Jagdschloss Grunewald

In the location's words:

Berlin's oldest palace building, with its complex of palace, courtyard and outbuildings, is a unique example of Renaissance architecture in Berlin. The special location on the shores of Grunewaldsee in the middle of the forest also provides a charming setting for Berlin's largest Cranach collection.

Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg had the palace built from 1542 for his hunting stays. A formative figure in the development of the Renaissance in Berlin, Joachim II commissioned numerous works from Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Younger, including the Passion panels for the Berlin Collegiate Church and the series of Ruler's Virtues (Exemplum panels) intended for the decoration of the Berlin Palace. Today, the nearly 30 works convey an impressive picture of the rulers and artistry at the Berlin court of the 16th century.

The top-class Cranach collection is complemented in the hunting lodge by the SPSG's holdings of Old German and Old Netherlandish paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries.

A series of portraits of Brandenburg-Prussian rulers from the 16th to the 19th century can be viewed on special guided tours. This gallery of rulers offers fascinating insights into the development of portrait art from the Renaissance to Romanticism.

Another thematic focus of the permanent exhibition relates to the original use of the castle as a hunting station. Diverse artistic testimonies of the Hohenzollerns' passion for hunting are gathered here - from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. On display are depictions of court hunts and hunting festivities as well as furnishings of electoral and royal palaces with hunting motifs and various ways of presenting trophies. In the hunting equipment magazine opposite thecastle, the most important types of hunting in Brandenburg-Prussia are presented.

In addition, the Grunewald Hunting Lodge has established itself as a venue for concerts and a variety of events in Berlin's cultural life.