New Palace

On the western side of the Park of Sanssouci, at the end of the main path running through it, is the Neues Palais, the New Palace. With its dome more than 50 metres high, this imposing building is visible from afar. The New Palace was built between 1763 and 1769 and was the last of the palaces built by Frederick the Great in his park. Whereas the smaller summer palace Sanssouci above the vineyard terraces was the Prussian king’s very own much-cherished sanctuary, the New Palace was intended merely for official ceremony and display. Designed in the form of a mighty, three-part complex, the idea was to demonstrate the Prussian’s state claim to power. And with good reason too: 1763 had seen the end of the Seven Years’ War with the hardship this had meant for Prussia; Frederick the Great had emerged victorious, and Prussia established itself as one of Europe’s major powers. The construction of the New Palace began immediately after the end of the war...