 1 Neue Fahrt Neue Fahrt in Potsdam. In center is Freundschaftinsel. |
 2 Landtag Brandenburg In 1740 Frederick II became the King of Prussia. He turned the city of Potsdam into a place of residence and in 1745 appointed the architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to remodel the Baroque palace in the style of Frederician Rococo. The city palace thus took on its final form, which would be the prototype for the new Landtag building more than 250 years later. One of the finest squares in Europe arose as a result of its interaction with the buildings in Alter Markt. |
 3 Landtag Brandenburg Very decorative Royal emblem |
 4 Altes Rathaus Frederick the Great, who ordered the construction of a new, fourth town hall had a way larger building in mind, but Mr. Windelband, one of the town's most popular Bakers intervened and eventually was allowed to keep his hous, thus limiting the space for the new town hall. The new town hall building was complete in 1755 by architect Johann Boumann. It is the one we still see today. Ironically, for the first 120 years of its existence, it didn't serve as a town hall, but as – the town jail. Only 1875, the city council moved into the building, with the jail still occupying parts of it. It serves now as a museum. |
 5 Altes Rathaus Here, the architects confused Roman history with the 1,000 years older Greek Mythology and made Greeks Titan Atlas one of the central features of the square. The original statue was made of gold-plated lead but turned out to be too heavy and fell down after only two years. Since 1877, the statue consists of gold-plated copper. Being a true Titan, Atlas survived everything the last 250 years threw at him – from hail storms to carpet bombing – and is now one of Potsdam's most recognizable landmarks. Potsdam's citizen didn't care much about Greek or Roman mythology and, somewhat disrespectfully, called the statue "The Doll." Consequently, the jail under Atlas' roof was called "The Doll-House." |
 6 Landtag Brandenburg The baroque palace was constructed on the site of an earlier fortification from 1662 to 1669 under Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm, and was rebuilt by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff under Friedrich II from 1744 to 1752, who performed additional interior decoration. It stood as one of the most important examples of Frederician Rococo. From 2000 to 2002 the Fortuna Gate of the castle was rebuilt on the Old Market, funded by, among others, the donations of Günther Jauch. |
 7 Obelisk on Alter Markt In 1755, a Roman forefront designed by von Knobelsdorff was built for St. Nicholas Church. At the same time, this obelisk was erected. The obelisk was damaged during the last battles of World War II. In 1969 it was removed for restoration. It returned to its old place in 1979. The four antique statues at the base are still the originals, made by scupltor Gottlieb Heymüller. The four medallions at the bottom of the obelisk, one on each side, originally depicted Prussian kings. After the war, when the House of Hohenzollern had fallen out of favor in East Germany, they were changed to depict four of Potsdam's most influential architects: Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Friedrich Ludwig Persius and Carl Phillip Christian von Gontard. |
 8 St. Nikolaikirche St. Nicholas' Church (German: St. Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam is an Evangelical Lutheran church on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) in Potsdam. The central plan building in the Classicist style and dedicated to Saint Nicholas was built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the years 1830 to 1837. The tambour of the 77 metre high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by Ludwig Persius and, from 1845, Friedrich August Stüler. |
 9 St. Nikolaikirche St. Nicholas' Church (German: St. Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam is an Evangelical Lutheran church on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) in Potsdam. The central plan building in the Classicist style and dedicated to Saint Nicholas was built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the years 1830 to 1837. The tambour of the 77 metre high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by Ludwig Persius and, from 1845, Friedrich August Stüler. |
 10 St. Nikolaikirche St. Nicholas' Church (German: St. Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam is an Evangelical Lutheran church on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) in Potsdam. The central plan building in the Classicist style and dedicated to Saint Nicholas was built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the years 1830 to 1837. The tambour of the 77 metre high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by Ludwig Persius and, from 1845, Friedrich August Stüler. |
