Germans love Sanssouci and regard this Potsdams marvel and the surrounding park as a relaxing royal retreat. Rather intriguingly, the name in French translates as: without a care, you will feel that this is quite appropriate because of the chilled out almost medieval atmosphere. Also, back in the day it used to be a quite refuge for the Prussian King. Frederik the Great who initiated the ideas in-fact also desired to be buried here and today you can find his tomb at his desired spot.
Potsdam is located right outside Berlin and can be reached quite easily using any mode of transportation. Potsdam can be reached easily from most main cities and Berlin is only a 30 minutes’ worth of a train ride away. Schloss Sanssouci is recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site and regards it as a treasure inside and out.
Among the various highlights of the region, you can witness the Marble Hall’s reception area in white and gold which was designed in the image of the Pantheon in Rome. There are many installations here painted by Antoine Watteau who was also Frederik the Greats favorite artist and there is also the Voltaire Room which has carvings of birds, flowers and fruits. This room was named after the great French philosopher and thinker Voltaire who did frequently visit the palace as the Kings guest.
The gardens are marked by gorgeously generous fountains and fusion landscape designs. There are also faux ruins and statues from the classical heritage among the other interesting features.
Neues Palace or the New Palace here is among the most splendid structures which impart visual pleasure and fascination. This palace building was created in celebration of the end of the Seven Years War. There are redesigned Dutch windmills, Orangeries which house picture galleries and the famous Drachenhaus or the Dragon House. Today, this building is occupied by a café and most of the tourists flock here at the end of their tours and soak in the pleasant memories and atmosphere.
The History
So the story goes such that Frederik the Great desired to cultivate the exotic fruits: plums, figs, and make wine right on the doorsteps of Potsdam. Thence in 1744 he got a terrace garden designed for this purpose in the Sanssouci Park. Furthermore, the mesmerizing view of the site around also gave him the idea of a summer house. And just about a year later the Kings dream was realized physically. A picture gallery along with a palace was constructed there in the following years. On the steep slopes of the castle vegetables and flower gardens were placed and today you can also find Frederik the Greats tomb right there as well on the castle hill. Towards the northern section of the castle certain sections of the ruins were grouped together and the resultant formation was staffages of the arts from the ancient world. This structure also hides a water basin which is located behind it through which water supply reaches the fountains and lavish waterworks in the park. These were the highlights which the King appreciated the most though the waterworks only worked to their complete extent when the steam engine was built in the 19th century. In the meantime the out of fashion Baroque gardens and the landscapes were redesigned to go with the fashions of the day and age. The Kings successor, Frederik William IV also elaborated upon these structures with Charlottenhof Castle, the orangery and the Roman Baths. It was almost as if Italian living and styles were brought to German harmonious design and they together formed eloquence. The visual enigma of the castles in Sanssouci Park are indeed breath taking and fascinates anyone who views them even more than once. Today there are music events, concerts and other festivals that are organized here, and the backdrop of the castles give a sense of enchantment.
All about Sanssouci
It is the famous summer palace of Frederik the Great, the King of Prussia. Sanssouci is among the very few places in the world which have managed to rival Versailles neck to neck. The palace was developed to have an intimate rococo stylization and is noteworthy because of its temples and follies in the parks.
The designing of the palace and surrounding areas was conducted by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 in response to the desires presented by Frederik the Great. The palace in every way, right from its name which was derived from the French phrase: sans souci, meaning: without worries or being carefree; along with the architecture and the scenic beauty, everything meant to be a retreat from the bustling courthouses of Berlin.
Frederik William IV came in to occupy the palace in the 19th century. Upon his arrival, Ludwig Persius, an architect was appointed for the purpose of enhancements and expansion of the palace, and Ferdinand von Arnim was appointed with the job of particularly improving the landscape so that the view from the palace appears better. This palace building and Potsdam were the favorites of the German Imperial Family. Moreover, the post-World War II era saw a lot of tourists coming towards the East German side to visit the magnificence here.
The spirit of the age – the architecture and design
The most fascinating thing about Sanssouci is defiantly its location above a vineyard. This image itself is an embodiment of the pre-Romantic spirit. Where nature was everything and architects across have brilliantly tried to present a confluence of nature and the modern to further show a harmonious unity in the design. At Schloss Sanssouci this has been achieved quite impressively.
