Rheinsberg 25The Rediscovery of a Mark Brandenburg Residence

25th Anniversary Exhibition, May 1 – October 31, 2016

Rheinsberg, an enchanting location on a lake called Grienericksee, served as a hideaway for the artistically ambitious Crown Prince Frederick (later Frederick the Great) from 1736–40. Under the influence of his younger brother Henry, the palace developed into an innovative center of festive culture, theater and music.

Although Rheinsberg underwent a quiet period following Henry’s death, fascination with the site lived on. Theodor Fontane, Adolph Menzel, and the young Kurt Tucholsky each left their mark and reinvigorated the aura surrounding Rheinsberg – an attractiveness that survives to the present day. It was also a fascination with the location that convinced the “Rheinsberg Enthusiasts” in 1991 to set a process in motion that would quickly transform the structure – used for decades as a sanatorium – back into a palace that inspires its visitors once again.

Since the opening of Rheinsberg Palace on May 6, 1991, much has happened. The palace and pleasure garden could be restored; there have been superb exhibitions; and the Musenhof, or court of muses, is once again attracting attention far beyond the region. The historical palace and Kurt Tucholsky Literaturmuseum with a contemporary art gallery, the Musikakademie Rheinsberg and the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg draw thousands of visitors and much activity to the location each year.

The 25th anniversary of the opening in May 2016 will be an occasion to review these developments. Twenty-five sites throughout the palace and pleasure garden recall the exceptional accomplishment of their restoration and communicate insights, news, and future prospects. It is the documentation of a remarkable reawakening.

In cooperation with the Berlin Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts) and the Kurt Tucholsky Literaturmuseum (Literature Museum), the following members and scholarship holders from the Visual Arts Department will be showing their artistic interventions at selected exhibition stations in the Palace and Garden: Armando, Ulrich Erben, Dieter Goltzsche, Sebastian Gräfe, Ulrike Grossharth, Birgit Hein, Rebecca Horn, Klaus Kleine, Bernd Koberling, Raimund Kummer, Karin Sander, Michael Schoenholtz, Klaus Staeck, and Dorothee von Windheim.