Dampfmaschinenhaus
Dampfmaschinenhaus stands beside the Neustädter Havelbucht, a bay of the Havel River in Potsdam. Its Moorish design gives an industrial building an unexpected silhouette beside the water.
Ludwig Persius directed its construction between 1841 and 1843 for Frederick William IV. August Borsig built the steam engine inside, which originally pumped water to the Sanssouci Palace fountains. When the machine began operating in October 1842, its jet reached 38 metres, making it the most powerful machine in Prussia. Modern electric pumps now drive those fountains, while the original engine remains visible in operation.
From the terrace of Sanssouci Palace, the building once formed a striking architectural accent in Potsdam’s cultural landscape. The Moorish style, unusual for nineteenth-century industrial architecture, still sets it apart.
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