(1744-1797, King 1786-1797)
Despite having lived for twenty years under the supervision of his uncle and in somewhat cramped conditions here, Frederick William II liked Potsdam a great deal. He respected the architecture built in the name of his uncle. Already in 1787 he had instructed citizens of Potsdam that they "by no means have the right to make any changes at their discretion to the façade of completed houses. Therefore they are prohibited from any serious alterations whether to remove or alter the attic, vases, statues, groups of them or any other adornments, as others have already impudently done ...".
In his own buildings however, he was receptive to the new classicism and other styles as we can see from the Stable, the Old Guard House and particularly the buildings in the New Garden (Marble Palace, Orangery), which he had constructed. In particular, the palace for the Countess Lichtenau is considered to be one of the most interesting and remarkable buildings of the early classical period in Germany.
The king cut a known figure with his enormous waistline, his undisciplined and licentious way of life, already evident in his youth, and with his mistresses. On the other hand, his admiration of feminine charms did not hinder him from pursuing more spiritual inclinations as a member of the Rosicrucian Order.
