Potsdam City Palace

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Garden facade of the City Palace, 2017
Castle, 1920
Pleasure garden with Neptune basin , behind it the city palace and the Nikolaikirche , 1920

The Potsdam City Palace is a building on the Alter Markt in the city center of Potsdam .

As an ensemble of pleasure garden with Neptunbassin , Marstall and with the surrounding pleasure palaces, the Potsdam City Palace was of national importance. Gardens, architecture and original interior furnishings showed the different conceptions of different epochs with design forms of the Baroque ( Schlüter ), Frederician Rococo ( Knobelsdorff ), and Classicism ( Schadow ).

From the outside, today's palace is an extensive reconstruction of the palace building, which was destroyed in 1945 and demolished in GDR times, and which was largely built by the architect Knobelsdorff by 1751 . The reconstruction, inaugurated in January 2014, serves as the seat of the Brandenburg State Parliament and has a functional interior design designed by Peter Kulka . The reconstruction of the baroque façade was made possible by civic engagement, especially by Günther Jauch ( Fortunaportal ) and a large donation of 20 million euros from SAP founder Hasso Plattner .

history

From the first castle to the palace for Electress Katharina von Brandenburg

Floor plan of Electress Katharina's palace

In 993, the first documentary mention of Potsdam, there was a fortress on the banks of the Havel . It was created at the same time as the small settlement of Poztupimi on the banks of the Havel and was intended to protect it against enemies. When the Ascanians extended their sphere of influence from Magdeburg and conquered the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1157 , they drove out the Slavs and began to control the migratory flows from here. The Havel ran very flat near the fortress, which motivated many hikers from Havelland to Teltow to cross at this point, and there was also a wooden walkway here, which later became Potsdam's first bridge. First, the fortress was adjusted to the other castles of the Ascanians in order to be expanded into a massive complex in the following centuries. Due to the constant pledging of the Potsdam property, however, the building deteriorated more and more, despite its regular use for hunting purposes. In 1598, when Elector Joachim Friedrich gave the estate to his wife Katharina von Brandenburg-Küstrin , the decision was made to demolish it and build a new permanent residence. However, due to the early death of the Electress, this could not be completed in full. Since Katharina's successor Eleonore also died early, interest in the castle was finally completely lost. In 1606 the elector moved out again and from then on stayed in Joachimsthal , north of Berlin . The still young building was pledged again, this time under the junker Wolf Dietrich von Hacke , who used it as a sheepfold and barn , which caused it to deteriorate considerably.

Time of the Great Elector

The Thirty Years' War had further affected the building. Nevertheless, Elector Friedrich Wilhelm (the Great Elector ) tried several times to redeem the Potsdam estate with the palace from the pledge. His passion for hunting, but above all the role model of his governor in Kleve, Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen , drove him forward. By creating various parks around the Schwanenburg, he had made a significant contribution to the development of the city of Kleve into a cultural landscape. From 1660 he had a pleasure garden laid out according to his specifications .

The palace was rebuilt in the early Baroque style between 1662 and 1674, based on examples of Dutch palace architecture, such as the Honselaarsdijk Palace (near Westland ), with roof turrets similar to those that still exist today at Bensberg Palace by Johann Gregor Memhardt . When the elector wanted to bring his entire court to Potsdam, the building had to be expanded, and a large number of town houses were demolished, the owners of which only received compensation years later . The four-wing complex was dominated by the three-storey corps de logis , which was divided by a central risaliten , in which there was a hall extending over two floors, and two flanking pavilions. A courtyard of honor was laid out between the corps de logis and the main portal , which was surrounded by lower two-story wings, which in turn were accentuated by corner pavilions. The castle was separated from the surroundings by a moat and the pleasure garden by a low wall.

The former Drap d'argent Chamber was probably the death room of the Great Elector. The room was redesigned under the successors. Because of the yellow silk wallpaper and covers with colorful flowers, the room was then called the Yellow Parade Chamber .

  • Honselaarsdijk Castle in the Netherlands was a model for the Potsdam City Palace.

  • New construction of the city palace 1662–1669

  • Potsdam City Palace, copper engraving by Jean Baptiste Broebes

As a royal castle

In 1688 Friedrich III followed. from Brandenburg to his father. Inside the palace, he had the marble hall decorated by Andreas Schlueter in 1695 as a hall of fame for the Great Elector. The plastic decoration of the ceiling fillet was preserved despite the later change.

His self-coronation as King Friedrich I in Prussia in Königsberg in 1701 resulted in changes to the palace. A new entrance gate was created by Jean de Bodt , whose figure on the top, the Fortuna , gave him the name " Fortunaportal ". The city palace became the place of festivals, balls and in July 1709 the scene of the " Epiphany Meeting " of the kings of Poland , Denmark and Prussia.

In 1713 Friedrich Wilhelm I ascended the Prussian throne. He pursued an austerity program, sold or leased 18 of his 24 inherited castles. Among other things, he kept the city palaces in Berlin and Potsdam.

Friedrich Wilhelm I made the Potsdam City Palace his main residence. Friedrich Wilhelm I's main residence in the Potsdam City Palace consisted of the anteroom, the living room, the bedroom with an anteroom and a corridor with "stepless stairs that Friedrich Wilhelm I used in a wheelchair". There was a painting window wall with portraits of the entire officer corps of the Cuirassier Regiment Kurprinz No. 2 from 1681. Opposite there were paintings of the following officers from the time of Friedrich Wilhelm I: Prince Christian Ludwig (painting by Friedrich Wilhelm Weidemann ); Waiting life (Weidemann); Margrave Albrecht Friedrich (Weidemann); Arnim; Pannwitz; Schwendy; Lilies; Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Holstein ; Goltz; Rutofsky ( son of August the Strong ); Kleist; Bredow; Waldow; Kröcher (painted by Georg Lisiewski , 1731); Dohna; Botzheim; Villager; Dewitz; Heyden; Wensen (Weidemann); Donkeys; Sonsfeld; Lepell; Waldau; Ostrich; Schenkendorf; Montecuculi. Then there are the paintings of “Langen Kerls” from the giant guard : Wagenführer from Neuwied and Jonas Henrichson from Norway, painted by Johann Christof Merck (active 1695–1726), born in Schwäbisch Hall, 1718. With a portrait of Giacomo Casanova (1717).

