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Rheinsberg Palace

Frederick the Great’s Rheinsberg Palace

Rheinsberg Palace is on the eastern shore of Lake Grienericksee, in the municipality of Rheinsberg, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Berlin in the German district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin.

Frederick's happiest days were spent as crown prince in Rheinsberg where, between 1736 and 1740, he was free to pursue his interests in music and philosophy, miles away from his father's watchful eye in Berlin. In the years up to 1740 Frederick had the castle considerably extended and improved by the architects Johann Gottfried Kemmeter (b. ? – d. 1748) and Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff (17 February, 1699 -  16 September, 1753).  An upper floor was added to the single-storey building and the East Wing extended by 25 metres (27 yards).  The new design ideas introduced by Frederick in this palace were further developed at Sanssouci Palace.

After Frederick’s accession to the throne (1740), his younger brother, Prince Henry, took over the Rheinsberg palace and he continued Frederick’s tradition of music, opera and theatre.   This tradition is still maintained by the famous Rheinsberg Music Academy and the Rheinsberg Chamber Opera (https://www.kammeroper-schloss-rheinsberg.de).
 
Danielle Mihram, May 2017

Sources
Rheinsberg - ID: 7012678 - Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
http://www.getty.edu/vow/TGNFullDisplay?find=Rheinsberg&place=&nation=&prev_page=1&english=Y&subjectid=7012678

Bourke, John.  “Frederick the Great as Music-Lover and Musician.” Music & Letters, vol.28, no.1, 1947, pp. 63-77. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/854712

Video:
Deutsche Welle. “Touring Castles – Visiting the Home of Prussia’s King Frederick the Great.” 2017
http://www.dw.com/en/touring-castles-visiting-the-home-of-prussias-king-frederick-the-great/av-6611136
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