(1874-1970)
Born as the son of the director of the royal observatory William Foerster, Karl Foerster successfully completed a horticultural apprenticeship and worked thereafter at Schloss Altenstein (Altenstein Palace) in the vicinity of Meiningen, in Bordighera (Italy), Ahrensburg by Hamburg and other places.
Between 1903 and 1907, he constructed a perennial garden nursery in Berlin's West End, which he relocated to Potsdam-Bornim in 1910/11 along the border of the open agricultural field designed by Lenné in the 19th century. There he created around his home a garden universe, which made the Bornim town district famous throughout the world as "The Worpswede of Garden Designers". The Foerster-Garden, including also the sunken garden, remains an attraction for experts as well as for garden lovers.
Together with the garden architects Hermann Mattern and Herta Hammerbacher, Foerster founded the study group "Garden Design in Bornim" in 1928. On the suggestion of Karl Foerster a viewing and display garden for hardy perennials, ferns and grasses was created in 1938–1940 on Friendship Island.
After 1945, Foerster also worked further in Potsdam on the cultivation of perennials and continual to operate his nursery. Numerous publications round off his life's work.
In 1959, Karl Foerster became an honorary citizen of Potsdam. He was buried in Bornim.
