This year the three working sessions took place in a very special location - the Orangery of Sanssouci Castle. 100 metres long and 15 metres high, this historical horticultural hall offered the rare opportunity to accommodate a conference table for almost one hundred participants without any problems. The unique and opulent beauty of the gardens and castles in Potsdam did not go unnoticed and delighted the guests during the breaks.
The public plenary session and the prize giving ceremony that followed took place in the historical Schloss Theatre at the Neue Palais. The Neue Palais is the largest building in Sanssouci Park. At Frederic II’s request it was erected at the western end of the main avenue in Sanssouci Park according to plans by Johann Gottfried Büring, Heinrich Ludwig Manger and Carl von Gontard from 1763 to 1769. The formidable castle with the high tambour cupola served a mainly representational purpose and as a guest castle. Frederic II hardly ever stayed there.
As in previous years the guests were invited to the Neue Kammern (New Chambers) for the concluding gala dinner.

Orangery Sanssouci Park
The Orangery in Sanssouci Park is an impressive example of the buildings created by Frederick William IV, who was known as the "Romantic on the throne". The imposing building complex - including greenhouses and the central Orangery Palace, sculptures, fountains, arcades and terraces - brings a bit of the Mediterranean sun to Potsdam, while graphically documenting Frederick William IV's ardent admiration for Italy. Italian Renaissance villas served as its models. The architectural ensemble was created between 1851-64. During the extended construction period, Ludwig Persius, August Stüler and Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse were responsible for the plans, although the king's designs were unquestionably incorporated.
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New Palace and Theatre
At the Western end of the main avenue of the parks of Sanssouci arises an impressive castle, whose tambour cupola can be recognised from afar: the New Palace. The huge grounds were obviously meant to serve representative purposes as opposed to the more intimate and modest castle at the vineyard. The New Palace was the last castle Frederick the Great had built in his park. It was a demonstration of the power and wealth of the Prussian state after the years of deprivation during the Seven Years’ War (1756 -1763).
Frederick himself hardly ever lived here, and it was used mainly for guests and receptions. It was not until William II, the last German Emperor, who chose it as his favourite residence again. The theatre, one of the oldest baroque theatres in original condition, is today still used for performances by the ensemble of the Hans-Otto-Theater (Winter opera) and the musical festivals Potsdam-Sanssouci and „Potsdamer Hofkonzerte“.
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New Chambers
The New Chambers in Sanssouci Park was originally built as an Orangery in 1745-1747 according to a design by Knobelsdorff. Between 1771 and 1775 the building was converted by Georg Christian Unger into Frederick the Great's guest palace. During that conversion the rich rococo furnishings were designed. In the “New Chambers” as the castle had been called from then on visitors can admire an arrangement of lavishly decorated parlours and apartments, created by the most famous artists during the time of Frederick the Great. A highlight in the succession of rooms is the jasper hall – a square room lined with gemstones. A ceiling fresco with an image of Venus, the ideal of beauty of the 18th century, tops off this room. In the adjacent Ovid Gallery, scenes of the roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses are depicted in precious golden reliefs – a favourite topic of Frederick the Great. Numerous paintings of views of the city of Potsdam from the 18th century complete the exquisite decoration.
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