Jagdschloss Glienicke is a small German hunting lodge in Berlin-Wannsee. It was built in 1682 by Charles Philippe Dieussart for Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and completed in 1693 during the reign of Frederick William I of Prussia. Frederick I of Prussia used it as a military hospital. In 1763, Frederick II of Prussia gave it as a present to Isaac Levin Joel, a wallpaper and carpet maker who used it for wallpaper manufacture. From 1827, it was owned by Wilhelm von Türk, who turned it into an orphanage in 1832. In 1859, Prince Charles of Prussia hired the court architect Ferdinand von Arnim to renovate the castle in Neo-baroque style for his son Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia. In 1889, Albert Geyer expanded the central block of the building and added a tower.
In 1939, the castle came into possession of the city of Berlin. After World War II, the castle first became a facility of the Soviet army, then a youth hostel. In between, it was used as a storing location for Universum Film AG. Additionally, many families found a new home there after the Russians cleared out Berlin and Neubabelsberg. One of the families was the family of an ex-mayor of Berlin. In 1963/64, Max Taut rebuilt the castle by adding a glass bay to the two lower floors. Between 1964 and 2003, the castle was used as a youth meeting place. Since 2003, the castle is home of the Sozialpädagogische Fortbildung Jagdschloss Glienicke.
On March 31, 2003, the south wing of the castle caught fire as a result of faulty wiring. Because the castle had no fire alarm and its water intakes had become clogged with silt, the resulting damage was particularly severe and has yet to be fully repaired. A rebuild in line with accepted conservation practice began in November 2005. The topping-out ceremony was on August 23, 2006.
Jagdschloss Glienicke is part of the UNESCO-World Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.