Support for the Old Botanical Garden

UZH’s old Botanical Garden, also known as Pro Katz, was opened in the city center in 1833, the same year the university was founded.

Today, the pavilion is still open to the public and offers fascinating insights into the world of plants. The foundation supports all the activities and needs of the old Botanical Garden.

Historic site in the heart of Zurich

The old Botanical Garden is located on a small hill that was part of the city’s defenses in Zurich’s city center.  When the bulwark was closed in 1837, the university’s gardener Leopold Karl Theodor Fröbel built the facility at Schanzengraben, which still stands today. In 1851, the palm-tree house was opened. Initially made of glass and wood, the historic building was fitted with a cast iron frame in 1877. Today, the octagonal building is mainly used for concerts, theater performances and exhibitions.

The Pro Katz foundation supports all activities and needs of the old Botanical Garden. The advisory board is made up of the following members:

• Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Cámara Leret, Director of the UZH Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Chair
• Prof. Dr. Mareile Flitsch, Director of the UZH Ethnographic Museum
• Dr. Andreas Honegger, Vereinigung der Freunde des Botanischen Gartens Zürich