The New Chambers is a Rococo pavilion containing residential apartments. It is the mirror image of the Bildergalerie and was originally built as an orangery in 1747 to a design by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. In 1777 Frederick the Great (Friedrich II) ordered the building to be remodelled as guest accommodation. The architect, Georg Christian Unger, left the elegant Baroque exterior of the orangery largely untouched and instead concentrated on converting the interior. As well as the sumptuous guest suites, the new design included four elegant halls. The best of these is the Ovidsaal, with its rich reliefs and marble floors. The interior decor has been maintained in Frederick’s Rococo style. The building also houses a collection of Meissen figurines.
Experience Potsdam
The city of Potsdam was enclosed by a wall in 1722. This wall did not serve a defensive purpose – it was supposed to contain criminals and prevent soldiers from deserting. When the borders of the town were extended in 1733, new districts were also enclosed by the wall. There was a total of five city gates, of which three remain. One of these is the Jägertor, which has survived in its original condition and dates from 1733.
The small Neo-Classical Charlottenhof Palace is located in the southern extension of Park Sanssouci, Park Charlottenhof. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1829 for the heir to the throne, later King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. This small one-storey building was built in the style of a Roman villa. The rear of the palace has a portico that opens out onto the garden terrace. Some of the wall paintings designed by Schinkel, which were made in the so-called Pompeiian style, are still in place. The most interesting part of the interior is the blue-and-white-striped Humboldt Room, also called the Tent Room due to its resemblance to a tent. The palace is surrounded by a picturesque landscaped park which was designed by Peter Joseph Lenné.
A picturesque group of pavilions, situated by the edge of a lake, forms the “Roman Baths”, which actually served as accommodation for the king’s guests. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, with the involvement of Ludwig Persius, between 1829 and 1840. At the front is the gardener’s house, which is adjacent to an asymmetrical low tower in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa. In the background, to the left, extends the former bathing pavilion, which is currently used for temporary exhibitions. All of the pavilions are arranged around an internal garden planted with a multicoloured carpet of shrubs. A closer look will reveal that many of these colourful plants are actually vegetables.
t Italianate styling at the Römische Bäder, or Roman baths
t The elegant Chinesisches Haus
The lustrous, gilded pavilion that can be seen glistening from a distance is the Chinese House. Chinese art was popular during the Rococo period – people wore Chinese silk, rooms were wallpapered with Chinese designs, furniture was lacquered, drinks were served in Chinese porcelain, and Chinese pavilions were built in gardens.
The Chinesisches Haus was built in Park Sanssouci between 1754 and 1756 to a design by Johann Gottfried Büring. It is circular in shape, with a centrally located main hall surrounded by three studies. Between each of these are pretty trompe l’oeil porticoes. Ornaments, together with gilded figures of Chinese gentlemen and ladies, surround the pavilion. Originally the Chinesisches Haus served as a tearoom and a summer dining room. Today, it houses a collection of porcelain and has beautiful interior decoration featuring gilding and ceiling paintings.
t Gilded figures drinking and making music surround the Chinesisches Haus
Towering above the park is the Orangerie, designed in the Italian Renaissance style and crowned by a colonnade. The Orangerie was built to house guests, not plants. It was constructed between 1851 and 1860 by Friedrich August Stüler on the initiative and direction of Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The final design was partly based on the plans of Ludwig Persius. It served as a guest residence for the king’s sister and her husband, Tsar Nicholas I. The rooms were grouped around the Raphael Hall, which was based on the Regia Hall in the Vatican and decorated with copies of the works of Italian artist Raphael. It is worth climbing up to the observation terrace for the view over Potsdam.
t The Italianate campanile, or bell tower, visible from the tranquil cloister of Friedenskirche
Close to Schloss Sanssouci is Friedenskirche, or the Church of Peace. The foundation stone was laid by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV in 1845 and the church was completed in 1848. Designed by Ludwig Persius, Friedrich August Stüler and Ludwig Hesse, the church is based on San Clemente in Rome.
Inside, the vaulted ceiling of the apse is covered by a 12th-century mosaic that depicts the figure of Christ as a judge. This Byzantine mosaic was originally located in the church of San Capriano on the island of Murano in Venice. Next to the church is a mausoleum containing the tombs of Friedrich Wilhelm I, Friedrich Wilhelm IV and Kaiser Friedrich III.
Surrounding Friedenskirche is the Marlygarten, created in the mid-19th century. The garden was also designed by royal architect Ludwig Persius.
