Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, the youngest brother of Frederick II, commissioned the palace from Michael Philipp Boumann. Construction began on October 13, 1785, and it was completed in 1786. The article calls it the first Neoclassical building in Germany, with Corinthian pilasters and two side wings, the Ladies' wing and the River Spree wing.
The ballroom on the upper floor, designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, is the only room with its original decoration. The palace was severely damaged in World War II and substantially refurbished in the 1950s, then inaugurated in 1959. Otto Meitinger redesigned the interior in 1986 and 1987. A modern oval office building was added in the park in 1998.
It is the official seat of the German president. The lead says it has been the official residence since 1994, but the article also says it has had no living quarters since 2006. The park covers about 49 acres (20 hectares).
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