Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-09
PALACES OF KAISER
Sixty-TW0 Residences for I'M
periaI Family of Germany,
POTSDAM EMPEROR'S CITY
Has Beautiful Site on Island in the
River Havel.
SELDOM STAYS IN BERLIN
Ten Royal Residences in Capital.
But They Are Occupied by Other
Members of the Family.
POTSDAM EMPEROR'S CITY
SELDOM STAYS IN BERLIl
BY WILLIAM L. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM L. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Ten of the sXty-tWO palaces at the dis
position of the imperial family of Ger
many are located at Berlin and five at
Potsdam. which is about twenty miles
distant by rail- and is the seat of gov
eminent of the province of Brandenburg.
Potsdam is really the imperial city, and
it's 5000 inhabitants are nearly all at
tached to the court or to the army. or are
dependent directly or indirectly, upon
one or the other.
PotSdam is indebted for it's splendor TO
Frederick the Great. who made. it his
residence, and built several palaces and
pleasure resorts and the headquarters of
the army. Several of his successors fol-
lowed his example and added to the
group OF royal residences. until Potsdam
is now the most attractive and magnifi-
cent of all imperial cities in the world,
far finer than Versailles, st. Cloud,
Peterhof or Tsarskoe-Selo. It's siuation
adds to it's attractions. 1t occupies an
island in the River Havel, which there
expands into a series of lakes. and is sur
rounded by succession Of wooded hills.
There are number of lovely suburbs,
each of which has its chateau or royal
retreat. and is surrounded by a park.
Headquarters Of the Army.
the army, although the offices of the
various departments are located for con-
venience in the city of Berlin. There is
a regular garrison of about 10000 men,
and every regiment in the service an
nually sends detachment of commits
stoned or non-commissioned officers there.
where the emperor can personally in
spect and instruct them in their duties.
and tell them how to carry out his ideas.
The regular garrison is the LIST Regiment
of Foot Guards. which Is composed of
giants selected from the rest of the army
because Of their stature. Every man is
above six feet, and many are nearly
seven feet tall They are the Emperor s
own" and he takes great satisfaction in
drilling them.
The imperial residence in the new pal
ace at Potsdam is much more comfort
able than the average palace. and is more
homelike than any I have ever seen ex-
cept perhaps the palace at, Stockholm
and the living rooms at Windsor Castle.
The kaiser occupies for his offices
series Of rooms on the entresol, connected
q
rooms Of the empress and the family.
He does q great deal Of work there. for
he is one of the busiest men in the world.
He can dispatch business as rapidly as
Roosevelt and is as versatile in his capac-
tiles. The ceremonial apartments are
not so grand as those Of several other
palaces, but at the same time they are
not so cold and cherries.
The marble palace. as 1t is called. is
the country residence of the crown prince
gryt e..
before he assembled the throne. Within
Ave minutes walk is the garrison church
where the emperor attends services reg
ularly and where he expects the officers
of the garrison to be equally punctual in
their devotions. Behind a beautiful
the remains of Frederick the Great and
his father. In this church the kings OF
Russia, Prussia. Denmark and Holland
met to form their alliance against Ma
poleon. in 1908. There are several other
palaces at Potsdam. occupied by mem
bers of the royal family, and others that
are reserved for exhibition purposes.
Seldom Occupied by Kaiser.
The kaiser seldom occupies his palaces
in the city of Berlin. The huge ant
ancient royal schloss Is used only on oc
casions of great ceremony. The smaller
palace. next to the royal opera house
on Inter den Linden, which was occupied
by his grandfather, Wilhelm /. remain.
as it was at his death. The palace Of
the crown prince, which adjoins it, il
occupied during the greater part Of the
winter by the young man and his wife
who are both interested in society ant
music and other activities, which draw
them to the city. Other of the ten pal
aces in Berlin are occupied by the diff
ferent members of the royal family
and the chateau of Monbijou Is a museum
containing personal relics Of the former
rulers of Prussia.
the Neues Palais, sometimes called
Friedrichskron. at Potsdaln, begun by
Frederick the Great during the sever
years war; was built by him in 1863 q!
at q cost Of $2.25O,OOO. 1t is one of th<
largest palaces in Europe. The maiI
building is 700 feet in length, with three
stories and about 200 rooms, nearly al
of them very highly decorated. There /.
q theater with seats for 500 people: 6
concert room lined with marble that will
the Great used to give musical entertain
ments and play solos upon the flute
There is an audience chamber of splendid
proportions 100 feet long and 40 fee
wide, and other state apartments of SINH
lar Dimensions. which were designed b,
Frederick the Great himself. There is
freak ROOM the walls of which are en-
tirefy inlaid with shells of different size.
and varieties with a frieze Of mineral:
and precious stones. The present emperor
has made many changes in the building
according to his own taste and has great
~ improved 1t. Attached to the New
Palace is a series Of buildings intended
as quarters for the gentlemen and ladies
i'm waiting and other officials of the court
They are connected with it by semi.
circular colcnnade.
Architectural TESTERS Freak.
The orangery Of Frederick the Great
$40 feet long. is curious building and
one OF the most popular places for tour
lists to visit in eBrlin. 1t was a freak OF
fancy Of an architectural jester. but there
is great deal of interest in it. including an
APE saloon"-a large room decorated
with apes of various sizes and ages in
various postures. with which, it is said,
Frederick the Great used to illustrate
some OF his frequent Satires directed at
members of his court. There Is q bath
house containing a tub chiSeled from a
solid piece of Jasper; there are rooms
finished in malachite. in amber and in
tortoise SHE'LL, all OF them representing
an enormous cost. The amber came from
the Baltic sea. the tortoise shell from
Naples and Sicily and the malachite from
the Cral mountains
The most recent addition to the curios
of the orangery are five astronomical in
struments which were stolen from the i'm
perial observatory of China by the Ger
man troops after the siege Of Picking ir