Schwedt/Oder - Preußische Erinnerungsorte, historic Prussian place

Prussians in Schwedt

Schwedt was the home of two of the children of King Frederick William I and of his wife Sophia Dorothea. In 1734, Sophie Dorothea Marie was married to the Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt. She was very young at the time, and he was 19 years older than her. On September 27, 1755 Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia married his niece, Princess Luise of Brandenburg-Schwedt.

Royal involvement

Frederick II had close links to the town Schwedt, because of his siblings. Following complaints by local residents, the King got involved a number of times. In 1755 he established a temporary justice council for the town to limit the influence of the second Margrave. Frederick also reacted quickly, when his cousin – the third and final Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt – lodged complaints against his wife: She was banished to Kolberg.

Monplaisir hunting lodge and Europäischer Hugenottenpark

The big and impressive castle complex in Schwedt with the castle grounds, the “Schlossfreiheit” square and the connected 1.5 kilometre long linden tree avenue leading to the Monplaisir hunting lodge was in a way considered to be a rival of Berlin. Parts of the gardens and the Monplaisir hunting lodge are the only parts of the baroque structures from the Margraves’ era that are still intact. The castle grounds are now known as Europäischer Hugenottenpark.