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Sanssouci invites you to meet Frederick II. His famous retreat in Potsdam combines architecture and landscape design into a magnificent total work of art by the great King of Prussia.
The documentary explores various aspects of this impressive complex: its origins, its historical significance, and the challenges involved in preserving it.
Sanssouci Palace and Park are a tourist attraction, a living part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and inextricably linked to one of the most dazzling figures of the 18th century. Starting in 1744, Frederick the Great’s retreat was built on an estate in Potsdam, near Berlin. Here he sought peace and respite from the constraints of court life, politics, and wars, and wanted to enjoy a carefree life—in French, “sans souci.” It was here that “the Great” died on August 17, 1786.
With his earthly paradise, however, Frederick planned not only ample space for sensual pleasures, but also a total work of art that would reflect his visions—or at least his self-image. Historian Jürgen Luh, author of the biography *The Great: Frederick II of Prussia*, offers insights into the king’s inner world. Art historian Samuel Wittwer, author of the book *The World of Prussian Palaces*, explains how and where these ideas are reflected in the design of the palace and the gardens.
Artist, philosopher, and fruit lover: Ornamental and productive gardens had to form a harmonious whole in Frederick’s paradise. From the famous vineyard terraces to the flowerbeds of the pleasure gardens—everything the royal table desired bloomed and thrived here. The restoration of Frederick’s cherry orchard in front of the old orangery is just one of the many tasks involved in garden maintenance, which at Sanssouci Park is not limited to the care of orchards, Baroque, and Rococo features. For Frederick’s successors brought their own visions to his paradise, expanded it in accordance with the fashions of their time, and, with the addition of landscape gardens, endowed it with a more natural beauty. Thus, Sanssouci Park grew far beyond Frederick’s strict parameters and today encompasses some 300 hectares of diverse landscapes, which are researched, maintained, and preserved by the staff of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg. Among them is landscape architect and park director Sven Hannemann, who, in addition to his demanding job, also finds time to care for the park’s smallest employees: the bees.
“Royal Gardens – Sanssouci” explores the fascinating interplay of art and nature in Potsdam, guides visitors through its history and to a place where that history comes to life, and tells the stories of the historical figures who shaped it, as well as the people of today who make it an unforgettable experience.
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