Wildlife Park Potsdam
The Potsdam Wildlife Park is one of the oldest and most outstanding examples of the connection between courtly tradition and landscape gardening. The wildlife park in Potsdam is over 875 hectares in size and is located to the west immediately next to the New Palace , which is located in Sanssouci Park, which is run by the oldest horticultural directorate in Germany, now the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation. It can be reached via the Potsdam Park Sanssouci train station (formerly Wildpark), known for the Kaiserbahnhof .
history
The wildlife park is part of the Royal Prussian overall concept for the Brandenburg cultural landscape and the island of Potsdam. From a cultural-historical point of view, it goes back to a programmatic suggestion by Johann Moritz Fürst von Nassau-Siegen, who, as governor of the Brandenburg possession of Kleve, was the important councilor for the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm, who had got to know the pleasure gardens based on the Dutch model during his stay from 1634–1638 the design of Germany's sand box and the island of Potsdam gave: "This Eyland must become a paradise".
As a consequence of his rounding-off and extension buildings in Sanssouci in 1843, Friedrich Wilhelm IV ordered his court gardener Lenné to set up the wildlife park, which was already included in the "Beautification plan for the environs of Potsdam" drawn up in 1833, which in turn was part of the 180 km² landscape design work of art the Havel was.
For the forest officials, Ludwig Persius designed three forest houses as an entrance building on the edge of the wildlife park and the game management on the Kellerberg in the middle. To the north-west of the actual wildlife park, the duck catching facility was built as early as 1841, the house for the keeper who ran the duck catching facility , which had been set up at the small duck catching pond since 1694 . The buildings are built in the Italian or "Norman" style. Their architectural character related to the mood of the surroundings, with the Italian style variant being used for light, cheerful areas.
As the largest building, the game management facility is at the center of the facility. Originally, it was supposed to be extended by a component to be used by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. As a tea pavilion, but this was not carried out. Today the forest school is housed in the house, which was renovated in 2005.
The Norman-style forester's house Sanssoucitor in the west was used as a veterinary clinic until 2019. The deer figures by Christian Daniel Rauch (1777–1857), placed on two gate pillars next to the building , have been an essential artistic element at the now no longer existing north entrance to the hunting ground since they were designed by Lenné and Persius. In 1945 they were confiscated by the Red Army and placed in front of the theater on the Wünsdorf military site. They returned to the wildlife park on March 30, 2006.
The forester's lodge Südtor is located directly on federal highway 1 between Potsdam and Geltow . The forester's house is the only building in the wildlife park to have a raw brick facade, which, however , is covered with plastering sludge . After a long period of vacancy, a restaurant was opened in the renovated building in 2006.
In the northwest, the forester's house Nordtor , which is now used for residential purposes, has been preserved, which is presented in a southern-Italian style dress. It is being extensively reconstructed by its current owner. The duck catching facility, which is no longer in the area of the actual game park, was a typical building in the Italian villa style with a tower. Due to the loss of this defining component and further renovations after 1945, this building can only be recognized as a work by Persius with great difficulty.
In addition to the landscape-architectural and cultural-historical aspects, the wildlife park is also an example of early Prussian (social) politics, since "unfortunately a class of idlers has formed which is only too inclined to participate in street tumults." The King may "provide help to the poorer fellow citizens" and turn his "care to the working classes", always with the "lively interest in the beautification of the island of Potsdam".
Military use
The Bundeswehr operations command is located on the western edge of the wildlife park . It is housed in the former barracks of the " Air War School 3" of the Wehrmacht . The Kurfürst bunker is located under the Großer Entenfängerberg . The architect of this facility was Ernst Sagebiel . It is partially under monument protection .
Wildlife Park Association
Wildpark eV, Wildpark-West, advocates the beautification of Potsdam's cultural landscape, in particular the island of Potsdam and the wildlife park, and against road construction measures on the island of Potsdam and in the wildlife park.
Wildlife Park West
→ Main article: Wildlife Park West
At the western edge of the wildlife park there was an earlier domain. From 1928, the Wildpark-West settlement, located in the forest and on the banks of the Havel , developed in an idyllic location in the forest and on the banks of the Havel . Today the settlement is a part of the municipality of Geltow , which belongs to the municipality of Schwielowsee . The small settlement Kuhfort , which belongs to the Potsdam district of Golm , is still located on the north-western edge of the wildlife park .
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 22 ′ 54 ″ N , 12 ° 59 ′ 31.8 ″ E