The idea of establishing a Botanical Garden in Poznań was first broached as far back as 1898 when the Board of Municipial Gardens proposed converting the existing nursery in Głogowska Street into a modern collection for exhibition purposes.
In 1902 the Municipial Gardens was established there, covering some 7.2 hectares under the design of the well known Poznań landscape architect H.Kube.
After gaining independence in 1918, on the initiative of the Regional Poznań Education Department, a decision was taken to build a new Botanical Garden fulfilling the latest educational demands and at the same time, ensuring more favourable conditions for the growth of flora on the outskirts of the city.
The City Authorities earmarked 2.5 hectares of the former nursery in Botaniczna Street and Polish President Stanisław Wojciechowski officially opened the Gardens on the 13th of September 1925. Almost three years later, on May 15 1928, Poznań City Council bequeathed the property and administration to the new National School of Horticulture, which went on to oversee the development of The Gardens up to the outbreak of war in 1939.
The Botanical Gardens now covered 11 hectares, boasting a comprehensive Flora Geography Section as well as a vast Ornamental Flora Section at the main entrance from Dabrowskiego Street.
On the 12th of December 1949 The Gardens came under the administration of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Poznań University. As a result they underwent dynamic growth, almost doubling in size, the number of plant types systematically grew and new sections as well as exhibition areas were created.
The Botanical Gardens are now a research and teaching division of Adam Mickiewicz University, considered to be one of the most modern and beautiful gardens of its type in Europe. Covering more than 22 hectares, it contains an imposing collection of over 7,000 species and varieties of plants from almost every climate zone of flora around the globe, making it one of the leading Polish botanical gardens.