The Picture Gallery, housed in the building adjacent to Schloss Sanssouci was the first purpose-built gallery in Germany. It was constructed in 1764 to a design by J G Büring. The façade facing the garden is ornamented with an allegorical tableau representing Art, Education and Crafts, while busts of renowned artists have been placed in the windows.
The gallery contains an exhibition of Baroque paintings once owned by Frederick the Great, although part of the collection can be found in the Gemäldegalerie. Highlights include Caravaggio’s Doubting Thomas and Guido Reni’s Death of Cleopatra’, as well as a number of canvases by Rubens and van Dyck. The stunning interior has a floor inlaid with yellow marble complementing the gilded ceiling.
t The Bildergalerie, the first gallery built to house a ruler’s art collection in Germany
A mill has been located here since the early 18th century, although this is actually a reconstruction, dating from 1993. According to local legend, the original windmill was so noisy that Frederick the Great ordered it to be dismantled. However, a court upheld the miller’s cause and the mill stayed. In 1790 a new windmill was built in its place, which lasted until 1945. The mill currently houses a museum of mechanical windmills.
Schloss Cecilienhof was the final palace built by the House of Hohenzollern.
The Cecilienhof Palace played a brief but important part in history because the 1945 Potsdam Conference took place here. Completed in 1917, the palace is the most recent of the Hohenzollern dynasty buildings and was designed by Paul Schultze-Naumburg in the style of an English country manor. It is a sprawling, asymmetrical building with wooden beams making a pretty herringbone pattern on its walls.
The palace was the Hohenzollern family residence after they lost the crown; the family remained in Potsdam until February 1945. It now functions as a first-class hotel and restaurant, where visitors can relax amid carefully tended shrubbery. Most of the historic furnishings used during the famous Potsdam conference are on display.
t Schloss Cecilienhoff, scene of the Potsdam Conference
The Marble Palace is situated on the edge of the lake in Neuer Garten, a park northeast of the centre of Potsdam. This small palace is a beautiful example of early Neo-Classical architecture and owes its name to its façade, which is clad in Silesian marble.
The square main body of the palace was the initiative of King Friedrich Wilhelm II. The original building was completed in 1791, but it turned out to be too small, and in 1797 it was extended. An extra floor and two wings were added, which gave the Marmorpalais the character of a Palladian villa.
The main part of the palace contains Neo-Classical furnishings from the late 18th century, including furniture from the workshops of Roentgen and porcelain from the English firm Wedgwood. The interiors of the wings date from slightly later, from the 1840s. The concert hall in the right-hand wing is particularly beautiful. King Friedrich Wilhelm II died in this palace in 1797.
PICTURE PERFECT
The palaces and parks of Potsdam together form Germany’s largest UNESCO World Heritage Site. Make sure your camera is charged every day so you don’t miss any of the breathtaking sights you’ll see here.
This imposing church, built in a late Neo-Classical style, is the most beautiful church in Potsdam. It was designed in 1830 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the building work was overseen by Ludwig Persius. The main body of the church is based on a square cross, with a semicircular presbytery.
It was decided only in the 1840s to crown the church with a vast dome, supported on a colonnaded tambour (a wall that supports a dome). Schinkel had envisaged this from the beginning of the project, but it was not included in the orders of the king. Initially it was thought that the dome would be supported by a wooden structure, though ultimately it was built using iron, between 1843 and 1848, according to a design by Persius and Friedrich August Stüler. The interior decoration and the ecclesiastical furnishings of the church date back to the 1850s, and in the main area of the church they were based on the earlier interior designs by Schinkel.
In front of the church stands an obelisk built between 1753 and 1755 to a design by Prussian architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. Initially it was decorated by medallions bearing the portraits of Prussian rulers, but during restorations carried out after World War II, they were replaced with portraits of renowned Prussian architects.
Experience Potsdam
On 17 July 1945 the heads of government of Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union met in Schloss Cecilienhof to confirm the decisions made earlier that year at Yalta. The aim of both conferences was to resolve the problems arising at the end of World War II. They decided to abolish the Nazi Party, to limit the size of the German military and monitor it indefinitely, and also to punish war criminals and establish reparations. The conference played a major part in establishing a political balance of power in Europe.
t Architectural influence from the Netherlands seen in the Dutch Quarter
Just as amazing as the Russian district of Alexandrowka is the Dutch Quarter. The area is popular with tourists, with numerous shops, galleries, cafés and beer cellars, especially along the central Mittelstrasse.
