The island belongs to the Lennart Bernadotte-Stiftung (English: the Lennart Bernadotte Foundation),an entity created by Prince Lennart, Count Bernadotte af Wisborg, formerly a Prince of Sweden and Duke of Småland.It is one of the main tourist attractions of Lake Constance. Beside flowers there is a park landscape with views on the lake. There is also a greenhouse with tropical climate and thousands of butterflies.
Mainau Bay is the location of the university sailing club.
History
Until the Napoleonic mediatisations and secularisations of small German fiefs this island belonged to the Order of Teutonic Knights. It was later sold into private ownership. In 1853 Grand Duke Frederick I of Baden purchased the island as his personal property and built a summer palace there. At the end of World War I Baden became a republic with the abdication of Grand Duke Frederick II, son of Frederick I. The former Grand Duke retained his private property including Mainau. When he died childless in 1928 the island passed to his sister Victoria of Baden, wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden.
Upon her death two years later she bequeathed the island to her second son Prince Vilhelm, Duke of Södermanland and his descendants. In 1932 Prince Wilhem gave Mainau to his only child Count Lennart Bernadotte who owned it until 1974 when he transferred the island to a foundation. Count Bernadotte formed Enterprise Mainau GmbH in 1991 as a private enterprise to manage the island for the benefit of the Lennart Bernadotte-Stiftung. The Count remained active in managing Mainau until his death in 2004 but appointed his second wife Sonja co-manager in 2001. Lennart's widow Sonja Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg and his children ran both the foundation and the management company until 2007. Since January 2007 Bettina Bernadotte, the eldest daughter of Lennart and Sonja Bernadotte, directs the Mainau GmbH as the current manager.
Parks and gardens
Mainau is a "flowering island" notable for its parks and gardens. Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, created the island's arboretum, which now contains 500 species of deciduous and coniferous trees, many exotic and valuable, including fine specimens of Sequoiadendron giganteum (1864) and Metasequoia glyptostroboides (1952). The island also contains about 200 rhododendron and azalea varieties.
The Italian Rose Garden laid out geometrically with pergolas, sculptures, and fountains, and includes some 500 rose varieties. The Mediterranean terraces contain exotic pot plants, including palm trees, agaves, cacti, and Bougainvillea. The island as a whole contains about 30,000 rose bushes representing 1,200 varieties, and about 20,000 dahlias of 250 varieties.
The first evidence of a settlement on Mainau Island dates back to 3,000 BC. This was followed by an eventful history dominated by the Teutonic Order and the Thirty Year’s War. Prince Nikolaus Esterházy introduced the first exotic plants to the island. He was followed by Grand Duke Freidrich I, who was also a plant-lover. Afterwards, the island was in the possession of various royal and ducal dynasties until 1932; when Prince Lennart Bernadotte took over the administration of Mainau and made it his new home. Work on redesigning Mainau Island started.
Around 3,000 BC The six-house settlement on Mainau’s southern shore, which was excavated in the 1930s, dates back to early settlement around Lake Constance at this time.
15 BC The Raetias inhabiting the land around Lake Constance including Mainau became Roman.
5:/6. Century AD The strategically important Mainau became an Allemanic dukedom and later part of the Frankish kingdom governed from Bodmin.
724 Mainau and other strips of land along the Bodanrück were given as a present to the powerful Reichenau monastery.
1271 Arnold von Langenstein, who resided on the Reichenau, gave the island to the Teutonic Order without asking anyone’s permission
1272 The Teutonic Order, originally resident in Sandegg (Thurgau/Switzerland), relocated to Mainau. The castle was extended. The Order‘s great influence was due to an advanced bureaucratic system and the power of the commanders, this was also true of the Mainau-commanders.
1647 During the Thirty Years’ War and following a devastating defeat, Mainau became the possession of Sweden for some months. The Swedes left the island again taking everything of value with them. The so-called Swedish Cross was the only thing they left behind.
1732 After a very slow recovery from the devastation of the war, the Order’s architect Johann Caspar Bagnato started building the new castle church. It was consecrated in 1739.
1739 Building started on the new castle- Bagnato who once again in charge of the construction. The building of the Order’s castle took seven years and was completed in 1746.
1806 The Teutonic Order’s commandery was dissolved and all its possessions passed to newly-founded Dukedom of Baden.
1827 Mainau passed from one owner to another until Prince Nikolaus von Esterházy bought the island in 1827.
He planted numerous rare plants on the island.