  • Potsdam City Palace, seen in its entirety, around 1750

  • Picture gallery in Potsdam City Palace, grenadier charioteer from the giant guard , painted by Johann Christof Merck, 1718

  • Picture gallery in Potsdam City Palace, Grenadier Henrichson from Norway from the Riesengarde , painted by Johann Christof Merck, 1718

  • Potsdam City Palace, death chair of Friedrich Wilhelm I.

  • Statue of Friedrich Wilhelm I in Karl Hilgers ' pleasure garden , 1885; melted down in 1950

Conversion to the residence of Friedrich II.

The Potsdam City Palace around 1773

In 1740 Friedrich II became king in Prussia. In the first years of his reign he lived in the wing built by his court architect Knobelsdorff in Charlottenburg Palace . Between 1742 and 1743 he had an apartment set up for himself in the south-western corner pavilion of the Potsdam City Palace. Around 1744 Friedrich decided to build the summer palace of Sanssouci for Potsdam as his permanent residence and engaged Knobelsdorff for a comprehensive redesign, which resulted in one of the main works of the Frederician Rococo .

Stairwell

The redesign began with the construction of an advanced staircase in the inner courtyard . The stairwell was rebuilt between 1746 and 1748. The walls were covered with marble from Silesia. The groups on the ceiling and the model of the bronze railing were created by Johann Peter Benkert . The stairwell was clad with six stucco reliefs with mythological depictions related to music from antiquity, created by Benjamin Giese based on models by Johann Samuel Nahl . In the corners were four atlases by Johann Peter Benkert, Gottlieb Heymüller , and Petzold. The trophies were created by the goldsmith CG Kelly. In the room there were figures of Mars and Venus, created by Friedrich Christian Glume . The stairwell adorned the ceiling painting Peace makes the peoples happy , created by Antoine Pesne .

Marble hall

The marble hall, designed in honor of the Great Elector von Knobelsdorff, is a prime example of the Frederician style and was redesigned between 1749 and 1752: the stucco figures on the ceiling were made by the architect and sculptor Andreas Schlüter (1694 or 1706). Schlüter also created the frames for the paintings. The ceiling painting showed the The Elevation of the Great Elector to Olympus . It was an oil painting on canvas and was created by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo in 1751.

The relief above the vestibule door showed an allegory of the capture of Stralsund , while the relief above the door to the marshal's table room showed an allegory of the battle of Fehrbellin . The relief above the door to the bronze hall was an allegory of the Battle of Warsaw . The models for the reliefs were tapestries in the Berlin City Palace , created by Benjamin Giese . The trophies and cartouches were created by Kolley , while the doors and door pieces were made by the sculptor Johann Michael Hoppenhaupt the Elder . The floor was designed by Calame . In the marble hall there were large marble figures such as those of the Orange people Wilhelm I , Moritz , Friedrich , Heinrich and Wilhelm III. which were created by Franz Dusart.

Paintings worth mentioning in the Marble Hall were: The Elevation of the Great Elector to Mount Olympus by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (1751), Allegory of the Conquest of the Island of Rügen by Jacques Vaillant , Triumphal procession of the Great Elector by Paul Carl Leygebe , Allegory of Peace by Oliva by Theodoor van Thulden and the allegory of the acquisition of Magdeburg by Theodoor van Thulden.

Bronze hall

The bronze hall was designed between 1754 and 1755. The console tables and sconces were made of bronze by Johann Melchior Kambly . In the hall there was a painting by Louis de Silvestre from 1730 showing Friedrich Wilhelm I and August II . The Bronze room had a "white wood paneling with Spiegelramen and conditions of bronze." The bronze fittings and supports gave the bronze hall its name .

Concert room

The concert room was created around 1744. The walls were green and decorated with gilded carvings and brightly colored chinoiseries. The decoration came from Johann Samuel Nahl . The music stand was completed by Johann Melchior Kambly . The piano was from Gottfried Silbermann . In May 1747 played Johann Sebastian Bach on the piano in front of Friedrich II. Overdoors designed Berlin's Flower &. Fruit painter Augustin Dubuisson. Various paintings such as Marianne and Madame Cochois dancing by Antoine Pesne . The paintings Swing , Dance at the Fountain etc. by Nicolas Lancret were in the room.

bedroom

The bedroom was designed between 1745 and 1746. The walls were covered with a blue-silver wall covering. The room contained an alcove , seating, and library cabinets . The alcove barrier consisted of a balustrade on which putti stood. These were a silver driving work .

The room was decorated with a painting depicting Margravine Wilhelmine von Bayreuth . The main room had an elaborate stucco ceiling. The richly carved furnishings in the main room were created by the sculptor Johann Michael Hoppenhaupt the Elder . The fireplace was a work by Friedrich Christian Glume . The cedar chests of drawers in the room and the desk were the work of the carpenter Johann Heinrich Hülsemann. The silver fittings on the chests of drawers and the desk came from the goldsmith CG Kelly around 1750. The overhead portals were designed by Berliner Blumen- u. Fruit painter Augustin Dubuisson. The room had a fireplace set consisting of porcelain vases with blue flower paintings from Meissen .

Confidence table room

The confidence table room was created between 1748 and 1750. The room had a gilded stucco ceiling. The walls showed ponceaufarbige Samtwandbespannung with golden tress trim . The model and the execution came from Johann Melchior Kambly . The wood carving was created by the sculptor Johann Michael Hoppenhaupt the Elder . The former retractable machine board was located in the middle of the confidence board room . In the room there were paintings by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo : Rural festival , crossing to the island of love and Aeneas with Dido, as well as the painting by Antoine Pesne , which depicted Luise Ulrike of Prussia .

  • Confidence board room , with a former retractable machine board .

  • Confidence table room,

  • Condominium table room, painting by Antoine Pesne : Luise Ulrike von Prussia

  • Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo: Painting Aeneas with Dido and Ascanius in the confidence table room

  • Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo: Painting Country Festival in the Confidence Table Room

  • Confidence table room, stove.