 11 St. Nikolaikirche St. Nicholas' Church (German: St. Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam is an Evangelical Lutheran church on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) in Potsdam. The central plan building in the Classicist style and dedicated to Saint Nicholas was built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the years 1830 to 1837. The tambour of the 77 metre high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by Ludwig Persius and, from 1845, Friedrich August Stüler. |
 12 St. Nikolaikirche St. Nicholas' Church (German: St. Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam is an Evangelical Lutheran church on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) in Potsdam. The central plan building in the Classicist style and dedicated to Saint Nicholas was built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the years 1830 to 1837. The tambour of the 77 metre high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by Ludwig Persius and, from 1845, Friedrich August Stüler. |
 13 Library East German architechture on Altes Markt. This is very likely going down very soon. |
 14 Marstall The Marstall (the royal stables of the Prussian kings), built in 1685 as an orangery, was given its current look in the 18th century by Sanssouci's architect Knobelsdorff. Since 1981, the film museum and a café reside in the beautiful baroque building.The museum, formerly the "Film Museum of the GDR", was put under the administration of the Federal State of Brandenburg after 1990. In July 2011, the museum became a department of Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen "Konrad Wolf" Potsdam-Babelsberg. |
 15 Marstall The Marstall (the royal stables of the Prussian kings), built in 1685 as an orangery, was given its current look in the 18th century by Sanssouci's architect Knobelsdorff. Since 1981, the film museum and a café reside in the beautiful baroque building.The museum, formerly the "Film Museum of the GDR", was put under the administration of the Federal State of Brandenburg after 1990. In July 2011, the museum became a department of Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen "Konrad Wolf" Potsdam-Babelsberg. |
 16 Royal Exercise and Riding Hall The "Royal Exercise and Riding Hall" was built originally in 1734 based on planes by Pierre de Gayette. It stretched 500 feet all the way to the City Canal and was soon only called the Long Stable. In 1781, Georg Christian Unger added a grandiose Forefront to it. |
 17 Rechenzentrum Data Processing Center, (Rechen-zentrum in German). The building itself is rather dull - just one of the thousands of concrete slab buildings in town - but it presents a rather interesting piece of art, one of the last big examples of Socialist Realism. The ground level of the building is covered with over a dozen 6x6 ft frames forming a giant mosaic called "Man Conquers Space", created by Fritz Eisel. In true socialist tradition, the mosaic only features Soviet achievements. |
 18 Rechenzentrum Data Processing Center, (Rechen-zentrum in German). The building itself is rather dull - just one of the thousands of concrete slab buildings in town - but it presents a rather interesting piece of art, one of the last big examples of Socialist Realism. The ground level of the building is covered with over a dozen 6x6 ft frames forming a giant mosaic called "Man Conquers Space", created by Fritz Eisel. In true socialist tradition, the mosaic only features Soviet achievements. |
 19 Breite Straße East German architechture on Breite Straße. |
 20 Egyptian looking obelisk, designed by Georg von Knobelsdorff in 1753. It is the only remaining piece of the original Neustadt Gate. Hiroglyphs mean nothing. Egyptian hiroglyphs were not deciphered until the 1820s and the "writing" on the obelisk is pure fiction. The obelisk was restored and put back in place near its original location in 1981. |
 21 Apple Big, green apple on Brandenburger Strasse |
 22 Kutscherhof One of Steigenberger Hotel restaurants, a summer terrace. Nice sign. |
 23 Hiller & Brandt Houses The elaborate front of the building was designed by Georg Christian Unger and financed by King Frederick the Great. Unger's design was so successful that it earned him over 300 contracts for public buildings and living quarters in Potsdam and Berlin. The small house between the two four-story buildings was used to house soldiers. Every house owner in Potsdam had to accommodate a certain number of soldiers from the large Potsdam Garrison. Often, this was done by adding a smaller side wing to the main building. Frederick the Great was well known for his designs of fake facades. For esthetic reason, the windows in the forefront are all symmetrical, but they don't always correspond to the rooms behind them and quite a few of them are fake. |
 24 Teddy welfare Good thing someone is concerned of teddy bear welfare. |
 25 Alter Wache The Alter Wache is located in the Charlottenstraße. At the beginning of the 18th century, traders and goods coming from Werder and Brandenburg/Havel were examined here. After what is known as the second city expansion, the house became the guard headquarters. Later, Andreas Ludwig Krüger transformed the house into a prestigious structure with a classical colonnaded portico. Today, a bank resides in the Alter Wache building. |
