This wonderful book tells the story of a man with his strengths and weaknesses, sublime thoughts and unbridled imagination, great achievements and many flaws. The book brings us closer to a real person.
Karl Forster was in Potsdam-Burnheim, and is still considered by many to be Germany's greatest gardener. He laid the foundations of his fame by founding four companies during the imperial era and the Weimar Republic. From 1935 onwards, his business expanded further and peaked during World War II.In East Germany, he received many honors, and was presented as a symbol of an ostensibly unbroken humanist tradition. Besides cultivating and propagating perennial plants, he saw it as his duty to elevate humanity through his writings, and to exert his political influence.How can one person succeed in four so different systems? This first critical biography of Forster addresses not only his achievements in plant breeding and use, his writings, but also his worldview, his methods of success, and his family and professional networks. Many sources are evaluated for the first time.A new, multifaceted portrait of a character is taking shape, along with its admirable aspects, also showing problematic aspects from today's perspective. Forster's nearly century-long life reflects German history with particular clarity.
