Ladies’ Wing at Sanssouci PalaceDreamlike in Elegant Style

King Frederick William IV chose Sanssouci Palace as the summer residence for himself and his wife, Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, after he ascended the throne in 1840. The great grandnephew of Frederick the Great honored his ancestor and left the older king’s rooms at the palace largely untouched. Nevertheless, he had the palace’s side wings expanded to gain space needed for his court. The Ladies’ Wing was thus created to the west to serve as living quarters for the ladies-in-waiting and gentlemen of the court, and a wing housing the Palace Kitchen and bakery was erected to the east.

The great esteem this king held for Frederick the Great also led to the Ladies’ Wing being designed in the style of the “Second Rococo.” Frederick William IV quite deliberately placed himself in the tradition of his great ancestor by consciously choosing this 18th century style of interior decoration.

In this wing, Ludwig Persius also gave tangible shape to one of Frederick William IV’s dreams in the green paneled and silver embellished “Dream Room.” Although the interior design in the other rooms varied in richness, this room on the ground floor of the Ladies’ Wing possessed a highly accentuated and luxurious design. The ensemble was completed with restored Frederician antiquities and sumptuous new furniture in a decidedly elegant style.

In addition to the original décor, other works of art from the royal couple’s collection, as well as 19th century views of Berlin and its surroundings, are now on display in the Ladies’ Wing.