 26 Sunglasses Sunglasses and reflections |
 27 Brandenburger Straße A pedestrian street running from the Brandenburg Gate to the priory church of St. Peter and St. Paul. |
 28 Brandenburger Tor The Brandenburg Gate was built in 1770/71 by Carl von Gontard and Georg Christian Unger by order of Frederick II of Prussia. It stands at the western end of Brandenburger Straße, which runs in a straight line up to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Previously, from 1733, there was another, simpler gate on the same spot, which resembled a castle gateway. Together with the city wall, a form of toll or excise barrier, and the other gates it was intended to prevent desertion and smuggling. Towards the end of the Seven Years' War, Frederick the Great had the old gate demolished and built, in its stead, this new Brandenburg Gate, as a symbol of his victory. For that reason the Brandenburg Gate resembles a Roman triumphal arch. Its prototype was the Arch of Constantine in Rome. The Roman influence of its architectural style can be seen, for example, in the double columns of Corinthian order as well as the design of the attic. A feature of the Brandenburg Gate is that it has two completely different sides, designed by two architects. Carl von Gontard designed the city side, his pupil, Georg Christian Unger, the field or countryside-facing side. Gontard made the city side as a rendered facade with Corinthian-style lesenes and trophies, Unger designed the field site in the style of the Arch of Constantine with Corinthian double-columns and ornamentation like the golden trumpets. The two side entrances for pedestrians were not added until 1843, under Frederick William IV, in order to cope with the increase in pedestrian traffic |
 29 Brandenburger Straße 72 A Baroque house, Built in 1785 by Johann Rudolf Heinrich Richter |
 30 Park Sanssouci The Green Gate (German: Grünes Gitter) is the main gateway into Sanssouci Park and is situated at the end of the avenue to Sanssouci Palace. This begins as one of three roads that radiate from the Luisenplatz square. The gate was designed by Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse and was put up in 1854 as part of the construction of the Church of Peace. Its name comes from the colour in which the gate was painted. Additional ornamentation is provided by individual bars and points being picked up in gold leaf. The iron gate bears the initials of Frederick William IV. |
 31 Park Sanssouci Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the structure. A baroque flower garden with lawns, flower beds, hedges and trees was created. In the hedge quarter 3,000 fruit trees were planted. The greenhouses of the numerous nurseries contained oranges, melons, peaches and bananas. The goddesses Flora and Pomona, who decorate the entrance obelisk at the eastern park exit, were placed there to highlight the connection of a flower, fruit and vegetable garden. |
 32 Villa Liegnitz This nice house was built in 1841 by AD Schadow. It was commissioned by the Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm III for his wife Comtesse Auguste Harrach. |
 33 Park Sanssouci A view towards Lustgarten and Sanssouci palace |
 34 Sphinx Two of the most prominent pieces are two Sphinx sculptures right next to the park entrance. Both resemble lions with tails and claws and female torsos. Both sphinxes have two boys playing with them, interestingly enough, the children are not half lion but completely human. |
 35 Poseidon or Neptune Poseidon or Neptune harrassing a woman. |
 36 Ornamental bench Nicely decorated bench |
 37 Statues Statutes around the great fountain |
 38 Statues Statutes around the great fountain |
 39 Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. Sanssouci is little more than a large, single-story villa—more like the Château de Marly than Versailles. Containing just ten principal rooms, it was built on the brow of a terraced hill at the centre of the park. The influence of King Frederick's personal taste in the design and decoration of the palace was so great that its style is characterised as "Frederician Rococo", and his feelings for the palace were so strong that he conceived it as "a place that would die with him". Because of a disagreement about the site of the palace in the park, Knobelsdorff was fired in 1746. Jan Bouman, a Dutch architect, finished the project |
 40 Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. Sanssouci is little more than a large, single-story villa—more like the Château de Marly than Versailles. Containing just ten principal rooms, it was built on the brow of a terraced hill at the centre of the park. The influence of King Frederick's personal taste in the design and decoration of the palace was so great that its style is characterised as "Frederician Rococo", and his feelings for the palace were so strong that he conceived it as "a place that would die with him". Because of a disagreement about the site of the palace in the park, Knobelsdorff was fired in 1746. Jan Bouman, a Dutch architect, finished the project |
