Dutch country seats considered as historic monuments: An attempt at legal protection of gardens and parks

Abstract

Abstract Until recently the Dutch did not realize that manors and country houses and their surrounding parks and gardens formed an inseparable entity, and should not be looked at as two isolated and different kinds of objects. It was Jonkheer H. W. M. van der Wijck who, about 10 years ago, opened our eyes to this fact and insisted on acknowledging this entity of the country seat (called ‘buitenplaats’1 in Dutch) as a specific category among products of culture and art, which as such deserves protection.