Pfaueninsel

Coordinates: 52°26′4″N 13°7′51″E / 52.43444°N 13.13083°E / 52.43444; 13.13083
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pfaueninsel
View of the Castle from the Havel.
Map showing the location of Pfaueninsel
Map showing the location of Pfaueninsel
Map showing the location of Pfaueninsel
Map showing the location of Pfaueninsel
LocationBerlin
Coordinates52°26′4″N 13°7′51″E / 52.43444°N 13.13083°E / 52.43444; 13.13083
Area67 ha (170 acres)
Establishedoriginally in 1924
Governing bodyStiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG)
World Heritage sitePalaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
www.spsg.de/en/palaces-gardens/object/peacock-island/

Pfaueninsel (pronunciation

day-trippers.[1][2] Pfaueninsel is also a nature reserve in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive and a Special Protection Area
for wild birds.

Geography

Pfaueninsel is an island of 67 hectares (170 acres) in the river Havel, situated between Kladow to the west and Wannsee to the east and downriver from the Großer Wannsee, in Berlin, Germany. Further downstream is the Jungfernsee. The island is mostly woodland with some open areas, including lawns and fields. The total size of the protected area, including some water-covered areas, is 98 hectares (240 acres).

History

In the late 17th century the island was called Kaninchenwerder ("Rabbit Island") after a rabbit breeding station set up by

Hohenzollern dynasty. From 1685, he gave the chemist Johann Kunckel financial aid to build a glass foundry in the east of the island, the whole of which became Kunckel's property. Here Kunckel discovered a process to produce artificial ruby (red) glass. After the elector's death in 1688, however, Kunckel gained no further support from Frederick William's heir. In 1689, the foundry was destroyed by a fire (possibly caused by arson), and Kunckel left in 1692 for Stockholm to work for the King of Sweden.[3]

The island remained unused for about 100 years until, in 1793, the

gothic revival
church on the other end of the island. One of the garden designers was Johann August Eyserbeck who died in 1801. In 1804, Ferdinand Fintelmann took over as royal gardener.

The House of Palms as depicted in The Interior of the Palm House on the Pfaueninsel Near Potsdam by Carl Blechen

Frederick William's successor,

Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris, in which exotic animals including alligators, buffalos, kangaroos, monkeys, chameleons, wolves, eagles, lions, lamas, bears, beavers and peacocks were housed.[3] This initially stretched between the castle and the Kavaliershaus, but was altered by Lenné in 1824. Buildings were designed in the Italian villa style and included grottos and an aviary (which still remains today). The number of animals peaked at over 900, from over a 100 species.[3] Frederick William III was very fond of his animals, often feeding many of them personally. He also made his collection accessible to the people of Berlin. However, this created such an onslaught on the small island, that from 1821 the public was allowed on the island only three days a week. Nevertheless, public interest remained so high that the special trains running from Berlin were often overcrowded.[3] In 1830 Harry Maitey, the first native Hawaiian who came to Prussia, was assigned as assistant to the engine master on the island. In 1842, Frederick William IV transferred all the animals to the Berlin Zoo, which opened its gates in 1844 as the first of its kind in Germany.[3]

The Palmenhaus ("House of Palms") was erected in 1831, based on a design by Schinkel. It housed exotic plants like tobacco, canna lilies, mangold, bananas, artichokes and rhubarb and was praised by explorer Alexander von Humboldt.[3] It caught fire for unknown reasons in the night of 19/20 May 1880 and burnt to the ground.[3] It was suggested that the fire was due to a stray spark from the chimney, as the Palmenhaus had been built out of wood. It was not rebuilt, but stone columns still trace the outline of the building.

On 15 August 1936, the German government celebrated the closing of the 1936 Olympic Summer Games on the island, with fireworks and an Italian Night party involving a thousand invited guests.[3]

In the post-World War II period, the Pfaueninsel was part of West Berlin. It was situated right next to the border to East Germany. On the shore of Sacrow to the north and west were the Grenzsicherungsanlagen (fortifications of the inner German border) of the German Democratic Republic.

In the 1960s, the Pfaueninsel served as an outdoor location for a number of films of the German Edgar Wallace series.

Today

The island has largely retained its intended character as an idyll of nature: in addition to several free-ranging

peacocks, other native and exotic birds can be found in captivity, complemented by a rich variety of flora. The entire island is designated as a nature reserve and since 1990 has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the several other castles and parks in the Potsdam/Berlin area
. It can only be reached by a small ferry but is a popular tourist destination. It is administered by the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (SPSG).

Gallery

  • The so-called Kavaliershaus (house of cavaliers)
    The so-called Kavaliershaus (house of cavaliers)
  • Memorial temple for Queen Luise of Prussia, built 1829
    Memorial temple for Queen Luise of Prussia, built 1829
  • Frigate Shelter, built 1833 for the Royal Louise, a miniature frigate
    Frigate Shelter, built 1833 for the Royal Louise, a miniature frigate
  • Column fountain, created in 1824 by Martin Friedrich Rabe [de]
    Column fountain, created in 1824 by Martin Friedrich Rabe [de]
  • Meierei (dairy), view from the southeast
    Meierei (dairy), view from the southeast
  • Peacock on Pfaueninsel
    Peacock on Pfaueninsel

References

  1. ^ a b "Pfaueninsel". Official website of Berlin (German). Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 12 Jun 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Pfaueninsel info flyer" (PDF). SPG. Retrieved 26 April 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pfaueninsel.
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