 41 Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. Sanssouci is little more than a large, single-story villa—more like the Château de Marly than Versailles. Containing just ten principal rooms, it was built on the brow of a terraced hill at the centre of the park. The influence of King Frederick's personal taste in the design and decoration of the palace was so great that its style is characterised as "Frederician Rococo", and his feelings for the palace were so strong that he conceived it as "a place that would die with him". Because of a disagreement about the site of the palace in the park, Knobelsdorff was fired in 1746. Jan Bouman, a Dutch architect, finished the project |
 42 Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. Sanssouci is little more than a large, single-story villa—more like the Château de Marly than Versailles. Containing just ten principal rooms, it was built on the brow of a terraced hill at the centre of the park. The influence of King Frederick's personal taste in the design and decoration of the palace was so great that its style is characterised as "Frederician Rococo", and his feelings for the palace were so strong that he conceived it as "a place that would die with him". Because of a disagreement about the site of the palace in the park, Knobelsdorff was fired in 1746. Jan Bouman, a Dutch architect, finished the project |
 43 Pavillion A pavillion next to Sanssouci palace. Not very protective. |
 44 Archer One of the statues in the park |
 45 Lustgarten The panoramic vista of the garden of Sanssouci is the result of Frederick the Great's decision to create a terraced vineyard on the south slope of the hills of Bornstedt. The area had previously been wooded but the trees were felled during the reign of the "soldier-king" Frederick William I to allow the city of Potsdam to expand. On 10 August 1744, Frederick ordered the bare hillside to be transformed into terraced vineyards. Three wide terraces were created, with convex centres to maximise the sun light (see plan). On the partitions of the supporting walls, the brickwork is pierced by 168 glazed niches. Trellised vines from Portugal, Italy, France, and also from nearby Neuruppin, were planted against the brickwork, while figs grew in the niches. The individual parts of the terrace were further divided by strips of lawn, on which were planted yew trees. Low box hedging surrounded trellised fruit, making a circular ornamental parterre. In the middle of this "wheel", 120 steps (now 132) led downward further dividing the terraces into six. Below the hill, a Baroque ornamental garden, modelled on the parterre at Versailles, was constructed in 1745. The Great Fountain was built at the centre of this garden in 1748. Frederick never saw the fountain playing because the engineers employed in the construction had little understanding of the hydraulics involved. From 1750, marble statues were placed around the basin of the fountain. This again was a feature copied from Versailles: figures of Venus, Mercury, Apollo, Diana, Juno, Jupiter, Mars and Minerva, as well as allegorical portrayals of the four elements Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Venus and Mercury, the works of the sculptor Jean Baptiste Pigalle, and two groups of hunters, allegories of the elements (wind and water) by Lambert Sigisbert Adam, were presented by Versailles's owner, the French King Louis XV. The remaining figures came from the workshop of François Gaspard Adam, a renowned sculptor in Berlin. By 1764, the French Rondel, as it came to be known, was completed. |
 46 Hauptallee A fountain surrounded by sculptures on Hauptallee. |
 47 Neues Palais The New Palace is a palace situated on the western side of the Sanssouci park. The building was begun in 1763, after the end of the Seven Years' War, under King Friedrich II (Frederick the Great) and was completed in 1769. It is considered to be the last great Prussian baroque palace. After the death of Frederick the Great in 1786, the New Palace fell into disuse and was rarely occupied as a residence or entertainment venue. However, starting in 1859 it became the summer residence of the German Crown Prince, Frederick William, later German Emperor Frederick III. The palace was the preferred residence of Frederick and his empress, Victoria, throughout the 99 Days’ Reign. During the short reign of Frederick III, the palace was renamed "Friedrichskron Palace" (Schloss Friedrichskron) and a moat was dug around the palace. The ascension of Wilhelm II saw renovation and restoration within the palace being carried out with the installation of steam heating, bathrooms in state apartments and electrification of the chandeliers which Frederick the Great had collected from across Europe. Until 1918, it remained the preferred residence of Wilhelm II and the Empress Augusta. |
