redbottomsky

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam, interior. Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, Brandenburg, Eastern Germany. It’s often counted among the German rivals of Versailles in France. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it’s notable for numerous temples and follies in the park. It was built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick’s need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the nearby Berlin court. The palace’s name emphasises this - sans souci being the French phrase for “without concerns”, as in “without worries” or “carefree”, symbolizing that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power.