Not far from Potsdam, on the south bank of the Havel, lies the little country residence of Caputh, which has served both electors and kings. The early baroque palace is the only palace from the age of the Great Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg to have survived in the cultural landscape around Potsdam. Built in 1662 by Philipp de Chièze, it was purchased in 1671 by the Elector, who gave it to his second wife Dorothea. The original ceiling designs, with their paintings and stucco, have been preserved in almost every room. The works on display today, which include lacquered furniture, porcelain, faience, sculpture and paintings, illustrate how arts flourished and people lived at court around 1700. Schloss Caputh thrived again under Elector Frederick III, who became King Frederick I of Prussia in 1701. Frederick William I used Caputh for hunting jaunts, and around 1720 he had the summer dining room fitted out with about 7,500 faience tiles from the Netherlands. In the 18th century the building was leased out, and eventually it was sold off by the Crown.
Following restoration by the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation) Berlin-Brandenburg, the residence at Caputh and the surrounding park have re-opened to the public since 1999.
Caputh House is not just a museum, but a venue for guided tours, talks, concerts, exhibitions and events of many kinds.
The residence is set within a small landscaped garden inspired by Peter Joseph Lenné. Sadly, few traces remain of the original baroque garden, but around 1700 it contained an abundance of fountains, floral parterres, fruit trees and statues.
