Cecilienhof, Palace in Potsdam, Germany
Cecilienhof is a palace building in the Nördliche Vorstädte district of Potsdam, now serving as a museum and conference venue. The complex holds 176 rooms with half-timbered elements and sits directly on the shore of the New Garden park.
Emperor Wilhelm II ordered construction between 1914 and 1917 as a home for Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie. After the First World War, the Hohenzollern family stayed until 1945, when Soviet troops requisitioned it for the Potsdam Conference.
The building carries the name of Crown Princess Cecilie, for whom it was built as a residence. Visitors today walk through the conference rooms kept as they were when world leaders met in summer 1945 to negotiate Europe's postwar order.
The museum grounds are located at Am Neuen Garten 11 and are within walking distance from central Potsdam. Some areas remain in use as conference rooms and are closed to visitors during events.
The building displays 55 brick chimneys with different patterns that reveal new details with every look at the roofline. A red star made of geraniums in the courtyard still recalls the Soviet delegation at the conference.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
