Photos

Castle Sans Souci in Potsdam.

Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the
Great, King of Prussia at Potsdam, just outside
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 is notable for the numerous
temples and follies in Sanssouci Park. Designed by
Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and
1747 to fulfil Frederick's need for a private
residence where he could relax away from the pomp and
ceremony of the Berlin court, the palace is little
more than a large single-storey 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. So great was
the influence of Frederick's personal taste in the
design and decoration of the palace that its style is
characterised as "Frederician Rococo", and so
personally did he regard the palace that he conceived
it as "a place that would die with him".

During the 19th century, the palace became a residence
of Frederick William IV. He employed the architect
Ludwig Persius to restore and enlarge the palace,
while Ferdinand von Arnim was charged with improving
the locality and thus the view from the palace. The
town of Potsdam, with its palaces, was a favourite
place of residence for the German imperial family
until the fall of the Hohenzollern dynasty in 1918.

Frederick the Great (1712–86).After World War II, the
palace became a tourist attraction in East Germany. It
was fully maintained with due respect to its
historical importance, and was open to the public.
Following German reunification in 1990, the final wish
of Frederick came to pass: his body was finally
returned to his beloved palace and buried in a new
tomb overlooking the gardens he had created. Sanssouci
and its extensive gardens became a World Heritage Site
in 1990 under the protection of UNESCO; in 1995,
the Foundation for Prussian Palaces and Gardens in
Berlin-Brandenburg was established to care for
Sanssouci and the other former imperial palaces in and
around of Berlin. These palaces are now visited by
more than two million people a year from all over the world.

[from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanssouci]

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