Temple of Friendship

The Temple of Friendship is a small round temple in the western part of Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, the Prussian King Frederick II, built in memory of his late 1758 's favorite sister, the Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth. Near the New Palace, south of the main avenue, Carl von Gontard created 1768-1770 the pavilion as a counterpart to the one axis north of the avenue located Antikentempel.

The first pavilion in Neuruppin

As a model for the Friendship Temple of Apollo temple served in the Amalthea in Neuruppin. The first work of the architect Georg Wenceslaus von Knobelsdorff originated in 1735 in an ornamental and kitchen garden, the Crown Prince Frederick (the Great) Create at his residence in the Brandenburg town where he was from 1732 to 1735 commander of a regiment.

The Temple of Apollo was an open circular temple, which was closed in 1791 but by lining the column spaces.. . In August 1735 Frederick wrote to his sister Wilhelmina: " ... The garden house is a temple of eight Doric columns support a dome on it stands a statue of Apollo Once it is done, we will sacrifice - of course you, dear sister, the protector of the fine arts. "

The pavilion in Sanssouci Park

For the location of the memory of his favorite sister Frederick the Great chose, as in Neuruppin, the architectural style of the open circular temple whose shallow domed roof is supported by eight pairs of Corinthian columns. This form, bautypologisch a monopteros, has its origins in ancient Greece, where such umbrella roofs were built over cult statues and tombs.

An apotheosis of Wilhelmine of Bayreuth signifies their representation as a larger than life statue sitting in an arched niche at the rear narrow wall space. Her naked feet resting on a four-legged stool and loads modeled on ancient statues of gods to worship one. The main draws to graciously to the viewer, the rest on the lap book stands as an attribute for the protectress of Sciences. The statue comes from the workshop of the sculptor Johann brothers David and Johann Lorenz Wilhelm Räntz. The model for the figure of marble was a painting of the portrait and court painter Antoine Pesne. The medallions on the column shafts with images of friendship pairs from antiquity and the book in her hand point to the enthusiasm of the Marchioness for this age.

351946
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