1853 The later Grand Duke Freidrich I. acquired Mainau. He formed and extended the Arboretum, Italian Rose Garden and Orangery. The Grand Duke brought back many rare trees and exotic plants from his numerous travels. These altered the appearance of the park’s landscape and formed the basis for today’s park.
1856 Marriage of the Grand Duke and Princess Luise, daughter of the later Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia. They are Count Lennart’s great-grandparents.
1907 The death of the Duke. His son Grand Duke Friedrich II inherited Mainau. He bequeathed it to his sister Victoria, Queen of Sweden.
1909 The birth of Prince Lennart Nicolaus Paul, Crown Prince of Sweden, Duke of Smarland, son of Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.
1930 The death of Queen Victoria. Her son Prince Wilhelm of Sweden inherited Mainau.
1932 Prince Wilhelm handed over the administration of Mainau to his 23 year old son, Prince Lennart. Prince Lennart lost all his titles and possible right to succession when he married a commoner. In the same year, he made Mainau his new home. It became his life’s work; he designed its layout, opened it up to the public and constantly made improvements and modernizations. Today, Mainau is the largest touristic enterprise in the international Lake Constance area.
1961 Passing of the so-called ‘Green Charter’ in which Mainau clearly stated its position on working for environmental protection.
1909 The birth of Prince Lennart Nicolaus Paul, Crown Prince of Sweden, Duke of Smarland, son of Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.
1930 The death of Queen Victoria. Her son Prince Wilhelm of Sweden inherited Mainau.
1932 Prince Wilhelm handed over the administration of Mainau to his 23 year old son, Prince Lennart. Prince Lennart lost all his titles and possible right to succession when he married a commoner. In the same year, he made Mainau his new home. It became his life’s work; he designed its layout, opened it up to the public and constantly made improvements and modernizations. Today, Mainau is the largest touristic enterprise in the international Lake Constance area.
1961 Passing of the so-called ‘Green Charter’ in which Mainau clearly stated its position on working for environmental protection.
1974 Countess Sonja Bernadotte and Count Lennart Bernadotte put the entire Mainau under the umbrella of a foundation. The foundation’s goals include promoting science research, conservation of the countryside and protection of the environment, historic buildings and monuments and local habitats.
1982 Countess Sonja was appointed joint managing director of the business enterprise.
1991 The business was renamed the Blumeninsel Mainau GmbH
1998 Mainau was the first botanical garden in Europe to receive the Eco-Audit certificate. This involved voluntarily undergoing an examination according to environmental guidelines set out in EG-Directive Nr 1836/93. In September of the same year, the European Cultural Forum Mainau was founded to bring together people on a cultural level from around the international Lake Constance area by introducing new activities and impulse. Working in close cooperation with other European regions, these initiatives promote music, film, performing arts and fine arts.
2001 Countess Sonja Bernadotte became the sole managing director of Mainau GmbH.
2002 Countess Bettina Bernadotte was appointed Countess Sonja Bernadotte’s personal assistant.
Since 2007 Countess Bettina Bernadotte is the managing director of Mainau GmbH and Count Björn Bernadotte managing director of the Lennart-Bernadotte-Foundation
2011 Count Björn Bernadotte joined his sister Countess Bettina Bernadotte as managing director of the Mainau GmbH.
Luxuriant blossoms all year, a park with trees about 150 years old, the Baroque splendour of the castle, grounds and church, the Mediterranean flair – this is Mainau, the Flower Island in Lake Constance. Count Lennart Bernadotte († 2004), was the great grandson of Grand Duke Friedrich I. and lord of the Mainau. He turned the overgrown park into a paradise of flowers and plants and opened up the island to the public. Countess Sonja Bernadotte († 2008), managing director of Mainau GmbH for over a decade, continued to run the business according to the ideas of her husband. Countess Sonja and Count Lennart put the entire island under the administration of a GmbH in 1974; principal owner is the charitable Lennart-Bernadotte-Foundation. Countess Bettina Bernadotte, Countess Sonja and Count Lennart’s eldest daughter, took over from her mother as managing director of Mainau GmbH in 2007. At the same time, her brother Count Björn Bernadotte took over as managing director of the Lennart-Bernadotte-Foundation. In 2011 he joined his sister in managing the Mainau GmbH.
