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The
original
palace
was
commissioned
by
Sophie
Charlotte,
the
wife
of
Friedrich
I,
Elector
of
Brandenburg
in
what
was
then
the
village
of
Lietzow.
Named
Lietzenburg,
the
palace
was
designed
by
Johann
Arnold
Nering
in
baroque
style.
It
consisted
of
one
wing
and
was
built
in
2
1⁄2
storeys
with
a
central
cupola.
The
façade
was
decorated
with
Corinthian
pilasters.
On
the
top
was
a
cornice
on
which
were
statues.
At
the
rear
in
the
centre
of
the
palace
were
two
oval
halls,
the
upper
one
being
a
ceremonial
hall
and
the
lower
giving
access
to
the
gardens.
Nering
died
during
the
construction
of
the
palace
and
the
work
was
completed
by
Martin
Grünberg
and
Andreas
Schlüter.
The
inauguration
of
the
palace
was
celebrated
on
11
July
1699,
Frederick's
42nd
birthday.
Friedrich
crowned
himself
as
King
Friedrich
I
in
Prussia
in
1701
(Friedrich
II,
known
as
Frederick
the
Great,
would
later
achieve
the
title
King
of
Prussia).
Two
years
previously,
he
had
appointed
Johann
Friedrich
von
Eosander
(also
known
as
Eosander
von
Göthe)
as
the
royal
architect
and
sent
him
to
study
architectural
developments
in
Italy
and
France,
particularly
the
Palace
of
Versailles.
On
his
return
in
1702,
Eosander
began
to
extend
the
palace,
starting
with
two
side
wings
to
enclose
a
large
courtyard,
and
the
main
palace
was
extended
on
both
sides.
Sophie
Charlotte
died
in
1705
and
Friedrich
named
the
palace
and
its
estate
Charlottenburg
in
her
memory.
In
the
following
years,
the
Orangery
was
built
on
the
west
of
the
palace
and
the
central
area
was
extended
with
a
large
domed
tower
and
a
larger
vestibule.
On
top
of
the
dome
is
a
wind
vane
in
the
form
of
a
gilded
statue
representing
Fortune
designed
by
Andreas
Heidt.
The
Orangery
was
originally
used
to
overwinter
rare
plants.
During
the
summer
months,
when
over
500
orange,
citrus
and
sour
orange
trees
decorated
the
baroque
garden,
the
Orangery
regularly
was
the
gorgeous
scene
of
courtly
festivities.