History

Asparagus was first cultivated in the palace garden in 1668 at the request of Elector Carl Ludwig and was initially reserved for the electoral table. After Elector Carl Theodor moved his residence to Munich in 1778, asparagus cultivation was also forgotten. It was not until 1820 that garden director Johann Michael Zeyher revived the tradition and once again planted asparagus in the palace vegetable garden.

Around 1850, the vegetable found its way into local agriculture. Craftsmen in particular grew asparagus on small plots for their own consumption. From 1870, economist Max Bassermann planted the first large-scale crops and processed the asparagus in his cannery, which he founded in 1875. This made asparagus available to large sections of the population all year round. The first asparagus market was held in 1894 and the first asparagus regulations were written down. Court gardener Gustav Adolph Unselt succeeded in breeding high-yielding asparagus varieties from 1910 onwards, which established Schwetzingen's fame as an asparagus town.