Marshal's table room

The room was lavishly decorated in honor of the Field Marshal General of the Prussian Army . The stucco ceiling was created around 1700. The paneling featured a carved blue and gold wall decoration. The artists were Johann Samuel Nahl and Friedrich Christian Glume . The French grandfather clock from 1740 was decorated with marquetry and bronze fittings. The crown was created in Zechliner Glashütte . One in the room was a bust of Frederick the Great .

  • Marshal's table room, door

  • Marshal's table room, whole room, door (left) and over door (right)

  • Marshal's table room, over-port

Writing cabinet

The writing cabinet was created around 1755. The stucco ceiling was designed by the sculptor and plasterer Constantin Philipp Georg Sartori. The walls and furniture were decorated with carved flowers. The artists were Johann Christian Hoppenhaupt the Younger and the Berlin flower and fruit painter Augustin Dubuisson. The seating had blue velvet covers. The corner cupboard and desk had bronze fittings and supports and a tortoiseshell decoration , made by Johann Melchior Kambly around 1756. The bronze heating system had the shape of a dragon's head. From his writing cabinet, Frederick the Great saw the petition linden tree , where he regularly received supplicas from the subjects waiting there.

  • Writing cabinet, room

  • Writing cabinet, clock

  • Writing cabinet, stucco decoration

  • Writing cabinet, room with clock

  • Writing cabinet, bronze dragon head

Dining room

The dining room was built around 1744. The room had gray-pink silver wall paneling and a fireplace. The artists were Johann August Nahl and Friedrich Christian Glume . In the room there was a breakfast service painted with iron red and gold, which was created in Berlin around 1775. In addition, three porcelain boxes from the Meissen porcelain factory . Antoine Pesne had painted the stove screen with the screen with the stories of Ovid . Other paintings in the room were: Two Society Pieces (Antoine Pesne), Dancing Couple with Spectators in the Park (Antoine Pesne), Members of Frederick the Great's Opera in the Park (Antoine Pesne), The Dancer Barbarina (Antoine Pesne), The Moulinet ( Nicolas Lancret ), dance in the garden pavilion (Nicolas Lancret), the ball (Nicolas Lancret) and the outdoor party ( Antoine Watteau ). Nicolas Lancret's work is now in Charlottenburg Palace.

  • Dining room

  • Painting Couple dancing with spectators in the park by Antoine Pesne

  • Painting Dancing Couple with Spectators in the Park (The Dancer Barberini ) by Antoine Pesne

  • Painting Dancing Couple with Spectators in the Park (Reclining Gentleman) by Antoine Pesne

  • Painting Members of the Opera of Frederick the Great in the Park by Antoine Pesne

  • The Moulinet ( Nicolas Lancret )

  • Dance in the garden pavilion ( Nicolas Lancret )

  • Antoine Pesne: The dancer Barbara Campanini from the Potsdam City Palace (dining room) is now in Charlottenburg Palace

Prince Heinrich's apartment

In addition to the ceremonial rooms and Friedrich II's apartment, the rooms in the Potsdam City Palace from the time of Frederick II that he had designed as an apartment for his brother Heinrich von Prussia had been preserved. Prince Heinrich's apartment consisted of his bedroom, parade room and antechamber. The former wall hanging of Heinrich's bedroom was made of yellow velvet. The carvings were made by Johann Melchior Kambly and Eppen. The original painting was exposed again in 1932. Heinrich's showroom was originally furnished with curtains and covers made of blue velvet. The carving with originally blue-painted flowers came from Johann Christian Hoppenhaupt the Younger . The console table showed a Boullemarketerie with an inserted miniature portrait of Prince Heinrich. The antechamber was equipped with tapestries from the manufacture of Huguenot Charles Vigne around 1767/1800 in Berlin: Psyche is raised to heaven , Psyche's father consults the oracle , Psyche admonishes Cupid , Psyche illuminates the sleeping Cupid , Venus leads Cupid and Psyche together , The Sisters Psyches admonish you to take a lamp with you and the encounter between Cupid and Psyche . These came from the tapestry series Amor and Psyche after Cartons by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo . The tapestries from Heinrich's apartment are now in Charlottenburg Palace.

  • Prince Heinrich's bedroom

  • Prince Heinrich's bedroom

  • Prince Heinrich's antechamber with tapestries by Charles Vigne and Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Cupid and Psyche).

  • Psyche illuminates the sleeping Cupid

  • Psyche is raised to heaven

  • Tapestries from Heinrich's apartment today in Charlottenburg Palace

The wings were then raised and a second apartment was built in the south-east corner.

New construction of the pleasure garden under Friedrich II.

City Palace with Neptune Fountain, 1912
Neptune fountain with the sea gods Neptune and Amphitrite and the blowing tritons

The renovation under Frederick II continued with the new construction of the pleasure garden and the wrestling colonnade. Friedrich II commissioned the sculptor Johann August Nahl to design the Neptune Fountain (also known as "Neptune's Triumph") in the pleasure garden. Nahl created the main design, but entrusted the execution to the sculptors Johann Peter Benkert and Johann Gottlieb Heymüller . The Neptune Fountain consisted of a large chariot, where the sea god Neptune (with trident) and his wife the sea goddess Amphitrite (or Thetis ) were. The carriage was pulled by two horses, six tritons with fish tails and conch horns and two nereids riding on dolphins surrounded the carriage with the sea god and the sea goddess.

  • Sea god Neptune with his wife the sea goddess Amphitrite

  • Sea god Neptune with his wife the sea goddess Amphitrite and blowing tritons, partial view from the east

  • Sea god Neptune with his wife the sea goddess Amphitrite and blowing tritons, partial view from the west

  • Potsdam, Seated Nereid on Dolphin

During this time the Second Silesian War ended and Frederick II took part in the planning, so that Georg von Knobelsdorff finished the work by 1751. In the western end of the building, guest apartments were built in 1752 instead of the dismantled palace chapel . In 1735, Friedrich Wilhelm I left it to the Potsdam Huguenots after the court and garrison church was built , and in 1752 they received their own church building with the French Church .

The death of Friedrich II ended an epoch in Prussia's art history. The Frederician Rococo was a "long-lived North German formation of the French Rococo style ".

Modifications to the apartment of Friedrich Wilhelm III.

