Protestant Church of Peace, Potsdam

The Protestant Church of Peace is tucked into Sanssouci Park’s tranquil gardens. King Frederick William IV commissioned the church and Ludwig Persius designed it. After Persus’ death, Friedrich August Stüler continued the construction work. The cornerstone was laid in 1845, and the building was completed in 1854.

The church is reminiscent of a Medieval Italian monastery and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin. King Frederick William IV made the original design sketches and wanted the church to resemble Rome’s Basilica di San Clemente.

The king also wanted the church to display a 13th-century mosaic he had purchased from a Venetian church. This mosaic decorates the church’s apse and features religious figures and a Latin inscription.

The altar canopy was a gift from the king’s brother-in-law, Russia’s Tsar Nicholas I. The canopy was installed in 1842 and features Siberian jasper columns. The church’s floor features an intricate design of interleaved ribbon that represents eternity.

Frederick William IV and his wife are interred in the church’s royal crypt. At the end of the 19th century, the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum was added to the church’s north side. Emperor Friedrich III and his wife, Empress Victoria, are interred in a marble sarcophagus. The mausoleum also houses Soldier-King Frederick William I’s coffin.

The church’s 42-meter high (138-foot) belltower was inspired by the design of Rome’s Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The tower has seven open-air floors.