Abstract
In 1844, in Chudenitz (today: Chudenice) near Klattau (today: Klatovy) - one of Czernin's dominions located in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest - a special event occurred from the point of view of the history of botany: Count Eugen Carl Czernin (1796-1868) founded an arboretum there, the so-called "American Garden", which he had initiated since 1842. What circumstances led to the creation of such an unusual natural space, which to this day harbours a multitude of interesting botanical peculiarities?