Handtmannsche Meierei am Kuhtor

Handtmannsche Meierei am Kuhtor stands in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, within a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of gardens and historic buildings. Ludwig Persius designed the Italianate ensemble in 1833 and 1834, among his early works as a royal architect. Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Persius’s teacher, influenced the architectural setting surrounding this protected monument. The park expanded under King Frederick II and later developed further under Crown Prince Frederick William IV.

The site began as a gardener’s house before becoming known as a dairy, or Meierei. Its protected ensemble includes a main building, a side building and a stable, each contributing to the agricultural character. Decades of neglect followed the last renovation in the 1960s, after more than twenty years of vacancy. Restoration now addresses serious structural damage and returns the roof to its original Italian tile design. Residential spaces and a café are planned for the future, giving the historic buildings a practical new role. Alongside the elegant façades, the restored roof will preserve the detail that most clearly recalls Persius’s Italianate vision.