The five Bernadotte successors to Count Lennart endeavour to continue the work he started in 1932, by upholding the well-founded philosophy and by constantly recreating the island anew as an oasis of natural beauty, harmony and relaxation for visitors from around the world. Spend a few hours enjoying the favourable climate and beautiful uniqueness of the Flower Island in Lake Constance. It’s the perfect place to unwind and take a relaxing break from daily stress and our highly technical world.
There is a lot to admire on Mainau Island. Starting with the botanical treasures, we invite you to discover the island’s park, gardens, nature and botany using all your senses. The following pages briefly describe the most important botanical highlights on the island, but it’s even better to discover them yourself. After all, we would like to awaken your desire for discovery and invite you to visit Mainau Island in Lake Constance.
There are two rose gardens on Mainau with an impressive collection of over 10,000 roses and 1,000 varieties of the Queen of Flowers –whose scent, beauty and elegance is a seductive sensual pleasure. Whether in the Italian Rose Garden- to the south side of the castle or along one of the most beautiful promenades on the island – the Walk of Wild and Shrub Roses along the southern shore of the island enjoy these magnificent gardens.
The fountain arena and mediterranean terraces make the perfect setting for mediterranean plants. During the warmer seasons of the year, many tropical plants line the path to the fountain arena bringing a touch of Mediterranean flair to the extensive garden and magnificently planted terraces with a unique view across Lake Constance. Starting with bird of paradise- bananas (Strelitzia Nicolai) and the trumpet flower (Campsis grandiflora) a climbing shrub which produces bright orangey-red flowers in July. Palms, agaves, bougainvilleas, edible chestnuts (Castanea sativa) cypresses and many other tropical plants add to the Mediterranean feeling. The view of the baroque flower beds in the gardens on the southern slopes is magnificent from here. A wonderful exemplar of an evergreen oak (Quercus x turneri, Pseudoturneri) stands right next to it.
Built in the style of Renaissance gardens from precious Southern Swiss granite; the cascade is lined by pillar-shaped conifers and an ocean of flowers. In spring and summer, the picture of flowers up the caascade is unrivalled and in autumn the wonderful colours of the trees make a charming contrast. Oceans of flowers beautify the rigid architectural lines of the water cascade. It is a wonderful sight for visitors. A unique collection of fuchsias thrives in the shade of an impressive copper beech in summer.
There’s a good selection of well-labelled medicinal and kitchen herbs in the herb garden. Read about the traditional healing properties of herbs and the uses of kitchen herbs. A garden full of healthiness, Mainau’s herb garden is laid out in the shape of a huge spiral. The numerous medicinal herbs are planted according to their different uses. Here you will find plants which are known to sooth and heal various ailments and also many kitchen herbs which add flavor to our food. The fragrant delicate beds form a ribbon around the granite stone pergola covered in climbing plants accentuating the southern flair of the herb garden.
The valuable Arboretum makes Mainau Island a unique park experience at all times of the year. Take a stroll, linger, or read about things in the park. Welcome to our huge mammoth trees, Atlas and Lebanese cypresses sequoias and tulip trees to mention just a few of the more well-known ones. Grand Duke Friedrich I established the Arboretum. He was a lover of rare trees from around the world. The first exotic trees arrived on Mainau in 1853. Since then the collection has been added to and lovingly tended. Today there are more than 500 different species of deciduous and conifer trees on Mainau.
The butterfly garden around the Butterfly House is an Eldorado for butterfly lovers. The 500 square metre area of specially selected flowering and nectar providing plants serves as a place for butterflies to lay their eggs, as food for the caterpillars and provides nectar for the butterflies. A fascinating spectacle! The scent garden, situated on the slopes, displays more than 150 different scented plants and is an absolute delight for the senses. Both gardens provide lots of inspiration for your own garden. These gardens are mainly planted with flowering and nectar providing plants. They come from the family of composite flowers (Compositae) and labiates (Labiatae) and provide a place for butterflies to lay their eggs and as a source of food for the caterpillars. Specially selected bushes and wild herbs have been planted to provide nectar for butterflies. The scent garden is full of scented flowerers, evening scented flowerers and scented leaved plants whose essential oils are released as scent if touched.: a very sensual experience. The scented plants are arranged by planting needs, shape and colour of the flowers. The approximately 15 year old pine trees (Pinus pinea) which were planted in 1996 deserve a mention. They are rarely found north of the Alps.
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