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196 Section 14. POTSDAM. New Palace.
a copy of the antique mosaic of the Battle of Alexander, etc. — In
25 min. from the Orangery we reach the —
* Charlottenhof, originally an unpretending country-house,
but tastefully transformed by Schinkel in 1826 into an Italian
villa and surrounded by beautiful grounds. The vestibule contains
reliefs by Thorvaldsen, a bust of Schinkel by Rauch, etc. In one
of the rooms is a chair of steel and silver, made by Peter the
Great. Two rooms contain memorials of A. von Humboldt. (Castel¬
lan on the groundfloor; fee.) — The Wildpark Station (p. 187) is
3/4 M. from here.
We now skirt the W. portion of the park of Sanssouci (generally
closed to the public in summer and autumn) in order to visit the
New Palace, which lies 1 M. from the Orangery, about l*/4 M. from
the Charlottenhof, and 1fi M. from Wildpark Station. The —
*Mew Palace, the summer-residence of the Emperor, was
planned by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War as
a visible proof of his power and wealth and was built by him in
1763-69 at a cost of 450,000^. The plans were furnished by J. G.
Biiring of Hamburg, who followed Dutch and English models.
The main building is 700 ft. in length, and the central portion, sur¬
mounted by a dome, has three stories. The chief fagade is turned
towards the E., overlooking the park. To the W., behind the palace,
are the Communs, intended as quarters for the royal retinue,
picturesquely designed buildings by K. von Gontard, united by a
semicircular colonnade. The palace and the communs together form
an imposing pile, though the execution of the details is sometimes
careless. The sculptures are mediocre, but the effect of the weathered
sandstone figures against the red brick background is very pleasing.
Emperor Frederick III., who was born in the palace in 1831, resided
in it for a considerable time as crown-prince, and died there in
June 1888. William II. has thoroughly restored the building and
has added a large terrace, with candelabra by Schott, on the side
next the garden. Adm., see p. 189; entrance in the S. wing.
The Interior contains about 200 rooms, the fanciful decoration of
which speaks highly for the decorators employed by Frederick the Great,
although the elegant execution of the rooms in the Town Palace is not
equalled here. The rooms of the S. wing are shown; the N. wing con¬
tains the private rooms of the Emperor. — Ground Floor. Among the
*Apartments of Frederick the Great the library contains a portrait of
Voltaire drawn by the king; in the king's study is a good example by
Watteau (Dance in the open air). The *Shell Saloon is inlaid with shells,
the friezes with minerals and precious stones. The tasteful Theatre has
seats for 500 persons. — On the First Floor are numerous old pictures.
In the Marble or Concert Room (100 ft. long): Van Loo, Ganymede in¬
troduced to Olympus (ceiling-painting), Sacrifice of Iphigenia; Pesne,
Rape of Helen. — In the Ball Room: G. Reni, Lucretia, Diogenes; L.
Giordano, Judgment of Paris, Rape of the Sabines.
In a garden to the N.E. of the New Palace (closed) stands a
Murble Statue of Empress Augusta Victoria, by R. Begas (1905).