Friedrich's successor, Friedrich Wilhelm II , who had been in power since 1786, could not make friends with the building. As king he lived in the marble palace built according to his own ideas in the New Garden . He gave his apartment on the second floor of the north-west corner of the palace to his sons Friedrich Wilhelm III. and Ludwig continues.

After marrying Princess Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the apartment remained entirely with the Crown Prince, with the Crown Princess moving into the rooms below in the “western” apartment, which Friedrich II no longer used after 1744. The royal couple Friedrich Wilhelm and Luise, who also kept the apartment in the Kronprinzenpalais in Berlin , carried out renovations from 1799 that had a profound effect on the Frederician interior design.

Audience room with the throne of Frederick II.

Laying out of Frederick the Great in the audience hall

The audience room with the throne of Frederick II and at the same time the Frederician throne room was originally furnished with yellow velvet with silver embroidery by Pailly. The parade exhibition of the dead king took place here in 1786 , which is why the room was called the parade chamber . Friedrich Wilhelm III left this room. redesigned between 1799 and 1804 by master builder Friedrich Gottlieb Schadow . The stucco marble on the walls was created by Franz Ludwig Catel . The ceilings were designed by the painter Johann Wilhelm Niedlich. Wilhelm Böttner designed the over portraits with scenes from Oberon . The silk wallpaper and covers were blue with colorful flowers, which is why this room was also called the Blue Parade Chamber . The console table was made of Egyptian granite and came from the antique collection of the late Cardinal Melchior de Polignac acquired by Frederick II . The large bronze chandelier was created by Pierre-Philippe Thomire in Paris.

Large concert room

  • Bedroom (formerly large concert room)

The former large concert room was adorned with stucco and chinoiserie on a gold background. Frederick the Great gave flute concerts and was known for playing the flute . Friedrich II was also a composer who composed flute sonatas himself.

The room served after the death of Frederick II. As a bedroom for Alexander I in 1805 and Napoleon in 1806. The room was in 1818 for I. Nicholas refurbished. In the room there was a writing cabinet with inlays by JAF Griese from Berlin. The chests of drawers and bedside tables were from D. Hacker from Berlin. The table showed a lacquer carving with a depiction after Peter Paul Rubens in the manner of Johann Heinrich Stobwasser .

Frederician Theater

Frederick II had a two-story theater built into the head of the east wing. The theater, which was still unfinished in March 1748, was adorned with herms and ornamentation. The rows of seats were arranged in a semicircle based on the ancient model. The program included French comedies , Italian operas and ballets . Heymüller shows allegorically in the tympanum relief of the theater wing the dancer Barbara Campanini as Terpsichore before Friedrich as Apollo . In 1803 the theater gave way to simple living spaces for the growing royal family and staff.

  • South-facing floor plan of the palace with the theater in the head of the east wing

  • Floor plan of the theater

  • The ballet dancer Barbara Campanini (also known as The Dancer Barberina )

Etrurian room

Friedrich Wilhelm III. 1802/04 had a suite of rooms rebuilt in the classicist style. Instead of Friedrich's western apartment and its continuation in the northwest wing, representative and living rooms were created in the Etruscan style , a variant of classicism . The furnishings - wall cladding and furniture - of the Etrurian Room are based on a design by Friedrich Gottlieb Schadow and the brothers Ludwig Friedrich and Franz Ludwig Catel .

Queen Luise's apartment

Queen Luise's apartment consisted of an anteroom, dining room, yellow room, blue room, writing cabinet, and bedroom. Luise's rooms were reconstructed in 1932. The yellow room had a yellow wall hanging. The two console table tops came from the antique collection of the late Cardinal Melchior de Polignac , which Frederick II had acquired in Paris in 1742.

  • The Yellow Salon , Queen Luise's living room, watercolor by Friedrich Wilhelm Klose , around 1840

  • Queen Luise's bedroom

  • Blue room

Son and successor of Friedrich Wilhelm III. was Friedrich Wilhelm IV. He also lived in the city palace during his reign from 1840 to 1861. His ideas for the redesign, especially the facade to the pleasure garden , were not implemented due to his illness. Under his successors, the city palace was only used for representative purposes. Wilhelm I's summer residence was Babelsberg Palace and Wilhelm II resided in the New Palace. The city palace was open for viewing around 1900 for an entrance fee of 10 pfennigs and was shown largely unchanged.

From the end of the monarchy to destruction

Spring parade in front of Kaiser Wilhelm II on May 31, 1910 in front of the City Palace
Undestroyed castle with the wrestler colonnade, in the back the Nikolaikirche
Castle ruins after 1945, behind the Nikolaikirche

After the abdication of Wilhelm II, the city palace lost its purpose with the dissolution of the court. It passed into state ownership. The employment office , the city ​​administration and the magistrate moved in as new users for its meetings. In addition, rooms were given to artists, biographers or the Potsdamer Kunstverein . Despite an upgrade through the restoration of Queen Luise's rooms in 1932 and the Potsdam Garrison Museum set up in the immediate vicinity in 1922 in the Marstall , the city palace was far behind Sanssouci in terms of its importance for Potsdam tourism.

Shortly before the end of the Second World War , the British air raid on Potsdam on April 14, 1945 destroyed downtown Potsdam and burned down the city palace and large parts of its immediate vicinity down to the outer walls. Significant parts of the castle's valuable movable interior fittings had previously been outsourced. The fire destroyed the wall-mounted room furnishings, with the exception of small remains in the marble hall and in the stairwell. In contrast, the structure of the palace, including the sculptures , was largely preserved except for an aisle through the west wing. According to the building report of the Potsdam Office for Monument Preservation, 83 percent of the remaining walls were stable.

After years of disputes between cultural politicians, architects, town planners and preservationists on the one hand and the SED district leadership on the other, the SED Politburo decided in May 1959 to demolish the ruin in order to make space for a Karl Liebknecht Forum in its place . From January to April 1960 the city palace was demolished and cleared. Most of the rubble was used to fill the nearby pleasure garden. After the demolition, the area around the city palace was built over with multi-lane roads and a fork in the road was built in its place. The old market, located in the northeast of the former castle, increasingly lost its importance. The only building in the vicinity that survived bomb attacks and urban redevelopment largely undamaged is the former stables. This too was originally supposed to be demolished, but was preserved due to changes in town planning.

