The palace was intended as a private retreat for Friedrich the Great and designed on a relatively small scale to accommodate his desire for comfort and privacy. It was built from 1745 to 1747 and was occupied every summer throughout Friedrich’s lifetime. Even though his architect tried to change a few things, none were accepted and despite some disadvantages because of it (being a single level it was prone to dampness for example) Friedrich enjoyed every summer there.
After his death the palace was completely altered, remodelled in the then fashionable neo-classical style. As the emperors changed, the palace saw less and less use and was kept in a more or less acceptable condition. In 1873 it was opened up for museum purposes and made one of the first and oldest castle museums in Germany. Until the end of the monarchy in Germany it remained the property of the Hohenzollern, after which it came under the care of the national body for the preservation of castles and gardens in 1927.
The palace has had major restoration work done since the 1960’s and after the reunification more work was done, including restoring several pieces of art work and Friedrich’s extensive book collection that had been moved, displaced or sold after WWII. The wiki entry contains more detailed info regarding the individual rooms and places in and around the castle.
The palace is now again a treasure trove from an architectural and fine arts point of view. Enjoy it on a day trip from Berlin as part of your Cosmopolitan North – Hamburg and Berlin tour.
Author: Petra Alsbach-Stevens
Leave a Reply