Babelsberg Palace

Built in the English neo-Gothic style, Babelsberg Palace is located in Babelsberg Park on the banks of the river Havel. Babelsberg Palace and its park were built for Prince William of Prussia and his wife Princess Augusta of Saxony-Weimar. There even is a "Pleasure Ground", a garden dedicated to leisure and happy free time. The palace and its gardens served the royal couple for more than 50 years as a summer residence. The first palace built from 1833 to 1835, which only had the size of a small cottage, was created by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

In 1840 Prince William's duties of representation increased as he was appointed to the throne. As a result, the palace was extended by the architects Ludwig Persius and Johann Heinrich Strack at the client's request. Wilhelm and Augusta took an active part in the design and furnishing of their summer residence. More than two decades later in 1862 King Wilhelm I. had a conversation with Bismarck which led to Bismarck’s appointment to the Prussian Prime minister. The conversation took place on a bridge now called the Bismarck Bridge.

After World War II the palace's furniture was lost due to looting. From 1949 the palace was used as an academy for political and legal sciences. Later it became a university for film and television. The palace facade and terraces were extensively renovated in 2016 and shine splendidly again today. Also, for the first time in 100 years, the water features around the palace can once again be appreciated. Babelsberg Palace and Park with its British influences invite you to stroll and linger.