Part of the wrestling colonnade, which originally connected the royal stables with the west wing of the castle, was relocated to the nearby bank of the Havel, together with the gables of the head buildings that were recovered from the demolition. The preserved attic figures were placed on the roof cornices of the main building of the Humboldt University in Berlin and the reconstructed Old Town Hall , furniture and other furnishings of the city palace are shown in the Charlottenburg Palace and the New Palais.

As one of the last prestige projects in the GDR , construction of a new theater began on the site of the former city palace at the end of the 1980s. After the fall of the Wall in 1989/1990, however, there was increasing resistance to this building. At first there were concerns that the new theater building could block the view of the Nikolaikirche . The real reason for the demolition of the theater, which was still under construction in 1991, was, however, that the new theater building on the Alter Markt, one of the last major projects in the GDR, had become unpopular due to the changed political situation and, on the other hand, the possibility of rebuilding the area based on the historical model emerged.

reconstruction

Archaeological excavations in advance of the reconstruction

Impetus for reconstruction

When, with the demolition of the new theater building in 1991, the area of ​​the city palace became a free lawn again, discussions began for years about a revitalization of the center of Potsdam. After the experiences of the GDR era, the number of voices in favor of rebuilding the city palace increased. For them, the only possible solution was to adequately close the large gap in the cityscape between the Old Market, the Long Bridge and the Breite Straße. Since 1997, the remaining architectural parts made of sandstone (pieces of pillars and pilasters, cornices), which were recovered in 1960 and whose connection had been lost over the years, have been examined using archaeological methods, measured and drawn back into their context. It was shown that, in particular, the architecture of the front buildings facing the Alter Markt is still largely present, and that the preserved pieces are examples of the facades of almost the entire castle and would thus provide a good basis for the reconstruction of the entire facade structure. However, there was initially a lack of a sustainable concept for both the use and the financing of the building. Dealing with the large intersection in front of the Hotel Mercure also caused problems. Since it was built on part of the palace complex, it was necessary to think about relocating it before a full reconstruction could begin. By the end of the nineties there was a commitment to the city palace and the first serious planning; However, concrete measures for its reconstruction have not yet been taken.

An impetus for the realization was the Potsdam Project of the Summer Academy for Young Architects of the London Architecture Institute of Prince Charles (The Prince of Wales's Urban Design Task Force, Potsdam and Bornstedt 1996).

Berlin lawyer Michael Schöne was struck by the desolation of the property and believed that Potsdam would never work until its core was restored. In 1996 he initiated the first attempt at reconstruction by starting a fund. The vision was that the new palace would house galleries, museums and cafes or apartments and offices on the upper floor. The resistance of various Potsdam cliques defeated the project and the money collected was returned to the donors.

A short time later, the PDS politician Birgit Müller, then chairwoman of the city council, agreed to the reconstruction of the main portal of the castle, the Fortuna Gate. It was a small window of time because the PDS would soon officially oppose the reconstruction. The SPD under Matthias Platzeck also supported Schöne. In 1996 the city palace association was founded with Schöne as chairman.

The 2001 Federal Garden Show in Potsdam got the ball rolling. The Potsdam-based Günther Jauch and other sponsors who had the Fortunaportal faithfully restored with their donations played a decisive role in this . The portal, completed in 2002, represented an important mark on the way to the complete reconstruction of the city palace - the first visible sign that the reconstruction plans were not unrealistic.

As a result, further ideas for the use of the city palace developed. The proposal to locate the Brandenburg state parliament there was clearly supported in the following. The main question arose as to whether the state parliament should renovate the building it was using at the time, the old war school on the Brauhausberg , or try to build a new one. Before that, however, the focus was on a new building on the banks of the Havel in Potsdam's Speicherstadt ; At that time there was little evidence of a location on the Alter Markt for the state parliament. Independently of this, the city of Potsdam had the ground plan of the palace systematically examined in archaeological excavations for the first time since its demolition in 1960 in the hope of discovering relics from the time the city was founded. This made an important contribution to a better understanding of the city's history.

The road to reconstruction

In the following years the pressure in the state parliament grew to come to a decision regarding the renovation of the ailing war school or to relocate the state parliament to the center of Potsdam. The decision was finally made on May 20, 2005: a new state parliament was to be built by 2011 in the outline and outline of the historic Potsdam City Palace. The city of Potsdam was given the task of carrying out the necessary preparatory work and then selling the property to the state. The design of the building was initially unclear, only a budget of 80 million euros should be adhered to.

A moment before the first groundbreaking
Construction site in March 2010

When it became apparent during the preliminary planning that the state showed little interest in restoring the historical shape of the city palace (including maintaining the old floor plan and the facades), the rebuilding project threatened to fail. The Potsdam city council also had problems coming to clear decisions regarding the city palace, as there was no coalition connection between the parties and it had to work with changing majorities. The vote on the design of the first development plan turned into a farce and failed in two attempts. Even the already decided location of the new parliament, the old market , was called into question again. A citizen survey carried out in November 2006 was considered as a way out. A picture of the mood should be obtained as to which of the proposed three locations is the right one for the new state parliament. Further opinions (naming other locations) were permitted, but did not play a significant role. A relative majority (42.8% versus 28.5% for the second-placed proposal, 46.1% of the eligible citizens took part) of the respondents spoke in favor of the Alter Markt location. The city politicians felt strengthened in their position and decided on the development plan at the third attempt. The position of the city was now clear: the city palace, in the city center on the old market, as the future Brandenburg state parliament, is to come. This enabled the plans for reconstruction to enter a new phase. The financing and design of the building now had to be negotiated with the state of Brandenburg.

