Gotische Bibliothek
Gotische Bibliothek stands in Potsdam’s Neues Garten as a sandstone pavilion shaped like a neo-Gothic chapel. Its octagonal tower rises beside the Heiliger See. Carl Gotthard Langhans gave the royal building a four-sided arcade and a spiral stair reaching its terrace.
Frederick William II commissioned the pavilion as a private library and belvedere in the late eighteenth century. French literature occupied the lower floor of the library. German classics and Rosicrucian writings filled the upper floor, until the books moved to Potsdam City Palace in the 1930s. Bombing destroyed those holdings during World War II, while wartime damage made the structure lean toward the lake.
Restoration began in the 1990s and used original stones to rebuild the damaged pavilion over five years. Berlin and public funds supported the work. From the terrace, the restored architecture frames views of the Heiliger See and the Marble Palace. The pavilion generally remains closed to the public.
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myTuur is a free city-guide app. Its tours are built from spots, and each spot carries a story that starts when you get there, to read or to listen to as you like.