and 8 international. This places Lednice Valtice Cultural Landscape to one of the most protected areas in the world. These protection regimes are run by 47 different administrations lacking cooperation and understanding between each other. Moreover, all these activities are managed according to 35 different obligatory documents comprising Master Plans, various Development Plans and Management plans for specially protected areas. The highest count of overlapping protection regimes on one site is 12 (Lednice chateau park and Archaeological Site at Pohansko chateau in floodplain of Dyje river), 11 regimes overlap at the areas of fishponds with designed waterside vegetation and the floodplain of Dyje river with nature-near forests, meadows with free standing old trees and wetlands.

4 Picture 2: Number of overlapping protection regimes in Lednice Valtice Cultural Landscape (Kulišťáková, 2013). Case study: Lednice chateau park The case study of Lednice chateau park can depict typical conflict of interests between cultural and natural values in Lednice Valtice area. This highly protected landscape park (area of 172 ha) has played a crucial role in garden and landscape architecture history of Central Europe. Lednice chateau park epitomizes all the phases of this evolution from 16 th to 20 th century at the highest level. It is considered as one of the best landscape parks on European continent. At the beginning of 19 th century it played essential role in introduction of North American woody plant species to Europe.

5 In 2003 the project called Regeneration and Restoration of Vegetation Elements in Chateau Park in Lednice was elaborated by the expert group from the Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Horticulture. Its aim was to treat or cut down the trees dangerous for the park visitors, planting new trees according to the state before World War II when the park was fully maintained for the last time and the design was clearly distinct. Many analyses, field surveys and expertises preceded the project. It took 8 years to pass and approve the project by all the authorities until When this biggest restoration of the park since 1811 started in 2011, the hundreds of trees were in emergency condition; many trees which could have been saved collapsed and damaged young specimens underneath. The reason why the approval of the project took so long was the conflict between cultural heritage and nature conservation which finally caused some changes in realisation unlike was proposed in the project. Picture 3: Typical example of landscape design in Lednice chateau park (Photo by Jiří Dohnal, 2010). On the territory of Lednice chateau park there are merging these protective regimes according to the Czech law: National Cultural Monument, a few Cultural Monuments, Landscape Heritage Zone with its buffer zone, Archaeological Site in all subcategories. On the other hand the natural values are protected as a National Nature Reserve, Landscape Character Protected Park, followed by the components of Territorial System of Ecological Stability in category of National Biocorridore and Regional Biocentre, Protected Area of Water Accumulation. To top it all there are international protective regimes: UNESCO World Heritage, Biosphere Reserve, Natura 2000 (Habitat Site and Bird Site) and Ramsar Convetion Protected Area.

6 The main conflict during the project approval was between landscape architecture means of preservation and two beetles plus one rodent. The old trees in the park, many of which had to be cut down because of emergency condition, are the habitats of endangered species of beetles great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo L.) and the hermit beetle (Osmoderma eremita Scopoli). The ponds in the park have been inhabited in recent years by populations of beaver (Castor fiber L.) who destroy huge amount of trees significant in terms of their historical and design value. The authorities of nature conservation were unwilling to allow cutting down the trees but if it did not happen, the restoration of the vegetation elements in the park would be impossible. Because of this impasse situation there had to be held long mutual discussions of landscape architects, nature conservationists, environmentalists, entomologists, ornithologists, other specialists and general public to explain their aims and the principles of their work. These discussions pointed out that general public and other professions have no idea about principles of landscape design and people perceive the park as a Domain of Nature although it is man-made artificial nature designed according to ingenious garden and landscape architecture principles. Because of this little knowledge it is common in the Czech Republic, that in other situations alike, nature preservation usually outweigh cultural heritage conservation. But finally, common language and ways to solve the conflicts were found and after 8 years the project was accepted with some changes. One of the changes incorporated leaving the trunks suitable for beetles laying on the ground. The beaver problem solution, which will be solved by building complicated barriers, will be included in another project because of very high financial demands. Hopefully, the beavers won t destroy the rest of the park in the meantime Conclusion The example of Lednice chateau park pointed out the missing precedent in this field of interest and missing legislation. There is no authority which can judge and certainly declare how to cooperate cultural and natural values when both are highly protected. There is established a post of Site Manager within the UNESCO World Heritage Site which is operated by Biosphere Reserve Lower Morava. Nevertheless, the competencies of the Site Manager are not incorporated into the Czech law system so they have no legal effect. This situation slows down or makes impossible any aim of conservation and often causes that values which could have been preserved by early intervention become extinct because of human misunderstanding tight up by protection regimes. This is THE DARK SIDE OF PROTECTION. On the other hand it can be stated that in recent years the situation is getting better. It is due to willing efforts to reach consensus in multiple fields of study. Experience has shown that the misunderstanding is mostly caused by very little knowledge in unfamiliar disciplines. Only mutual dialogue and explanation of principles and needs of various fields of study can lead to finding solutions acceptable for all. Therefore the education of general public is so much important, and it should take place in an enjoyable way. This is the reason, why so many activities are taking place in Lednice

7 Valtice area in order to promote its diverse range of values, especially cultural values embodied in landscape architecture design which is for most of general public still unknown. Conferences, workshops and competitions, excursions, guided tours, land art performances based on garden design history and secret symbology held by non governmental organisations and university are some of the examples. Thus appearing, the dark side of protection will be soon surpassed by new forms of common language which appreciate the cultural and natural values as equals forming one unity and which is struggling to find the best solutions. Only in this way we will be able to enjoy the delight of outstanding beauty of lovingly designed landscape a long time in the future.