Cecilienhof

About the museum

Emperor Wilhelm II had Schloss Cecilienhof built from 1913 to 1917 in the northern part of the Neuer Garten for his eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm, and his wife Cecilie. Architect Paul Schultze-Naumburg designed the Hohenzollerns' last palace in the style of an English country house of brick and timber; wings grouped around several courtyards conceal its true size of 176 rooms. The crown prince and princess lived here until 1945.

From July 17 to August 2, 1945, the heads of government of the victorious powers – Truman, Churchill (later Attlee) and Stalin – met here to negotiate the postwar order. The Potsdam Agreement is regarded as a turning point between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. For the conference, the main rooms were refurnished and a red star made of flowers was planted in the courtyard of honor.

After the war, the palace was opened to the public as the historic site of the conference; from 1960, part of the building also housed a hotel. Since 1990, Cecilienhof has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin", and in 2011 it received the European Heritage Label. The facades, roofs and windows were restored by 2018.

Since November 2024, the palace has been closed for renovation of its interiors. Plans include an accessible museum entrance, additional exhibition space, passenger elevators for the first time and a revived hotel with a public restaurant; reopening is scheduled for 2029.

Highlights

• Conference hall of the 1945 Potsdam Conference with the round negotiating table
• Red star made of flowers in the courtyard of honor, planted for the conference
• The Hohenzollerns' last palace, in English country-house style with 176 rooms
• Private rooms of the crown prince and princess, including a cabinet styled like a ship's cabin
• Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, European Heritage Label (2011)

Founded

1910

Operated by

Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG)

Director

Christoph Martin Vogtherr (Generaldirektor der SPSG)

Visitors per year

approx. 93,931 (2024)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Information on conditions before the closure: the exhibition rooms on the Potsdam Conference were wheelchair-friendly, but the private rooms upstairs were not; strollers were not allowed in the exhibition rooms. No elevator so far – after the renovation, an accessible museum entrance and, for the first time, passenger elevators are planned. Assistance dogs welcome. Guided tour in plain language available as a video on YouTube.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available

For conservation reasons, strollers are not allowed in the exhibition rooms (according to the SPSG; the palace is currently closed for renovation).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop: not available

No café, restaurant or shop in the palace during the closure. Nearby: Meierei im Neuen Garten (brewery and restaurant on the Jungfernsee) and Café Midi. After the renovation, a public restaurant, a snack bar in the Hofgarten and a museum shop and café are planned.

Events & venue rental

As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.

No venue rental during the renovation; Cecilienhof is currently not listed among the SPSG's event locations. In the future, the palace is to operate a hotel again with at least 38 rooms and a public restaurant.