Schloss-Charlottenburg

I kept saying that I wanted to go to Schloss Charlottenburg Palace. This, I later learned, is redundant. Schloss is the German word for palace, and when they palace, they ain't kidding!

At the turn of the 18th century, Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg in what was the village of Lietzow, declared himself King Friedrich I of Prussia. (Below, Douglas re-enacts)

I have often tried to declare myself Queen Liane of the World, but have been much less successful. However, I guess when Friedrich said it people listened. Soon after, his wife Sophie Charlotte, commissioned a palace. I have also tried commissioning a palace, but it takes money and I am sure you need all kinds of permits. It must have been nice back in the day when you just point and some architect tears all the commoner's huts down and builds you a badminton court (or whatever they played). ANYWAYS, the baroque palace was initially called Lietzenburg, but when Sophie Charlotte died in 1705 Friedrich renamed the palace and its estate in her memory.

Although we didn't go inside the palace, Douglas did manage to defile a statue just outside and provide Europeans with more reasons to hate Americans. I will post the less offensive evidence of "the incident". Don't fret parents, I walked away nonchalantly, just in case he happened to get arrested, I could claim I had no idea who he was and therefore did not need to share his jail cell.

We did visit the gardens. The landscape architect for the garden was Simeon Godeau, who took his baroque influence from Andre Le Notre, designer of the gardens at Versailles. The design consisted of geometric patters with avenues and moats, separating the garden from its natural surroundings. Beyond that, a Carp Pond. While towards the end of the 18th century the garden was redesigned in the English style, when restoration occurred after World War II, the garden was restored to its earlier state.

At the edge of the garden, ominously placed at the end of a long path surrounded by towering trees stands the Mausoleum. It was built between 1810 and 1812 in the neoclassical style as a tomb for Queen Luise. I don't know when Queen Luise died, but whether it was before or after- it is still creepy. If she died before, what did they do with her body in the meantime? If not, why was she so keen on building herself a crypt?
No wonder the Germans are so messed up (see: Toilet Shelf)...they are descended from these Prussian freaks.