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300th Birthday of King Frederick the Great


Frederick the Great at Janustempel, Johann Heinrich Christian Franke © SPSG / photo: Roland Handrick

300th Birthday of King Frederick the Great

POTSDAM: On the occasion of the 300th birthday anniversary of King Frederick the Great, Potsdam – the city of palaces – will be in the centre of action.

Nowhere else in Germany have the Prussian Kings left behind such tremendous marks than on Potsdam, today’s Federal State Capital of Brandenburg. They created an artistic masterpiece comprising twelve beautiful palaces and three magnificently arranged garden landscapes of architectural and horticultural variety idyllically nestled in the many woods and scenic lakes of the River Havel. Vast parts of Potsdam have been declared UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1990.

Potsdam’s star attraction in 2012, however, will not be Frederick’s summer residence, the Sanssouci Palace, but the significantly larger “New Palace”. From 28th April to 28th October it will accommodate the majestic exhibition “Friederisiko”, organised by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg. But that is not all. There are going to be even more cultural events marking the grand anniversary.

New Palace at Sans Souci, Potsdam

On the 24th of January, King Frederick’s birthday, the oldest Film Museum of Potsdam opened its doors for the exhibition “Der falsche Fritz – Friedrich II. in Filmen” (“The false Fritz – Frederick II starring in films”) running until 30th December 2012.

Music was Frederick’s passion and this aspect will be incorporated into the 2012 programme of the Music Festival Potsdam Sanssouci titled “Friedrich der Große, die Musik und Europa” (9th – 24th June 2012).

In July, the House of the Brandenburg-Prussian History at Potsdam’s New Market features an exhibition offering insight into the cultivation of the potato under the Prussian King Frederick the Great and other related topics.

The German title of the exhibition is “König & Kartoffel. Friedrich der Große und die preußischen Tartuffoli.” (“The King & the Potatoe. Frederick the Great and the Prussian Tartuffoli”‘- the name given to the potato in Italy) (20th July – 28th October 2012)

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Starting in August, the Potsdam Museum, which is located inside the newly renovated and rebuilt Old Townhall (“Altes Rathaus”), documents the King’s influence on the town of Potsdam, paying tribute with the exhibition “Friedrich und Potsdam
. Die Erfindung einer Stadt” (“Frederick and Potsdam – Inventing a City”) (20th August – 4th December 2012).

Sans Souci in Potsdam

Another promising event will be the baroque re-enactment of Potsdam´s royal court festivals (“Höfische Festspiele Potsdam”) taking place at the New Palace´s Court of Honour (“Ehrenhof”) between 19th July and 22nd July 2012.

The past 300 years have seen the transformation of Potsdam from a garrison town to one of Europe’s most imposing royal capitals. The Prussian kings erected architectural masterpieces in and around Potsdam, among them numerous baroque creations and 17 palaces surrounded by opulent landscape parks. Aside from the magnificent monuments bearing witness to the past, the city at present is equally worth a discovery, e.g. with its tropical nature paradise “Biosphere” in the north of Potsdam. The oldest large-scale film studio at “Babelsberg Filmpark” opens its gates to visitors in Potsdam’s south.

King Friedrich the Great

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