The damages from the Second World War were so serious, that Charlottenburg Palace was about to be demolished in early 1950′s.
Fortunately it avoided the postwar fate of many historical buildings, and instead of destruction undergone the heavy restoration to show the present visitors the splendour of
residence of Prussian Kings.
schloss charlottenburg
The original palace was built as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Brandenburg’s Friedrich III, crown later as Friedrich I King of Prussia.
After her death in 1705 Friedrich changed the name of palace its estate from Lietzenburg to Charlottenburg, and continued the works on Palace, which got the doomed tower and enlarged vestibule. The surrounding gardens were enriched by the construction of Orangerie, further place of various events held in the exotic plants scenery.
The successors of Friedrich extended the existing buildings, making their own contributions following the general idea to copy and to overwhelm the irritating residence of a French king at Versailles. The exterior of the buildings was relatively simple, the main effort was put on the interior decorations of the chambers, which even today impress the visitors with their splendour of Rococco style. The Palace got its present form in 1740′s, however never became the main residence of Hohemzollern family, which preferred palaces Schönhausen and Sanssouci at Potsdam.
Today most of the State Apartments are opened to the visitors, who can admire the Chambers of Frederick the Great, the Winter Chambers of Friedrich Wilhelm II and other apartments including the White Hall, the Banqueting Hall, the Throne Room, and the most spectacular in the Palace – Porzellankabinett, a chamber filled with impressive collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain. The Palace may be used for purposed of German Govermnment, and some of the chambers may be excluded from visiting.
The separate buildings of the palace host various art exhibitions.
Neuer Pavillon
in its interiors features works of Romantism artists including landscapes by Casper David Friedrich.
Bröhan-Museum
displays small but interesting Art Deco collection.
Sammlung Berggruen
shows 20th century art, among them you will find works by Picasso and Klee.
Belvedere
a former tea house located in the park exhibits early German porcelain collection.
Mausoleum
another small building hidden in the park preserves the tombstones of Prussian royalty.
The Palace complex is surrounded by the large geometric park of French style, freely open to the public, the popular place of visits by local residents of Berlin, and the tourists.
[photo courtesy of extranoise]
Opening Hours:
10:00 – 18:00 ( Apr – Oct )
10:00 – 17:00 ( Nov – Mar )
Altes Schloss closed on Mondays
Neuer Flügel closed on Tuesdays
Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss
Spandauer Damm 10-22
14059 Berlin
