Altenkirchen Botanical Garden House

Kosegarten House in Altenkirchen – A Place of Remembrance for a Romantic

The Kosegarten House in Altenkirchen, located on the Wittow Peninsula in northern Rügen, is dedicated to the life and work of Ludwig Gotthard Kosegarten (1758–1818). The pastor from Altenkirchen became famous above all for his legendary sermons on the shore, which he delivered right on the Baltic Sea coast. A permanent exhibition at the Kosegarten House highlights his work as a poet, theologian, and nature lover who extolled the beauty of the island of Rügen and its landscape in both word and writing.

Kosegarten and Romanticism – A Network of Notable Contemporaries

Kosegarten was closely connected to the most prominent figures of German Romanticism. His friends and acquaintances included Caspar David Friedrich, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and Johann Jacob Grümbke. He maintained a lively correspondence with Goethe, Schiller, and Herder. Ernst-Moritz Arndt, who later became famous as a poet and patriot, served as Kosegarten’s private tutor for several years. The Kosegarten House brings this culturally and historically significant network to life for visitors.

A Meeting Place and Event Venue in Altenkirchen

In addition to its permanent exhibition, the Kosegarten House is also a vibrant meeting place and event venue. Numerous events take place here each year, bringing together the literature, history, and culture of the Baltic Sea region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Anyone visiting the island of Rügen who is interested in the cultural history of German Romanticism will find the Kosegartenhaus in Altenkirchen to be an authentic and informative destination.