Friedrichsfelde Palace

Schloss Friedrichsfelde – © visitBerlin.de / Koch

A journey back in time through Berlin's cultural history: the walls are covered in wallpaper with flowery patterns and animal motifs; portraits of former residents are hanging everywhere; Berlin porcelain and Brandenburg glass are on show in elegant display cases; and magnificent chandeliers hang from the ceilings. Friedrichsfelde Palace is still a perfect example of what a prestigious stately home looked like back in the 18th century.

The palace was built in 1695 by Benjamin Raule, Director-General of the Prussian Royal Navy, who called it Rosenfelde Palace. However, a short time later, Raule lost his fortune, supposedly as the result of fraudulent business practices, and the palace was taken over by the Prussian king. From this point on, it was known as Friedrichsfelde. After several alterations and extensions, its current neo-classical exterior was finally created in 1800.

Today, Friedrichsfelde palace is part of Berlin zoo in the Friedrichsfelde district. It houses a museum. The varied collections include paintings by Anton Graff, Jakob Philipp Hackert, Eduard Gaertner and other artists, as well as sculptures, furniture, clocks, exquisite Berlin silverware, neo-classical earthenware and objects produced by the royal foundry. Specialist guided tours provide information on the fascinating history of the palace and the aristocratic families who once lived here.