New building with a historical facade

Parts of the original facade of the city palace in 2008
Façade samples for the new building, January 2011

Although the state of Brandenburg had increased the subsidy to 110 million euros for the new building of the state parliament based on plans by Peter Kulka , the design of the facade and its financing remained open. A newly founded citizens' initiative fought for the restoration of a historic exterior facade on the new state parliament, despite the higher construction costs. This impressed Hasso Plattner , the founder of the Hasso Plattner Foundation, so much that he decided to donate 20 million euros for this purpose. This met the wishes of many Potsdam citizens and prevented a modern facade. During the reconstruction of the facade, around 600 fragments of the original substance - some of the large original sculptures that were spared from being blown up - are said to have been reintegrated. The reconstruction of the almost completely preserved market facades in the western and eastern side wings and the historic staircase in the south wing is also remarkable. Of the former 76 attic sculptures, 17 have been preserved as figures, and there are fragments of a further 18 sculptures. Some sculptures were placed on the main building of the Humboldt University in Berlin. On the inside, however, the building has been implemented to a large extent functionally to meet the needs of the Brandenburg state parliament building with workplaces for 150 members .

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building took place on March 25, 2010, among others, by Prime Minister Matthias Platzeck and Mayor Jann Jakobs , the laying of the foundation stone for the “New City Palace” followed on February 16, 2011 - alongside the Prime Minister and Lord Mayor, this time also in the presence of major donor Hasso Plattner , who made the original copper roof possible with a donation in November 2011 instead of the zinc roof planned up to then. The topping-out ceremony was celebrated on November 24, 2011, and the opening took place on January 21, 2014 with a parliamentary ceremony after the new state parliament building had been visited by around 22,000 visitors on the previous weekend.

Lettering on the west facade

On the west facade of the new building is the writing “ Ceci n'est pas un château. "( French for" This is not a castle. "), Apparently a reference to the painting La trahison des images by the Belgian painter René Magritte and a reference to the function of the new building as a parliament building, which differs from the original.

architecture

Coats of arms on the reconstructed city palace, May 2015

original

The City Palace stretched across an area between the Old Market and the Lustgarten and was the largest building in the city of Potsdam in terms of area. The location between the city center in the north and the Havel in the south made it a striking building from all directions, which also represented an important landmark within the city. When Friedrich Wilhelm I undertook several city extensions at the beginning of the 18th century , which were characterized by their striking chessboard shape, the castle was a novelty. It protruded diagonally into the city, which once again impressively underlined its importance as the intersection of the street axes has been. The interaction with the buildings on the Alter Markt also created one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

Due to the considerable charisma that the city palace exerted on the city, not least through the renovations made by Frederick II into his residence , the loss of the palace was considered very painful for the city.

reconstruction

Back to the historic city center

General view before the destruction

With the construction of the new parliament building on Alter Markt, designed by Peter Kulka , the center of the city could be completed. With the reuse of preserved elements for the historical facade, combined with a functional interior, the city palace of the Prussian kings became a modern state parliament. The restored historical staircase ("Knobelsdorfftreppenhaus") took on an important mediating role in the corps de logis axis . It was rebuilt in its historical geometry and using original sculptures and components. These were reinstalled in their original position. The adjustment of the palace construction to the required volume of the state parliament was ensured by moving the courtyard-side facades of the three-wing complex while taking the historical palace facade into account as far as possible. The result was a building in traditional dress with a modern interior.

reconstruction

General view of the reconstruction
A young man with a Capitolian goose shortly before touching down on the Potsdam State Parliament Palace

The outside facades and all the facades of the front buildings on the Alter Markt were reconstructed, i.e. H. restored according to historical plans, measurements and photos. The outer shell of the outer wall was made of solid brick masonry and plastered. The components originally made from different types of sandstone, such as cornices and pilasters, have also been reconstructed, with the surfaces being worked on by hand. The windows were designed according to the historical models as wooden windows with real bars; The design of the railings was also based on historical photos and illustrations. Existing historical components and stone fragments were, as far as technically possible, placed in their original positions ( reinstalled ). The surfaces including historical findings, such as processing and weathering traces, were preserved. The attic figures, once created by the court sculptor Johann Gottlieb Heymüller , have also been placed back on the cornices of the palace since 2016 after their restoration . After a two-year break, a third figure was added on September 13, 2018, in this case the completely newly created figure of Marcus Manlius Capitolinus (young man with the Capitoline goose). The restitution of existing figures who are in the care of the Berlin Humboldt University is still pending.

patio

View across the courtyard to Fortunaportal and Nikolaikirche

Arranging a modern state parliament behind the outer facade of Knobelsdorff's castle required a change in the historical building volume. In particular, the heart of a parliament building, the plenary hall, and the rooms of the members of parliament and the employees of the state parliament could not have been implemented in the original building contour. In order to enable the reconstruction of the outer facades, it was therefore necessary to carry out the south wing and the side wings of the three-winged complex at a greater depth than the historical model. This led to a reduction in the size of the inner courtyard, which is freely accessible through the Fortunaportal, whereby its proportions were largely retained.

Design, room sequences and internal development

The path from the Old Market leads through the Fortunaportal into the castle courtyard, which becomes an open citizens' forum as a space accessible to the general public. Paths and lawns are based on the appearance of the traditional inner courtyard. The former representative center wing with the famous garden hall is transformed into the public area of ​​the parliament. The Knobelsdorff staircase in the axis of the south wing becomes the main entrance to Parliament. This entrance leads to the state parliament foyer on the ground floor with information counter and cloakrooms, press area, cafeteria and an exhibition area. From here, visitors to the state parliament can enter a lecture hall where information is provided about parliamentary work. In addition to the reception area, the offices of the state parliament administration and the rooms of the petitions committee are located on the ground floor. From the foyer, delegates and visitors distribute themselves to the newly created representative stairs to the plenary area - one public and one internal. In the side wings of the building, the parliamentary groups are located on all upper floors with the associated small and large meeting rooms. These are flexible in their use depending on the size of the fraction. Through their positioning at the interfaces between the side wing and the south wing, the conference rooms flank the plenary hall and link it with the office areas of the individual parliamentary groups.

On special occasions, at receptions and on open days, for example, Knobelsdorff's reconstructed staircase serves as access to the “Beletage” with the plenary hall. The premises of the President of the State Parliament and the Director of the State Parliament with the associated meeting room are also located on the first floor. The press and visitors are directed one level above on the 2nd floor to the visitors' gallery and the press galleries. The work area for the press representatives and the Prime Minister's offices are also located on the 2nd floor. The Landtag library and the restaurant with separate areas for visitors and members of parliament are located on the 4th floor. In front of the restaurant is a roof terrace with a view over the inner courtyard, the Fortunaportal and the marble obelisk to the Nikolaikirche.

