The terraced gardens at the Palace of Sanssouci Retreat of Frederick The Great

 

The terrace gardens, looking down from the palace, towards the park.

The panoramic vista of the garden of Sanssouci is the result of Frederick the Great's decision to create a terraced vineyard on the south slope of the hills of Bornstedt. The area had previously been wooded but the trees were felled during the reign of the "soldier-king" Frederick William I to allow the city of Potsdam to expand.

On 10 August 1744, Frederick ordered the bare hillside to be transformed into terraced vineyards. Three wide terraces were created, with convex centres to maximise the sun light. On the partitions of the supporting walls, the brickwork is pierced by 168 glazed niches. Trellised vines from Portugal, Italy, France, and also from nearby Neuruppin, were planted against the brickwork, while figs grew in the niches. The individual parts of the terrace were further divided by strips of lawn, on which were planted yew trees. Low box hedging surrounded trellised fruit, making a circular ornamental parterre. In the middle of this "wheel", 120 steps (now 132) led downward further dividing the terraces into six.

In the middle of this "wheel", 120 steps (now 132) led downward further dividing the terraces into six.

Below the hill, a Baroque ornamental garden, modelled on the parterre at Versailles, was constructed in 1745. 

. The Great Fountain was built at the centre of this garden in 1748. Frederick never saw the fountain playing because the engineers employed in the construction had little understanding of the hydraulics involved.

 From 1750, marble statues were placed around the basin of the fountain. 

Sanssouci viewed from the air

Venus from Medici emerged from the bath on column capital-Middle Lustgarten-Sanssouci

Potsdam, Sanssouci Palace park. Venus of Medici

Venus (Aphrodite) from Medici (1843) on the column capital-Middle Lustgarten-Sanssouci emerged from the bath

Bacchant on Column Capital (1843) -Mittlerer Lustgarten-Sanssouci

Apollo on columnar capital (1843) -Mittlerer Lustgarten-Sanssouci

Girl with bird's nest on columnar capital (1843) - Middle Lustgarten-Sanssouci

girl with bird's nest on columnar capital (1843) -Mittlerer Lustgarten-Sanssouci

Representation Element Earth-Francois Adam (1753) -Sanssouci-Ceres teaches Triptolemus how to plow

Element air-2 nymphs with heron killed (1739) -Lambert Sigisbert Adam-Sanssouci Steffen Heilfort

Potsdam, Sanssouci, Park

Fountain wall with polyhymnia (muse of hymn poetry) -Friedrich Ochs (1857) - Sanssouci

Fountain wall with Urania (muse of astronomy) -Friedrich Ochs (1857) -Sanssouci

Fountain wall with Clio (muse of historiography) -Friedrich Ochs (1857) -Sanssouci

Sanssouci, fountain wall.

Potsdam, Sanssouci, Park

Lattice pavilion decorated with gilded sun symbols and instruments (1775) -Sanssouci

Lattice pavilion decorated with gilded sun symbols and instruments (1775) -Sanssouci

Lattice pavilion decorated with gilded sun symbols and instruments (1775) -Sanssouci detail

gilded sun symbols

 instruments detail Lattice pavilion decorated with gilded sun symbols and instruments (1775) -Sanssouci

Lattice pavilion decorated with gilded sun symbols and instruments (1775) -Sanssouci

Praying Boy (1849) Lattice Pavilion Sanssouci

Cleopatra with Sad Amor (1750) - François Gaspard Adam - Sanssouci

Frederick's grave, Sanssouci.

The Tomb of Frederick the Great was a subject to which Old Fritz, as he was popularly known, gave a great deal of thought. Frederick the Great died on August 17, 1786 in the armchair of his study in Sanssouci. He wished to be buried in a tomb next to his "Weinberghäuschen" (vineyard house [de]) and next to his favourite dogs. In his 46-year reign, Frederick frequently concerned himself with his own death. Besides his political testament of 1752, which he re-elaborated before almost every battle, he made new orders before every war, in which he regulated the smallest details of all his familiars and finances. Just as frequent were his repetitions of the instructions for his funeral:

I have lived as a philosopher and wish to be buried as such, without circumstance, without solemn pomp, without splendour. I want to be neither opened nor embalmed. Bury me in Sanssouci at the level of the terraces in a tomb which I have had prepared for myself... Should I die in time of war or whilst on a journey, I should be buried in the first convenient place and brought to Sanssouci in the winter. (1769)

Frederick Wilhelm II painted by Anton Graff, c. 1792

His nephew and successor Frederick William II did not obey these instructions and ordered him to be buried in the Potsdam garrison church (destroyed in 1945) next to his father, the soldier-king Frederick William I.

Hohenzollern Castle

However, the church grave was not the final resting place of the Prussian Kings. Almost 160 years later, in the turmoil of World War II, German soldiers took the coffins to safety in an attempt to save them from possible destruction. In March 1943 they were taken into an underground bunker in Potsdam-Eiche and then in March 1945 to the salt mine at Bernterode in Eichsfeld (Thüringen). From there they were carried off after the war by soldiers of the U.S. Army to Marburg (Hesse). The coffins stayed in the Marburg Elisabeth Church until their transfer to Burg Hohenzollern at Hechingen (Baden-Württemberg) in August 1952.

After the reunification of Germany the final wish of Frederick was fulfilled. On August 17, 1991, the 205th anniversary of his death, the sarcophagus with his remains was laid out in the forecourt of Sanssouci palace, escorted by an honour guard of the Bundeswehr. The burial took place that night in the tomb Frederick had planned for the purpose since 1744 on the highest terrace of vineyards. "Quand je serai là, je serai sans souci" (Once I am there, I shall be carefree), Frederick the Great said in 1744.