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Wilhelm Knechtel (August 13, 1837—1924) was an ethnic German Austrian-Romanian gardener and botanist.

[edit] Biography

Born in the the Czech lands, Knechtel worked in Prague, then entered into the service of Archduke Maximilian in 1860 at Miramare Castle in Trieste, Italy. When the Archduke was crowned emperor of Mexico Wilhelm accompanied him and designed various gardens in Mexico City, including the roof garden in Chapultepec Castle.

After the Maximilian's incarceration in June of 1867 he left for Romania. There, he went into the service of Domnitor, later King Carol I of Romania as Royal Director of Gardens and Professor of Botany at the Bucharest School of Agriculture. He was knighted Cavalier al Ordinului Coroanei României (Knight of the Order of the Romanian Crown) by Carol I of Romania on January 17, 1883.

Besides his botanical work, Knechtel was also a professor of German, Czech, Latin, Italian, Spanish and Romanian.

[edit] Bibliography

• Handschriftliche Aufzeichnungen meiner persönlichen Eindrücke und Erlebnisse in Mexiko in den Jahren 1864-1867 / Memorias del jardinero de Maximiliano de México (Written notes of my personal impressions and experiences in Mexico in the years between 1864-1867 / Memoires of the gardener to Maximilian of Mexico). Published in Mexico City/Munich, 2000, by The National Museum of History, Castillo de Chapultepec, Mexico. Originally published in 1905 by Karl Bellmann (Prague).