 48 Neues Palais The New Palace is a palace situated on the western side of the Sanssouci park. The building was begun in 1763, after the end of the Seven Years' War, under King Friedrich II (Frederick the Great) and was completed in 1769. It is considered to be the last great Prussian baroque palace. After the death of Frederick the Great in 1786, the New Palace fell into disuse and was rarely occupied as a residence or entertainment venue. However, starting in 1859 it became the summer residence of the German Crown Prince, Frederick William, later German Emperor Frederick III. The palace was the preferred residence of Frederick and his empress, Victoria, throughout the 99 Days’ Reign. During the short reign of Frederick III, the palace was renamed "Friedrichskron Palace" (Schloss Friedrichskron) and a moat was dug around the palace. The ascension of Wilhelm II saw renovation and restoration within the palace being carried out with the installation of steam heating, bathrooms in state apartments and electrification of the chandeliers which Frederick the Great had collected from across Europe. Until 1918, it remained the preferred residence of Wilhelm II and the Empress Augusta. |
 49 Statues Statues circling the the lawn in front of the New Palace |
 50 Antique Temple The Antique Temple is a small round temple in the west part of Sanssouci Park in Potsdam. Frederick the Great had the building constructed to house his collection of antique artifacts, coins and antique gems. Carl von Gontard created the building in 1768/69 near the New Palace north of the Central Alley, as a complement to the Temple of Friendship situated south of the Alley. Since 1921 the Antique Temple has been used as a mausoleum for members of the House of Hohenzollern and is not open to the public |
 51 Frederick the Great The statue of Frederick the Great, this time on horseback. Orangery Palace is in the background. |
 52 Frederick the Great The statue of Frederick the Great, this time on horseback. |
 53 Orangerieschloss The Orangery Palace (German: Orangerieschloss). also known as the New Orangery on the Klausberg, or just the Orangery. It was built on behest of the "Romantic on the Throne", King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (Frederick William IV of Prussia) from 1851 to 1864. The building, with its 300 meter long front, was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, after the image of the Villa Medici in Rome and the Uffizi in Florence. The middle building with its twin towers is the actual palace. This building is joined to the 103 meter long and 16 meter wide Plant Hall, with its almost ceiling-to-floor windows on the south side. In the western hall, the original floor duct heating system is still present and functioning. In the alcoves along the garden side of the castle annex, there are allegorical figures of the months and seasons. In the corner building at the end of the Orangery Hall were the royal apartments and the servants' quarters. |
 54 Mosaic Mosaic in front of the Orangery palace |
 55 Orangerieschloss The Orangery Palace (German: Orangerieschloss). also known as the New Orangery on the Klausberg, or just the Orangery. It was built on behest of the "Romantic on the Throne", King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (Frederick William IV of Prussia) from 1851 to 1864. The building, with its 300 meter long front, was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, after the image of the Villa Medici in Rome and the Uffizi in Florence. The middle building with its twin towers is the actual palace. This building is joined to the 103 meter long and 16 meter wide Plant Hall, with its almost ceiling-to-floor windows on the south side. In the western hall, the original floor duct heating system is still present and functioning. In the alcoves along the garden side of the castle annex, there are allegorical figures of the months and seasons. In the corner building at the end of the Orangery Hall were the royal apartments and the servants' quarters. |
 56 Vase and lady Another vase iin the garden and a female figurine in the back in front of the Orangery plant hall. |
 57 Orangerieschloss The Orangery Palace (German: Orangerieschloss). also known as the New Orangery on the Klausberg, or just the Orangery. It was built on behest of the "Romantic on the Throne", King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (Frederick William IV of Prussia) from 1851 to 1864. The building, with its 300 meter long front, was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, after the image of the Villa Medici in Rome and the Uffizi in Florence. The middle building with its twin towers is the actual palace. This building is joined to the 103 meter long and 16 meter wide Plant Hall, with its almost ceiling-to-floor windows on the south side. In the western hall, the original floor duct heating system is still present and functioning. In the alcoves along the garden side of the castle annex, there are allegorical figures of the months and seasons. In the corner building at the end of the Orangery Hall were the royal apartments and the servants' quarters. |
 58 A view over Nordischer Garten and Sizilianischer Garten |
