Charlottenhof Palace

The Charlottenhof Palace (in German, Schloss Charlottenhof) is a German palace created by the German architect Friedrich Schinkel. 1826 and 1829. It is located southwest of the Sanssouci Palace, in the Sanssouci Park in Potsdam (Germany). It is famous above all as the summer residence of Kronprinz ("Crown Prince") Frederick William (later King Frederick William IV of Prussia). Today it is kept by the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg ("Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation of Berlin and Brandenburg").

Charlottenhof Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 as part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin complex.

The name

Officially, the palace and park were named Charlottenhof in honor of Maria Charlotte von Gentzkow who had been the owner from 1790 to 1794.

Background

The park area with its various buildings may date back to the 18th century. After changing hands several times, King Frederick William III of Prussia purchased the land bordering the park south of Sanssouci and gifted it to his son Frederick William and his wife Isabella Luisa in 1825.

History

The Kronprinz commissioned the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel to remodel an existing farmhouse and the project was completed between 1826 and 1829. Ultimately, Schinkel, with the help of his student Ludwig Persius, built a neoclassical mansion on the foundations of the old farm in the image of ancient Roman villas.

With designs created by himself, the artistically inclined Kronprinz participated in the planning process for the palace and the surrounding park. He referred to his summer residence as "Siam," which at the time was considered "the Land of Free Men."

Between 1835 and 1840 the explorer and world traveler Alexander von Humboldt was invited and stayed in this room during the summer months (an exhibition in the palace shows Humboldt's study and bedroom).

Features

Glass in the skylight of the entrance door of the palace.

The interior design of the ten rooms is still largely intact. The furniture, for the most part designed by Schinkel himself, stands out for its simple and cultured style.

The most notable room in the palace is the tent room, furnished as if it were the tent of a Roman Caesar. Both the ceiling and the walls are decorated with blue and white striped wallpaper and the curtains and bedding follow the design. The room was used as a bedroom for companions and guests. The theme of blue and white continues on the outer shutters of the palace, apparently in deference to the Kronprinzessin Elizabeth's Bavarian heritage.

Charlottenhof Park

Landscape designer Peter Joseph Lenné was commissioned to design the Charlottenhof Gardens. He completely recreated the originally flat and partly flooded surface transforming it into an English garden with trees, lawns and water features. He also connected the new park of Charlottenhof with the older one of Sanssouci from the time of Frederick the Great.