The Palace Falls into a Long Sleep

The death of Friedrich the Great in 1786 ushered in a period of relative quiet for the Neues Palais. His successors preferred modern buildings and only used the palace for special occasions. New residents moved into the northern Commun in 1820, replacing guests’ servants: The Infantry Training Battalion of the Prussian Army, called up in the previous year by King Friedrich Wilhelm III, was quartered here. The battalion used the “Mopke” – the large paved area between the palace and the Colonnade – for military drills. Up until 1914, the founding of the battalion was celebrated here every year on the second Whitsun holiday. Because rolls were also handed out at a major outdoor banquet, the festival became known among the populace as “the bread roll festival.”