Furthermore, Frederik the Great chose a hill to create mein Weinberghäuschen, his very own vineyard. There is a brilliant view of the countryside along with its very location of being right in the middle of nature itself. Fredrik the Great wanted to reside here without a bit of care and therefore the elaborate arrangements to create exclusivity within a secluded space.
Post the creation of Sanssouci, the New Palace was created in the Parks western section. The new palace was to become much more grander and larger in its size and grandiose. It was designed in the Baroque traditions of the day and age. This building was designed to replenish the image of Prussia, and present its capacities and capabilities after it almost lost the Seven Years War.
Though the New Palace and Sanssouci are present in almost direct opposition, it was realsied that Sanssouci was a whole in itself, rather it was meant to be that way and the New Palace was just an opulent side dish.
Sanssouci is much smaller and comprises of the principle block, a single stories edifice of ten rooms, a service passage way and staff rooms. This was how Frederik the Great envisioned it and directed as well, the lead architect Knobelsdorff was merely present to provide assistance. Frederik’s intimation with intimacy made him design a palace which was to be only for himself, his family and a few guests.
The park which is located on the eastern side of the palace is: he Sanssouci Picture Gallery. It was built between 1755 and 1764 in accordance with the directions provided by Johann Gottfried Büring. Earlier there used to be a greenhouse in place of this where the King cultivated tropical fruits. It is also considered to be the oldest extant museum built for any ruler in Germany. Furthermore, the design of this building is quite similar to that of the place due to its long and low spread which is dominated by a central domed bow of three bays.
With the death of Frederik the Great, Frederik William II was placed on the throne and he adopted neo-classicism as an architectural style which was popular across Europe. He did not frequent to Sanssouci and dictated to construct a more fashionable palace.
Almost immediately after the death of Frederik the interiors were renovated and remodeled. This work was received by Frederick William von Erdmannsdorff, at that time he was also busy building the New Palace in Baroque style. Moreover, Erdmannsdorff the advocate of the new classical style, he had also established his credibility with the creation of Schloss Wörlitz in Wörlitz Park (the first neo-classical palace in Germany); influenced the design of Sanssouci and it thus became the first German building to be remodeled with neo-classical interiors.
The architecture
The use of rococo in the architectural style of Sanssouci is quite significant. Here light almost presents itself whimsically and then vogues in an exactness. This rococo style came from 18th century France and later on continued through the emergence of Baroque but is contrasted by Baroques use of heavy themes, and dark colors. Rococo is characterized by opulence, grace, playfulness and lightness, along with resembling the leisurely aristocratic lifestyle and lighthearted romance.
There are two flanking wings on the sides of the single storied principle block. The central bow breaks the apparent monotony of the façade and the site of the rising dome right over the hipped roof is quite interesting – here is where the name of the palace is written quite intricately using commas and full stop. On the either side wings of the garden front there are systematic rows of trees. As a matter of infusion of contrasting elements, façade of the northern entrance is a bit more restrained and has 88 Corinthian columns.
Finally, the western wing which is also known as the ladies wing was used for the purpose of providing accommodation for ladies-in-waiting and guests. There are intricate formations resultant due to the use of boiseries, paneling and tapestries.
Compilation of the interior was based on the principles of maison de plaisance. Through the Entrance Hall the classical colonnades continued into the interior. The Corinthian columns made using stucco marble carrying guided capitals subdivided the rectangular rooms. Walls of the Dining Room are laden with artistic pieces by: Jean-Baptiste Pater, Jean François de Troy, Pierre-Jacques Cazes, Louis Silvestre, and Antoine Watteau. The Kings study and bedroom on the other hand were remodeled after Frederik’s death by Frederick William von Erdmannsdorff in 1786. There is also a circular library which remains otherwise hidden and can only be accessed through a narrow passageway passing through the bedroom.
The guest rooms were specially designed to cater to all the needs posed by the friends of Frederik the Great. There are in-fact two rooms specially dedicated to two of his most distinguished friends: The Rothenburg room dedicated to the Count of Rothenburg and The Voltaire Room, dedicated to the French philosophe.