Sanssouci: Reopening of the Marble Hall

The restoration of the Marble Hall in Sanssouci's New Palace in Potsdam has been completed. The 600 square-foot room on the upper floor of the palace built by Prussian King Frederick the Great has been returned to its original character, said Hartmut Dorgerloh, Director General of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

Due to construction errors and the use of wet beams, the 90-ton hall was at risk of crashing into the Grotto Hall, one floor below. The renovation works, which began in 2013, cost around 4.9 million euros ($5.6 million). Starting Wednesday (13.04.2016), visitors may once again enter the room. The sumptuous Silesian marble floor, however, can only be viewed from a glass walkway.

The New Palace was built between 1763 and 1769 to celebrate Prussia's victory in the Seven Years' War. King Frederick wanted a magnificent building, decorated with valuable works of art. He personally never spent much time there, but friends and relatives were frequently accommodated in the guest apartments. The palace has close to a 1,000 rooms. The biggest attractions are the Grotto Hall and the large Marble Hall one floor above it. In 1990, the palaces and parks of Potsdam were officially declared World Heritage Sites.

is/mj (dpa)