An English Tudor-style palace built for Crown Prince Wilhelm, transformed into a place of world-historical negotiation in 1945.
Completed in 1917 for Crown Prince Wilhelm and Crown Princess Cecilie, the palace takes its name from the princess and was designed in an English Tudor country-house style unusual for Prussian royal architecture of the period. Its significance rests on the summer of 1945, when the palace hosted the Potsdam Conference: Truman, Stalin, and Churchill (replaced partway through by newly elected Prime Minister Attlee) met in the palace's grand hall around a specially built round table to negotiate German demilitarization, denazification, reparations, and the Oder-Neisse border with Poland. The delegation's private offices and the round negotiating table survive largely as they were and form the centerpiece of the palace's memorial exhibition today.
| Admission | €10 (~$11) adult |
|---|---|
| Hours | Tue-Sun 10:00-17:30 (Apr-Oct), 10:00-16:30 (Nov-Mar); closed Mondays |
| Address | Im Neuen Garten 11, 14469 Potsdam, Germany |
Why it matters
Site of the July-August 1945 Potsdam Conference, where the Allied powers set the framework for postwar Germany
Site facts
- Built
- 1913-1917
- Architect
- Paul Schultze-Naumburg
- Style
- English Tudor country house
- UNESCO listing
- Yes - part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
Weather through the year in Germany
Best time Shoulder Worth avoiding
Average daytime temperature in °C. Figures are for Germany.
Location
Im Neuen Garten 11, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
52.4145, 13.0665 View on map
Highlights
- The original round negotiating table from the 1945 conference
- Preserved delegation offices of Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee
- Setting of the decisions establishing Germany's postwar occupation zones
Tips for visiting
- Focus the visit on the round table room and the three delegation offices, the highlights of the tour
- An audio guide covering the conference's diplomatic background is available and worth the small extra fee
- Combine the visit with a walk through the surrounding Neuer Garten park
- Arrive early on weekends, when the conference rooms draw the largest crowds
- A full visit to the exhibition rooms takes about 45-60 minutes
When to visit
Weekday mornings for a quiet visit to the conference rooms.
Accessibility
Ground-floor conference rooms accessible; some upper rooms reached only by stairs.
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Frequently asked questions
What was decided at the Potsdam Conference?
The conference set the framework for Germany's occupation zones, demilitarization, reparations, and the Oder-Neisse line as the new German-Polish border.