Paretz Castle

Paretz Palace was built starting in 1797 at the initiative of the then Crown Prince Frederick William, who later became King Frederick William III of Prussia. He and his consort Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz sought a place of tranquility and simplicity. The Berlin architect David Gilly was commissioned to erect a modest country palace in place of an older manor house. The facades were subtly designed, and the interiors were completed in 1797/1798 in the style of early Berlin Classicism, later known as Biedermeier. The paper wallpapers in the royal chambers were famous. After the death of Frederick William III in 1840, the rooms remained unused at the request of his descendants to honor the memory of their parents, largely preserving the original state until 1945.