The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (german: Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg; SPSG) was founded by a treaty of 23 August 1994 between the German federal states of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

as a public

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

following

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

. The treaty came into force on 1 January 1995. The foundation is separate from the considerably larger

Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (german: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz; SPK) is a German federal government body that oversees 27 museums and cultural organizations in and around Berlin, Germany. Its purview includes all of Berlin's ...

(''Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz'').

History

The SPSG is an amalgamation of the Potsdam-Sanssouci State Palaces and Gardens (''Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci'') in the former

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

and the State Palaces and Gardens Administration (''Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten'') in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

that had been formed following the

division of Germany Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics * Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military * Division (military), a formation typically consisti ...

. These institutions were formed from the Prussian State Palaces and Gardens Administration that had been founded on 1 April 1927 as a result of the apportionment of assets and liabilities between the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzol ...

and the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n state and which was disbanded in 1945. The SPSG has its headquarters in Brandenburg's capital city,

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

. Its owners are the states of Berlin (21.35%) and Brandenburg (36.60%) and the federal government (42.05%) (as at: 2007). The foundation receives other support from numerous societies and private sponsors. The Berlin-Brandenburg Foundation For Prussian Palaces and Gardens was listed in 2001 in the "Blue Book" that publishes a list of heritage sites in eastern Germany that are of national significance and currently includes 20 so-called "cultural beacons" (''kulturelle Leuchttürme''). The selection of heritage sites was based on an initiative of the commissaries of the Federal Office of Heritage and the Media and voted on by the East German ministers of culture.

Properties of SPSG

The Foundation manages and administers approximately 500 employees in Potsdam, Brandenburg and Berlin, about 300 buildings or structures, including more than 150 historic buildings and nearly of gardens, with Potsdam-Berlin's cultural landscape forming the largest part. With the treaty of SPSG coming into force, these land and buildings are included in the inventory:

In Brandenburg

Buildings and parks in Potsdam: *

Sanssouci Park Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany, built under Frederick the Great in the mid-1700s. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the stru ...

(289 ha) including

Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...

, New Palace,

Charlottenhof Palace Charlottenhof Palace or Charlottenhof Manor (german: Schloss Charlottenhof) is a former royal palace located southwest of Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park at Potsdam, Germany. It is best known as the summer residence of Crown Prince Frederick ...

, Picture Gallery, New Chambers,

Orangery Palace The Orangery Palace (german: Orangerieschloss) is a palace located in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam, Germany. It is also known as the New Orangery on the Klausberg, or just the Orangery. It was built on behest of the "Romantic on the Throne", Ki ...

, Dragon House,

Belvedere auf dem Klausberg The Belvedere auf dem Klausberg is a building in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany erected in 1770–72 using Georg Christian Unger's plans. Architecture Georg Christian Unger based his plans on a drawing by the Italian archeologist Francesco ...

, Roman Baths, Chinese House, pheasant, dairy, Historic Mill,

Ruinenberg The Ruinenberg is a hill in the Bornstedt borough of Potsdam, located north of Sanssouci Park. In 1748, the Prussian king Frederick the Great had a water tank with a capacity of around built on top to supply the Sanssouci water features, and had ...

, stables and other buildings in the park. * New Garden including the

Holy Lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. ...

(146 ha) with

Marble Palace Marble Palace (Мраморный дворец) is one of the first Neoclassical palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, slightly to the east from New Michael Palace. Design and pre-1917 ...

, Cecilienhof Castle,

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

, Orangerie, Gothic library building and other buildings in the park. *

Babelsberg Park Babelsberg Park (german: Park Babelsberg) is a 114 hectare park in the northeast of the city of Potsdam, bordering on the ''Tiefen See'' lake on the River Havel. The park was first designed by the landscape artist Peter Joseph Lenné and, af ...

(114 ha) including

Babelsberg Palace Babelsberg Palace (german: Schloss Babelsberg) lies in the eponymous park and quarter of Potsdam, the capital of the German state of Brandenburg, near Berlin. For over 50 years it was the summer residence of Prince William, later German Emperor ...

, kitchen buildings, steam-powered pump house, Flatowturm, Gerichtslaube, Little Castle, sailor's house and various buildings. Historic buildings in Potsdam outside the parks: * Stern Hunting Lodge, former stables of the castle town, steam-powered pump house of Sanssouci, Kopfbau zum Langen Stall, Lindstedt Castle,

Belvedere on the Pfingstberg The Belvedere on the Pfingstberg (german: link=no, Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg) is a large structure north of the New Garden in Potsdam, Germany, at the summit of Pfingstberg hill. It was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia a ...

, Pomona Temple, Thiemann House. Castles in Brandenburg: * Rheinsberg Palace and Park (27 ha), including all ancillary buildings, waters and bridges, Sacrow Castle and Park (38 ha), Caputh Castle and Park (5 ha), Wusterhausen Royal Castle and Park (5 ha), including ancillary facilities. In 2001 palaces in Paretz and

Oranienburg Oranienburg () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel. Geography Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin. Division of the town Oranienburg ...

were added in order to support museums.

In Berlin

* Charlottenburg Park (55,44 ha) including

Charlottenburg Palace Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) is a Baroque palace in Berlin, located in Charlottenburg, a district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf borough. The palace was built at the end of the 17th century and was greatly expanded during th ...

, Belvedere, Mausoleum and New Pavillon (housing artworks including Friedrich's '' The Garden Terrace'') * Grunewald Hunting Lodge *

Pfaueninsel Pfaueninsel (, "Peacock Island") is an island in the River Havel situated in Berlin- Wannsee, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf in southwestern Berlin, near the border with Potsdam in Brandenburg. The island is part of the Palaces and Par ...

(76 ha) including Pfaueninsel Palace and other buildings in the park * Glienicke Park (7,2 ha) including

Glienicke Palace Glienicke Palace (german: Schloss Glienicke) is a historic palace located on the peninsula of Berlin- Wannsee in Germany. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel around 1825 for Prince Carl of Prussia. Since 1990, Glienicke Palace and the p ...

and other buildings in the park *

Schönhausen Palace Schönhausen Palace (german: Schloss Schönhausen) is a Baroque palace at Niederschönhausen, in the borough of Pankow, Berlin, Germany. It is surrounded by gardens through which the Panke river runs. The palace is maintained by the Prussian Pal ...

References

External links

Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg

Fördervereine und Unterstützer der SPSG
{{Authority control Cultural organisations based in Germany Historic preservation Foundations based in Germany Organisations based in Brandenburg Prussian cultural sites 1995 establishments in Germany Organizations established in 1995