A Visit to the Alexander von Humboldt Park in Havana
HAVANA TIMES – A few days ago, while walking along Muralla Street, I reached the corner of Oficios. There you’ll find Alexander von Humboldt Park, a cool spot shaded by tall trees, where humidity prevails and invites a sense of spiritual calm.
It is appealing for its proximity to a building that evokes European architecture. Off to one side there is a hidden staircase that leads down to a lower level where a gated passageway can be found. I imagine the gate was installed to keep couples from going there at night to make love, or perhaps to prevent people from using it as a public bathroom.
There are two statues. The first is of Alexander von Humboldt, and the second—of rather unusual design (added later)—is dedicated to Juan Cristobal Gundlach. The latter was a German naturalist who settled in Cuba to research Cuban fauna. He collected the zunzún, a bird of minimal size and great beauty.
The space as a whole was erected in honor of the German naturalist, geographer, and scientist Alexander von Humboldt, who carried out numerous topographic studies of flora and fauna in the Americas. He also made valuable contributions through his observations of climate change in ecosystems.
This distinguished traveler is known as the father of environmentalism and ecology, and also as the second discoverer of our island.
Here are the photographs. I hope you visit the park and seek out information about these illustrious figures.