On 19 February 2026, the WiB members of the Palaces & Parks group braved the freezing temperatures to visit the New Palace in Potsdam, in particular to view the paintings on the upper floor, which have only recently been reopened to the public.

Susanne von der Osten-Sacken led us through the state halls, grand galleries, and princely apartments with remarkable expertise and enthusiasm. She explained that the New Palace was the last palace Frederick the Great had built in his park. Because of its lavish decoration, it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Frederician interior design.

The highlight of the tour was the upper gallery of the New Palace, which has now been accessible to the public again for the first time in 30 years. In this gallery, the members were able to admire five of the most important paintings belonging to the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, Berlin-Brandenburg including two works by Artemisia Gentileschi, which are among the few of her surviving paintings in Germany.