Nauen Gate
The Nauener Tor is one of the three preserved city gates of Potsdam . It was built in 1754/1755 and is considered the first neo-Gothic building on the European continent.
In 1722, about 400 meters from the current location, the first Nauen Gate was built as one of the five city gates located in the city wall during the so-called first baroque city expansion. In 1733 a new gate was built 20 meters in front of today's square during the second baroque expansion of the city. In 1754/1755, 20 years before the actual beginning of the neo-Gothic era on the continent, the Nauener Tor in Potsdam was based on a sketch by King Friedrich II. By the architect Johann Gottfried Büring, an architecture in Gothic forms. 1867–1869, this gate was rebuilt into its present form by King Wilhelm I.
When looking for a specific, copied template, you have not found it. The frequently cited model Inveraray Castle in Scotland is ruled out according to the latest research, as it had no conical roofs in its original form. It was only after a fire in 1877 that new architectural elements were added to Inveraray Castle (original year of construction: 1457) during the repair work: For example, the corner towers were only now given the conical helmets. The characteristic shape of the Nauener Tor, on the other hand, can be found in a hitherto unexpected place, for which there is no doubt that it was known to Friedrich II. For the first edition of his own writings, the king had illustrations by the important engraver Georg in 1750 Make Friedrich Schmidt . The vignette for the “Eloge de Jordan” of the third volume shows in the background a city wall lined with colonnades , which is interrupted by a gate flanked by round towers with pointed helmets.
Presumably Friedrich II was also inspired by the similarity with the towers of Rheinsberg Castle , where he spent his time as Crown Prince , and which he called the most beautiful throughout his life.
Originally a city wall connected the Nauener Tor with the other two gates, the Jägertor and the Brandenburg Gate on Luisenplatz . Instead of the city wall that has not been preserved, a promenade now connects the three remaining Potsdam city gates. The Nauener Tor is in close proximity to the Dutch Quarter . Its users were the military and traders, craftsmen and administrations up to the restaurant. The square in front of the Nauener Tor has been a popular meeting place for Potsdamers and their guests since the last renovation of the gate and the redesign of the traffic routing in 1996 with its high density of cafés, restaurants and bars. The tram tracks lead directly through the Nauener Tor. In addition, there are only two other cities in the German-speaking region with such gate passages, these are the tramway in Freiburg im Breisgau and the Käfigturm near the Bern tramway .
literature
- Paul Sigel, Silke Dähmlow, Frank Seehausen and Lucas Elmenhorst: Architectural Guide Potsdam . Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-496-01325-7 .
- Christiane Theiselmann: Potsdam and the surrounding area. From Prussia's Arcadia to the Brandenburg state capital . Cologne 1993.
- Friedrich Mielke: Potsdam architecture - the classic Potsdam , Propylaen publishing house; 2nd edition 1991 Ullstein.
Web links
- Entry in the monument database of the State of Brandenburg
- Info from the city of Potsdam
- Alfred Hagemann : The Nauener Tor in Potsdam - The "roi philosophe" and the Gothic Revival , Potsdam, 2012.
Individual reference / indication of source
- ↑ Friedrich Mielke: "Potsdamer Baukunst - the classic Potsdam", Propylaen Verlag; 2nd edition 1991 Ullstein
- ↑ Dr. Alfred P. Hagemann: “The Nauener Tor in Potsdam - The» roi philosophe «and the Gothic Revival”, Potsdam, 2012 , accessed on March 6, 2012
Coordinates: 52 ° 24 '12.4 " N , 13 ° 3' 28.2" E