Plenary hall

Plenary hall of the Brandenburg State Parliament in the Potsdam City Palace, winter 2014 for the open day

The dominant colors in the plenary hall, white, silver and red, are derived from the state colors of Brandenburg. The hall fits into the building structure as a bright interior and, through the material change between the white plaster of the historical facades and the acoustic walls made of light, glazed wood, the transition between the historically rebuilt facade and the modern interior is recognizable. A light dome has been inserted in the historic central pavilion to provide natural light in the plenary hall. In addition to the central auditorium, there are press and television broadcast galleries on both sides.

Facades

The external facades as well as the facades of the head buildings on the Alter Markt were rebuilt according to the material and workmanship according to the historical model by using materials that have been handed down over the years and manual surface treatment techniques. The façades facing the courtyard were also largely rebuilt based on the historical model. The installation of box windows, the outer shell of which was designed as a wooden window, was also adapted to the historical model. The inner shell of the window takes on the functions of sound and heat insulation. Circulating air between the two shells enables natural ventilation of the rooms. Skylights and cornice windows follow the rest of the facade in terms of size and rhythm.

As with the former city palace, the sandstones of the facade were extracted from Saxon quarries. The red ocher tone of the plastered surfaces is based on the color scheme typical of 18th century buildings in Potsdam. A sample facade was used to finally clarify the appearance of materials, colors and surface treatments as well as to carry out investigations.

Flag staircase

Flag stairs at the city palace, before 1945

On the western end of the main wing of the palace facing the pleasure garden is the flag staircase, an open staircase with two steps that led to the first floor of the former royal private apartment of Frederick II, and with its bronze art railing created by Johann Melchior Kambly in 1752 was a popular photo motif. This railing is to be restored from a private donation as a replica, including the former ornaments made of putti , ornaments and badges, some of which have been preserved as original pieces, some of which have to be remade . The staircase is therefore also known as the putta staircase and the angel staircase . After the building has been rebuilt, however, it is no longer an entrance, but ends at its upper end in front of the window of an office room.

Royal stables and horse-drawn stables

Royal stables of the city palace

The royal stables , which has housed the Potsdam Film Museum since 1981 , also belong to the palace ensemble . It was built in 1685 according to plans by Johann Arnold Nering and is the oldest surviving structure in Potsdam.

A few meters north-east of the Marstall are the castle's horse-drawn stables and their carriage stalls. It has housed the House of Brandenburg-Prussian History since 2003 . The horse stables were built by court architect Andreas Ludwig Krüger until 1790 .

Colonnades

Remains of the wrestler colonnade at the city palace, without sculptures
Potsdam, Alemanha, Meados do Sec. XX, Castelo da Vila 2, Arquivo de Villa Maria, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores..jpg
Fencing colonnade at the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge, around 1900
Potsdam, City Palace, 1920.jpg
City palace with wrestling colonnade (left) and fencing colonnade (right), 1920


At Steubenplatz , the Marstall was originally fully connected to the west wing of the City Palace by the wrestling colonnade, but half of the Marstall is now missing in favor of the tram line running there. This colonnade, built in 1745/46 according to a design by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff , consisted of 14 pairs of columns and formed the delimitation of the pleasure garden from the city. The colonnade got its name from the sculptures between the pairs of columns created by the sculptors Johann August Nahl , Friedrich Christian Glume and Georg Franz Ebenhech . The total of 12 sculptures represented six groups of wrestlers, five fencers and a slinger . The wrestling colonnade was destroyed on April 14, 1945 in the British bombing of Potsdam on about half its length. After the ruins of the city palace had been torn down, the remaining part was relocated a few hundred meters from its original location, on the edge of the New Lustgarten next to the Neptune Basin near the White Fleet landing stage and the hotel high-rise. This remaining part, which is in need of restoration, consists of seven pairs of columns with two groups of wrestlers, a fencer and the slinger. After their restoration, the pairs of pillars that originally bordered the royal stables have been back in their original location between the castle and the stables, but in the place of the missing half adjacent to the castle, since April 2016. The complete and faithful restoration of the colonnade is, however, no longer possible due to the tram route that is now running there. Most of the sculptural jewelry that has been preserved is currently in storage. In April 2019 two putti and a vase returned to the colonnade, the remaining figures are still awaiting restoration.

Petition linden tree

Petition linden tree (2nd tree) on the southeast corner of the castle

A few meters from the south corner of the castle is the location of the famous Bittschriftenlinde . In the tradition of the original linden tree, today's tree is the second linden tree at this point.

literature

  • Hans-Joachim Giersberg : The Potsdam City Palace . Potsdamer Verlagbuchhandlung , Potsdam 1998, ISBN 3-910196-01-2 .
  • Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Berlin 1933
  • Foundation Prussian Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg, State Capital Potsdam (Ed.): Minerva's Myth - Fragments and Documents of the Potsdam City Palace . Berlin 2001
  • Potsdam City Palace Association V. (Ed.): The sandstone figures of the Potsdam City Palace . Potsdam 2009
  • Jörg Kirschstein : The Potsdam City Palace. From the prince's seat to the state palace . be.bra verlag, Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-86124-677-0 .
  • Jonas Beran, Nicola Hensel, Maurizio Paul: The Potsdam City Palace and its late medieval and early modern predecessor buildings according to the results of the excavations from 2006 to 2011. In: R. Schmitt (Ed.): Burgen und Schlösser in Sachsen-Anhalt. 22, Halle 2013, pp. 227–314.

