Church of Peace, Church building in Sanssouci Park, Germany.
The Church of Peace is a church building in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, Germany, designed in a style inspired by early Christian architecture from the Byzantine period. The basilica has three naves without a transept and a freestanding bell tower rising 42 meters (138 feet).
King Frederick William IV commissioned this church in 1845, following his own architectural sketches. Architects Friedrich Ludwig Persius and Friedrich August Stüler completed the structure by 1854.
The church is used by the Evangelical Friedenskirchengemeinde Potsdam, and the Oratorienchor Potsdam is based here. The apse mosaic, bought by Frederick William IV at auction for 385 thalers, shows Christ flanked by Mary, John the Baptist, Peter and Cyprian. The altar canopy of Siberian jasper on four dark green columns was a gift from Tsar Nicholas I.
The church stands in the Marly Garden right by the Green Fence (Am Grünen Gitter), at the edge of Sanssouci Park. The free-standing campanile is on the south side, separate from the church house, and the entrance front faces the garden. The interior is entered from the atrium side; the apse with its mosaic lies at the far end of the nave.
The apse mosaic was bought at auction in 1834 for 385 thalers while Frederick William was still crown prince, removed from San Cipriano on Murano before its demolition and shipped to Potsdam by water. It was mounted on 111 plaster plates.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,152 contributors worldwide.