Dutch workers, invited by Friedrich Wilhelm I, arrived in Potsdam at the beginning of the 18th century. Between 1733 and 1742 a settlement was built for them, comprising 134 gabled houses arranged in four groups, according to plans by Johann Boumann the Elder. They were built from small red bricks and finished with stone and plaster details. These houses are typically three-storey, with picturesque roofs and gables.
Experience Potsdam
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EAT Restaurant Juliette Francophile spot Juliette is one of Potsdam’s most popular dining spots thanks to its interesting range of dishes (from couscous to steak and foie gras) and great wine list. ⌂ Jägerstrasse 39 # noon–3:30pm & 6–10pm Wed–Sun ∑ restaurant-juliette.de ¡¡¡ |
This large glass-and-steel heated greenhouse was built to create a tropical rainforest environment that is now home to 20,000 different exotic plants and animals (including a butterfly house), waterfalls and more. Follow the various jungle pathways across mangrove swamps and up to the tree canopy, while learning about the various flora and fauna. The tropically themed café is a decent spot for a drink and a snack; book ahead if you want breakfast.
This 19th-century church was the first large Catholic church built in Potsdam, at the initiative of Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The work of Wilhelm Salzenberg, it was built in 1870, in the shape of a Neo-Romanesque cross. Its slender tower is a copy of the campanile of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, Italy. Inside are three beautiful paintings by French painter Antoine Pesne.
t The graceful tower of the church of St Peter and St Paul
The French Church, which is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, was built especially for the Huguenots in 1752. Following their expulsion from France, they were given the option of settling in Prussia in 1685. Those who settled in Potsdam initially benefited from the hospitality of other churches, then eventually the Französische Kirche was built for them. It was designed by Johann Boumann the Elder in the shape of an ellipse. The front elevation is supported by a grand columned portico. The side niches, which are the entrances of the church, are decorated with the allegorical figures of Faith and Knowledge. The interior dates from the 1830s and is based on designs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Although this building now houses the parliament of the federal state of Brandenburg, its elaborate façade is a replica of the Potsdam Royal Palace that once stood here. Originally built in 1662, over time the palace was greatly enlarged and modernized to become a massive two-storey building with three wings, an elegant courtyard and a superb gateway crowned by a tower. A bombing raid in 1945 left the palace in ruins and it was finally demolished in 1960.
At the start of the 21st century, it was decided to construct a replica of the former palace façade, along with a modern interior. The works were finished in 2013 and the building now houses the Brandenburg parliament. Visitors are free to enter the inner courtyard through the entrance gate, the Fortuna Portal, as well as the entrance hall, with its famous Knobelsdorff staircase. There is also a roof terrace, a canteen and exhibition space.
⌂ Breite Strasse 1A @ 605, 695 v 91, 92, 96, 98 # 10am–6pm Tue–Sun ∑ filmmuseum-potsdam.de
t The Marstall, a former stables and now a film museum
This Baroque pavilion, once used as a royal stables, is the only remaining building of a former royal residence. It was first established in 1714 by refashioning an orangery built by Johann Nering in 1685. In 1746 it was extended and refashioned once more. It suffered extensive damage in World War II and in 1977, after major restoration, it was converted into a film museum. As well as mounting temporary exhibitions, the museum documents the history and work of the Babelsberg studios, Germany’s earliest film studios. Exhibits include old projectors, cameras and other equipment as well as props used in some of the most famous German films.
Experience Potsdam
German cinema gained international prominence with the rise of Expressionism. The UFA film studios in Babelsberg became the heart of the film industry and rivalled Hollywood as a centre for innovation. Many famous films were produced here, including the Expressionist masterpiece The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) by Robert Wiene, Nosferatu (1922) by Friedrich Murnau and Fritz Lang’s futuristic Metropolis (1927). After Hitler came to power, many directors and actors left Germany.
The buildings on the Telegrafenberg hill are considered to be some of the best 20th-century structures in the world and attract many admirers of modern architecture. The hill received its current name in 1832, when an optical telegraph station linking Berlin and Koblenz was built here. In the late 19th century, various educational institutes were located here, including the Institute of Astrophysics, for which the complex of buildings in yellow brick was built.
