Dampfmaschinenhaus, Steam engine building in Potsdam, Germany
The Dampfmaschinenhaus is a historic industrial building in Potsdam on the Havel River, designed in Moorish Revival style with red brick construction. Its most striking feature is the minaret-like chimney rising from the structure, adorned with ornamental details.
King Frederick William IV commissioned architects Ludwig Persius and Karl von Diebitsch to build the structure between 1841 and 1843. It became the central pumping station supplying water to the fountains of Sanssouci Palace.
The building merges industrial purpose with oriental design elements that reflect how 19th-century Germans were drawn to eastern architectural forms. Visitors can observe how practical function and artistic style were combined in a single structure.
The building sits directly on the Havel riverside and is easily visible from multiple viewpoints along the riverbank. Visitors should allow time to walk around the riverside area to see the structure from different angles and appreciate its brick detailing.
The building still contains the original Borsig machinery that once pumped water at considerable heights to supply the palace grounds. This working 19th-century engineering is a rare example of preserved industrial mechanics.
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