Königs Wusterhausen Hunting Lodge & GardenThe Fall Residence of the Soldier King

Since he was a boy, King Frederick William I, Prussia’s “Soldier King,” had loved Wusterhausen. It was here that he planned and prepared for his reign, developed new ideas for a well-organized and economical administration, and started to assemble a sizable army, whose soldiers became known as the “Lange Kerls” (tall men).

Later, Frederick William I would spend August to November here with his family – the happiest of times for him – and made Königs Wusterhausen Hunting Lodge his fall residence. It was from here that he performed his sovereign duties and indulged his great passion for hunting. In the evenings, he would summon his famous “Tobacco Club” to discuss politics in a convivial setting peppered with bawdy jokes.

Today this predominantly 16th century building provides visitors with an authentic impression of the environment and artistic pursuits in Brandenburg-Prussia during the first half of the 18th century. Forty works of art painted by the king have their own special appeal.

Together with Charlottenburg, the grounds of Königs Wusterhausen Hunting Lodge represent the earliest examples of French Baroque gardens in the style of André Le Nôtre in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The fundamental Baroque structure of the garden has been fully restored and harmonizes with elements remaining from its design in the 19th and 20th centuries.