The meandering avenues lead to a picturesque clearing where the small Einsteinturm (Einstein’s Tower) breaks through the surrounding trees. Specially designed to observe the solar system, the tower was intended to provide information that would support Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. It was built in 1920 by Erich Mendelsohn and is regarded as one of the finest architectural examples of German Expressionism. Its fantastical appearance was intended to show what could be achieved with reinforced concrete. However, due to cost, everything above the first storey is brickwork covered in plaster. The building is open from May to October for guided tours only, which must be prebooked (call 0331 749 94 69).
Experience Potsdam
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DRINK Gleis 6 An atmospheric bistro with a decent cocktail menu of Caipirinhas and Mojitos, and a simple food menu of soups, salads and sandwiches into the night. Good starting point for a night out. Located just inside the Babelsberg S-Bahn station, it’s a good starting point for a walk around the area. ⌂ Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 4m § 0331 74 82 429 |
This amazing theme park was established on the site of the film studios where Germany’s first films were produced in 1912. From 1917 the studio belonged to Universum Film AG (UFA), which produced some of the most renowned films of the silent era, such as Metropolis. Nazi propaganda films were also made here.
The studio is still operational today, although part of the complex is open to visitors. There are plenty of sets from old films to explore, as well as behind-the-scenes professionals who demonstrate their skills to visitors – from set-building and makeup to handling animal stars. Older children can enjoy an explosive stunt show, 4D cinema, an interactive XD gaming arena and a spooky “submarine of horror”; for younger children there are gentler rides and activities, many featuring much-loved German children’s characters.
Wasserwerk Sanssouci's dome does not serve any useful purpose, although there is a huge chimney in the minaret.
t The Wasserwerk Sanssouci, with its decorative dome and Moorish brickwork
Designed by Ludwig Persius in 1842, the remarkable mosque of Sanssouci Waterworks was not built to serve the needs of an Islamic community, but to hide the special steam pump that serviced the fountains in Park Sanssouci. Inside you can see the preserved steam-powered machinery made by the Borsig company.
The Old Town Hall is an elegant, colonnaded building, constructed in 1753 on the eastern side of Alter Markt. The uppermost storey, which features an ornamental attic roof, is decorated with the crest of Potsdam and allegorical sculptures. A glass passageway links the building to a neighbouring mid-18th-century building housing the Potsdam Museum. The museum’s rich collection of artifacts tells the story of Potsdam’s development. A nearby branch of the museum, Memorial Lindenstrasse 54/55, is a former prison and interrogation centre used by both the Nazi and East German regimes.
t Dacha-style wooden house in former Russian estate of Alexandrowka
A trip to Alexandrowka takes the visitor into the world of Pushkin’s stories. Wooden houses decorated with carved motifs and set in their own gardens create a very pretty residential estate. Although they appear to be traditional Russian houses, they were constructed in 1826 under the direction of a German military architect for the singers of a Russian choir. The choir was set up in 1812 to entertain the troops and was recruited from Russian prisoners of war who had fought with Napoleon. In 1815, when the Prussians and the Russians joined forces, the choir was retained by Friedrich Wilhelm III.
Peter Joseph Lenné was responsible for the overall appearance of the estate, and it was named Alexandrowka after a Prussian Princess. It is based on the shape of the cross of St Andrew inscribed within an oval. In all, 12 houses were built here, as well as an outhouse which now contains a small museum on the choir. Some of the dwellings are still owned by the descendants of the choir. To the north of this estate stands the Russian Orthodox church of Alexander Nevski.
This museum is located inside a stunning replica of Frederick the Great’s 18th-century Barberini Palace. The exhibits on permanent display were built from a collection of French Impressionist landscape paintings donated by the museum’s founder, philanthropist Hasso Plattner. The venue also hosts temporary exhibitions and events focusing on the history of art, from the Old Masters to the contemporary era.
t A belvedere, or viewing platform, giving views over the Neuer Garten
Running along the edge of Heiliger See lake, on what was once the site of palace vineyards, is the New Garden, a park laid out between 1787 and 1791.
It was landscaped originally by Johann August Eyserbeck following the instructions of Friedrich Wilhelm II, while the current layout was created by Peter Joseph Lenné in 1816. It is a Romantic park ornamented with numerous pavilions and sculptures. The charming Marmorpalais stands beside the lake, while the northern section contains the early 20th-century Schloss Cecilienhof. Elsewhere you can see the red and green gardeners’ houses, the pyramid-shaped ice-house and a Neo-Gothic library pavilion completed in 1794.