Temple of Friendship, Potsdam

The Temple of Friendship (Freundschaftstempel) is a small, round classical building located in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam. Commissioned by King Frederick II of Prussia in memory of his sister, Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia, who passed away in 1758, the temple was designed by architect Carl von Gontard and completed between 1768 and 1770. It stands south of the park's main boulevard, complementing the Temple of Antiquities, which lies directly north of the boulevard on the same axis.

The architectural design of the Temple of Friendship was inspired by the ancient Greek monopteros, characterized by its open, round structure with a shallow domed roof supported by eight Corinthian columns. This style was previously employed by Frederick in the Temple of Apollo at Neuruppin, built in 1735. The columns of the Temple of Friendship feature medallions depicting pairs of friends from classical antiquity, such as Pylades and Orestes, Euryalus and Nisos, Heracles and Philoctetes, and Pirithous and Theseus, reflecting Wilhelmine's and Frederick's fascination with the classical era.

Inside the temple, a life-sized marble statue of Princess Wilhelmine, crafted by the sculptor brothers Johann David and Johann Lorenz Wilhelm R盲ntz, stands in a shallow alcove at the back wall. The statue depicts her holding a book, a detail based on a portrait by the court painter Antoine Pesne. This artistic homage, along with the temple's classical references, underscores Wilhelmine's intellectual pursuits and the close bond she shared with her brother.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Potsdam. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Temple of Friendship
Sight Location: Potsdam, Germany (See walking tours in Potsdam)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Sanssouci Park Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Potsdam, Germany

Create Your Own Walk in Potsdam

Creating your own self-guided walk in Potsdam is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Neuer Garten Walking Tour

Laid out at the behest of Friedrich William II in 1787, Potsdam's Neuer Garten (New Garden) was indeed "new" compared to the already in place Sanssouci Park.

Between 1816 and 1828, the area was modified further as an English-style, open landscape garden, with an aim to reproduce nature 鈥� trees and plants were left to grow naturally, unshaped and untrimmed. Rural life was also... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

Sanssouci Park Walking Tour

Sanssouci Park is a unique Potsdam landmark that occupies 290 hectares in the heart of the city. The Park is named after the Sanssouci Palace that it surrounds, which in turn takes its name from the French phrase "sans souci", which means carefree, and implies that the palace was designated as a place of fun, rather than a seat of power.

Indeed, the Sanssouci Palace was built in 1747... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles

Potsdam Introduction Walking Tour

Potsdam was likely founded during the seventh century by the Hevelli tribe. The town was mentioned by the name of Poztupimi in a document from Emperor Otto III. The name likely came from an old Western Slavonic term roughly meaning "beneath the oaks."

By the early 1300s, a small town had formed with a town charter. By 1573 the town had around 2,000 people living there. Potsdam rose to... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles

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