Sanssouci is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, 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, too, is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the surrounding park. The palace was designed and built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to meet Frederick's need for a private residence where he could escape the pomp and ceremony of the royal court. The palace's name is a French phrase meaning "without worries" or "carefree", emphasising that the palace was meant as a place of relaxation rather than a seat of power.
The south façade of Sanssouci
Sanssouci Palace and its reflection in the pond at Sanssouci Park
Architectural detail from the central bow of the garden façade: Atlantes and Caryatids.
The East Wing. The two service wings, virtually hidden from sight by foliage in the time of Frederick the Great, were remodelled in the 19th century by Frederick William IV, who transformed the palace into a more conventional royal residence for family and court use.
Potsdam is the capital and largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of Berlin, and lies embedded in a hilly morainic landscape dotted with many lakes, around 20 of which are located within Potsdam's city limits. It lies some 25 kilometres southwest of Berlin's city centre. The name of the city and of many of its boroughs are of Slavic origin.
Image: 2018 08 10 DE Potsdam, Havel, Potsdamer Stadtschloss, Charlottenhof 05609390 (49952695592)
Image: Alte Rathaus Potsdam November 2013
Image: Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam
Image: Potsdam Neues Palais 1717