 59 Neue Kammern and Old Mill Neue Kammern and Historische Mühle. The New Chambers were constructed for King Frederick the Great of Prussia from 1771 to 1775. The chambers replaced an orangery, which had been built at that site in 1745 on plans by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff and held the terraces' potted plants during the winter months. Ramps, on which the tubs were taken in and out, serve as reminders of the building's original use. Master builder Georg Christian Unger was commissioned to turn the orangery building into a guesthouse. |
 60 Historic Windmill The windmill at Sanssouci Palace is among the best-known mills in Germany. Legend has it that Frederick the Great was bothered by the clatter of the windmill's sails and insisted that the miller, named Grävenitz, tear it down. The king acquiesced, however, when the miller threatened to take the case before the superior court of justice. The original post windmill from 1738 had to be torn down because of its dilapidated condition. It was replaced by a windmill based on a Dutch model. Although this structure was largely destroyed in World War II, the sails of the Historic Windmill of Sanssouci, visible from quite a distance, have been turning again since 1993. |
 61 Bath tub Nice bath tub in the park, not very private though. |
 62 Black woman A bust of a black woman in the park. She has very weirdly formed breast though. |
 63 Sunflower Bright flower |
 64 Obelisk and gate Entrance at the end of Hauptallee and 1748 obelisk. |
 65 Friedenskirche The church was built according to the wishes and with the close involvement of the artistically gifted King Frederick William IV and designed by the court architect, Ludwig Persius. After Persius' death in 1845, the architect Friedrich August Stüler was charged with continuing his work. Building included work by Ferdinand von Arnim and Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse also. The church is located in the area covered by the UNESCO World Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin. The cornerstone of the churchhouse was laid on April 14, 1845. The building was dedicated on September 24, 1848, though construction continued until 1854. The structure resembles a High Medieval Italian monastery. An original Venetian mosaic from the early 13th century decorates the church's apse. While he was crown prince Frederick William had it bought at auction for 385 thalers and brought to Potsdam by boat. The mosaic shows the enthroned Christ with the Book of Life, the right hand upheld in blessing. At each side stand Mary and John the Baptist. Next to them stand the apostle Peter and Saint Cyprian, martyred by beheading in 258 and patron saint of Saint Cipriana, wearing chasubles. As an allegory for the Holy Spirit, a pigeon decorates the vertex of the hemisphere. Over the heads of the archangels Raphael and Michael a lamb shines as a symbol of Christ. On the semicircle of the apse a Latin inscript reads, according to Martin Luther's translation: "Lord, I have love for the site of your house and the place where your glory resides". The Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum was added to the north side between 1888 and 1890. The plans were drawn up by Julius Carl Raschdorff (de), who also designed the Berlin Cathedral from 1893 to 1905, in the style of the Baroque-influenced Italian High Renaissance. The 17th century Chapel of the Holy Tomb in Innichen, South Tyrol, Italy serves as an archetype for the mausoleum. |
 66 Triumphal arch. 1851 by Friedrich August Stuler. It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm IV and was meant as an entry to a new street, Triumphstrasse. The street never materialized though. |
 67 Hegelallee 53 This townhouse was built in 1785 by Johann Rudolf Heinrich Richter |
 68 Nauener Tor The Nauen Gate has been part of Potsdam's fortification since 1720. The current gate was designed by Johann Gottfried Büring, after an original sketch by King Frederick the Great. It was built in 1755 and is one of the first examples of English Gothic Revival architecture in Continental Europe. |
 69 Tent for a teddy bear Really good invention! A tent for camping teddy bear is a must for everyone taking their bear along on a hike. |
 70 Hunter's Gate Built in 1733, the Hunter's Gate is the oldest of Potsdam's three preserved gates. It is named for the royal hunting grounds that used to be right beyond the gate. Apparently, the name of the architect has been lost in time. |
 71 Bird Decorated electric box on Hegelallee |
 72 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 73 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 74 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 75 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 76 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 77 Dutch Quarter The Dutch Quarter is equally popular with locals and visitors. It consists of 4 city blocks with about 150 red brick houses in a Dutch look – umplastered, with white joints, shutters and partially curved gables. This preserved architectural ensemble, unique in Europe, was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch workmen who were brought to Potsdam by the Soldier King Frederick William I. Johann Boumann directed the building of the quarter. |
 78 Dutch Quarter A chic dog |