Frederick the Great and Sans Souci

Frederick the Great ruled Prussia from his new palace at Potsdam, Sans Souci. It was built to his own design and reveals much about his character as a ruler who wanted to be seen as an `enlightened' philosopher. The palace is small, lavishly decorated and includes a library, a music room and a guest wing. The significance of each of these is discussed in turn. It does not include a chapel, which reflects Frederick's views on religious freedom. The grounds contain busts of Roman emperors, decorative statues and a Chinese teahouse. After the Seven Years War he built a much larger new palace but rarely used it. Throughout the program, the contrast is drawn between the man of letters, philosopher, musician and friend of the Enlightenment and the aristocratic ruler whose foreign policy included the eighteenth-century equivalent of a world war.

© 1998-2008 The Roland Collection & Pira Intl.