Private art exhibition house in a Persius villa next to the Glienicke Bridge in Potsdam, with tours on the history of the house.
September 6, 2026 – March 31, 2027
Around 90 works by more than 60 artists spanning three centuries on the forest as a subject – from historical paintings, drawings, and photographs to contemporary art on the relationship between people and nature.
The villa on Berliner Straße was created between 1843 and 1845, when Ludwig Persius, commissioned by Frederick William IV, remodeled an older residence in the style of an Italian villa for Kurd Wolfgang von Schöning, court marshal to Prince Carl of Prussia. The building was part of the effort to beautify the Potsdam landscape around the Glienicke Bridge (Glienicker Brücke). Later owners included the banker Hermann Wallich and his son Paul.
In the 20th century, the villa mirrored the eventful history of the place: during the Nazi era it housed government offices, and after 1945 it served first as a Soviet military hospital and then as a children's home. After the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the house stood right in the border zone by the Glienicke Bridge, where spies were later exchanged between East and West; the children's home remained until 1994.
In 2007, Mathias Döpfner and the banker Leonhard H. Fischer bought the dilapidated building and had it restored. On November 8, 2009, marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it opened as a privately funded exhibition house. Since then, the villa has shown changing exhibitions of contemporary and historical art; guided tours explain the history of the house and the Glienicke Bridge. The property is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin."
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5University students, apprentices, holders of a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Under 18 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5Companions of assistance dog handlers free. |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
Free admission for children and teens under 18, KulTür members, and recipients of Bürgergeld (basic income support).
Due to heritage protection, the exhibition house is not accessible; the café is accessible. Assistance dogs on a leash are welcome.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Glienicker Brücke
Tram 93 to Glienicker Brücke; from Berlin take the RE1 or S7 to Wannsee, then bus 316 to Glienicker Brücke.
By car via the A 115 (exit Wannsee or Dreieck Potsdam-Babelsberg) to the Glienicker Brücke.
Get directionsCafé Pedales with organic and regional products. Dogs allowed on a leash.
Available for cultural events and corporate functions via partner Berlin Cuisine; no weddings.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 30 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Tours on the history of the villa (30–45 minutes) and curator-led tours; tours of Villa Schlieffen monthly on weekends and by arrangement. Information via info@villa-schoeningen.de. |
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