DVD

  • Aviv Pictures: The Potsdam City Palace . Documentary, director: Dr. Joachim Castan, Margarete Kreuzer. Producer: Michel Morales , co-production RBB and Aviv Pictures, Berlin-Munich 2010

Web links

Commons : Potsdamer Stadtschloss  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 4.
  2. ^ A b Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 9a.
  3. ↑ Hans-Joachim Giersberg, Hartmut Knitter: From the history of Potsdam. In: Potsdam Atlas, VEB Tourist Verlag (1978). P. 9.
  4. ^ A b c Elke Kimmel, Ronald Oestereich: Potsdam in the Thirty Years War and as the residence of the Hohenzollern. In: Potsdam A Brief City History. Pp. 19, 20, 24.
  5. ^ A b c d Hans Huth: The city palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 15b.
  6. ↑ Hans-Joachim Giersberg: The time of the soldier king Friedrich Wilhelm I. In: The Potsdam city palace. P. 51.
  7. ^ A b c Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 17a.
  8. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 17b.
  9. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 16b.
  10. ^ Friedrich Nicolai: Description of the royal residence cities Berlin and Potsdam. Berlin 1779, Volume 2, pp. 70 f.
  11. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 11b.
  12. ^ Heinrich Ludewig Manger: Building history of Potsdam especially under the government of King Frederick the Second . 1st volume. Friedrich Nicolai, Berlin / Stettin 1789, p. 55.
  13. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 12a.
  14. ^ Friedrich Nicolai : Description of the royal residence cities Berlin and Potsdam . 2nd volume. Berlin 1779, uni-halle.de
  15. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 14b.
  16. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 15a.
  17. ^ A b c Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 13b.
  18. ^ A b c Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 14a.
  19. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 13a.
  20. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 12b.
  21. ^ A b Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. The city palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens, Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 18a.
  22. ^ Heinrich Ludwig Manger: Heinrich Ludewig Manger's Königl. Preuss. Ober-Hof-Baurath and garden inspectors Building history of Potsdam: especially under the government of King Frederick the Second. Friedrich Nicolai, Berlin / Stettin 1789, pp. 60–63. archive.org
  23. ^ Hans-Joachim Giersberg: The residence of Frederick the Great. In: The Potsdam City Palace. P. 62.
  24. ^ Hans-Joachim Giersberg: The residence of Frederick the Great. In: The Potsdam City Palace. P. 67.
  25. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 16a.
  26. ^ Sabine Henze-Döhring: Friedrich the Great. Musician and monarch . Munich 2012, p. 23 ff.
  27. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 16b.
  28. ↑ Hans Kania: Barbarina and Lichtenau. From Prussia's gallant century . AW Hayn's Erben, Berlin 1928, p. 57.
  29. ↑ For the conversions see Hans-Joachim Giersberg: Das Potsdamer Stadtschloss. Pp. 89-95.
  30. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 18b.
  31. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 19a.
  32. ^ Hans Huth: The City Palace in Potsdam . Ed .: Administration of State Palaces and Gardens. Leonhard Preiss Verlag, Berlin 1933, p. 19b.
  33. ^ E. Albrecht: Wanderbuch for the Mark Brandenburg and adjacent areas. First part. Closer area around Berlin (= Kiessling travel books ). Kiessling Verlag, Berlin 1901, p. 115f.
  34. ↑ On this and below on the whereabouts of the remains, see Götz Eckardt (Ed.): Fate of German Architectural Monuments in the Second World War. A documentation of the damage and total losses in the area of ​​the German Democratic Republic. Volume 1. Berlin - capital of the GDR, districts Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Potsdam, Frankfurt / Oder, Cottbus, Magdeburg. Henschel, Berlin 1980, pp. 150-154.
  35. ↑ Hans Berg: The lost center of Potsdam . Self-published by Hans Berg, Berlin 1999, p. 7.
  36. ↑ An overview with references to this in Hans Berg: Die verlorene Potsdamer Mitte . Self-published by Hans Berg, Berlin 1999, pp. 6–13. A smaller Liebknecht forum was not realized in the Lustgarten until the 1980s .
  37. ^ Daniel Rahn: The preserved workpieces of the Potsdam City Palace. In: Museumsjournal Berlin. October 1999, pp. 4-7. Ders .: The castle can grow from 400 parts. In: The world . April 1, 2000.
  38. ↑ A brief history of the new state parliament building: The long way from the city to the state parliament palace . ( Memento from March 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF) Landtag Brandenburg, 2014.
  39. ^ HRH The Prince of Wales, Charles; Brian Hanson, Lucien Steil: The Potsdam project, 1996. Prince of Wales's Urban Design Task Force. Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture, 1998.
  40. ↑ Michael Schöne: Stadt sucht Mitte - Potsdam's way to the new city center. Strauss Edition, Potsdam 2016, ISBN 978-3-943713-26-8 .
  41. ^ A b Katharina Wiechers: Stadtschloss pioneer Michael Schöne looks back: Two decades for Knobelsdorff. In: Potsdam's latest news. September 7, 2016, accessed September 12, 2016.
  42. ↑ Citizens' survey unconstitutional? ( Memento from April 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  43. ↑ Results of the public survey from December 16 to 31, 2006
  44. ↑ Catalog on the restoration and reuse of the sculptural decorations of the former Potsdam City Palace in connection with the construction of a state parliament building for the Brandenburg state parliament ( memorial from December 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  45. ↑ 57th meeting of the CITY FORUM POTSDAM on the subject of "Setting up and returning the parapet figures on the new building of the city palace?"
  46. ↑ Potsdam City Palace handed over to the State Parliament, October 10, 2013
  47. ↑ Guido Berg, Thorsten Metzner, Peer Straube: The coronation for the castle . PNN
  48. ↑ The new Landtag building is ceremoniously inaugurated with a ceremony . Landtag Brandenburg; accessed on January 22, 2014.
  49. ↑ Katharina Wiechers: The First Two , Potsdamer Latest News, April 27, 2016
  50. ↑ Peer Straube: Potsdamer Mitte - A Roman for the State Parliament Palace, Potsdamer Neuste Nachrichten, September 14, 2018
  51. ↑ Small Inquiry 960: Flag staircase (popularly: "Angel staircase") and decorative figurines on the south wing of the Potsdam City Palace, Member of the State Parliament Dr. Saskia Ludwig of the CDU parliamentary group to the state government, 25 November 2010.
  52. ↑ Donor for golden castle stairs found PNN, January 8, 2019.
  53. ↑ Welcome back, Wrestlers Colonnade! maz-online from April 16, 2016.
  54. ↑ Wrestler Colonnade returns to the center pnn.de from May 15, 2015.
  55. ↑ That is important today in Potsdam. In: pnn of April 5, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019 .

Coordinates: 52 ° 23 ′ 41 ″  N , 13 ° 3 ′ 38 ″  E