Pfaueninsel Palace Reopens After Seven-Year Restoration

The freshly restored Pfaueninsel Palace on Berlin's Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) has reopened to the public after a seven-year, €7.5 million restoration campaign. The island, managed by the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, has been a romantic escape since the late 18th century. King Friedrich Wilhelm II acquired the island in 1786 and commissioned court carpenter Johann Gottlieb Brendel to build a summer palace in 1794, completed within 18 months. The folly architecture, designed as a Gothic ruin with two towers connected by an iron bridge, features a trompe-l'oeil arch and a white facade—a choice attributed to Wilhelmine Enke, later Countess Lichtenau, the king's mistress. The palace's interior retains original walls, floors, doors, paneling, paper and textile wallpapers, and furniture, all carefully cleaned and restored. The restoration addressed severe moisture damage, replacing rotten wooden structures, reconstructing the plank cladding, sealing cellar walls, and improving drainage. The palace had been closed since 2018; preparatory studies began that year, with major construction from 2021 to 2025. The island's history dates back to 1685, when Elector Friedrich Wilhelm granted it to alchemist Johann Kunckel for a laboratory; Kunckel failed to make gold but created the prized ruby glass. Today, the island remains a popular destination for its landscape park, ancient trees, rose garden, and peacocks first introduced in 1795.