The "German Eagle"
Misuse 1966-1990
Ongoing construction in 2007 |
Starting in 1833 and
inspired by Tudor style English models,
Karl
Friedrich Schinkel created the first neo-Gothic palace on the
European continent. Further modifications by other architects took
place in the 1840s. The Palace remained a much beloved summer
residence up until the death of the Kaiser couple. It survived
World War II largely undamaged, however, during the Cold War years
it suffered a variety of changes of use and structural disrepair.
Like many other castles in the area, Communist authorities in
East Germany rejected any connection to aristocratic German
heritage and like many other castles, Babelsberg Palace was put to
"practical use" and served as a Paleontology Museum from 1966 until
the end of the Cold War.
Since 1990, work has been underway to restore the neo-gothic
interior design from the 19th century. Due to the reconstruction
work, the interior is currently off limits, but just strolling
around the castle and its beautiful garden is worth the visit.
One of the newly reconstructed rooms is the
Dance Hall, now open for concerts. |
