Baron Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934) specified in his will that he wished to be buried in Israel. In 1954, the remains of the Baron and his wife Baroness Adelheid (1853-1935) were removed from the French cemetery where they had been buried twenty years earlier. Brought to Israel aboard a naval frigate, upon arrival in Haifa the craft was greeted with sirens and a nineteen-gun salute. The government had decreed a State Funeral and the Baron and Baroness were re-interred in Israel.
Ramat Hanadiv Memorial Gardens
The Ramat Hanadiv Memorial Gardens are nestled on a slope, on the road that leads from Zichron Ya’acov to Binyamina. The gardens and nature reserve cover over 1,100 acres – 20 of which are the memorial gardens. The gardens at Ramat Hanadiv - the Heights of the Benefactor - were planted as a memorial to Edmond and Adelheid. The public gardens, surrounded by a Nature Reserve brimming with wild flowers, are comprised of many varying areas, from a formal rose garden to a wooded walk.
The Fragrance Garden has been designed with the visually impaired in mind, so that plants’ fragrance might be enjoyed. It includes fragrant sweet smelling plants and herbs. Visitors are encouraged to touch the plants in this section. Both Edmond and his son James were almost sightless for the latter part of their lives.
The formal Rose Garden contains a variety of roses and includes six pools with fountains, representing the Rothschild family. The large pool represents the founder of the Rothschild business, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, while the five small pools represent his five sons.
