Tile Hall / Caputh Palace

The Tile Hall at Caputh was probably created around 1720, when King Frederick William I occasionally used his predecessors’ country estate for recreation and hunting. He admired the industrious lifestyle and culture of the Dutch and viewed them as exemplary throughout his entire life. In Dutch middle-class homes, faience tiles were used as a functional wall covering for damp or high-wear areas in kitchens and hallways, as well as around open fireplaces and hearths. Similar in appearance to porcelain, faience tiles were increasingly coveted in the seventeenth century for the decoration of princely dining halls, garden rooms, display kitchens, and bath chambers. 

The tiles in Caputh are so-called nederlandse tegels, which were produced in mass quantities from 1700 on. Measuring 13 × 13 centimeters in size, they tell stories both large and small. Although the plethora of scenes may seem confusing at first, closer examination reveals five general themes in numerous variations: sailboats, landscapes, shepherds and shepherdesses, animals in a circle, and small scenes of everyday life. The latter include depictions of children’s games that often function as allegories of transience, loss, or foolish action; in the Caputh hall, however, this deeper level of significance recedes behind the sheer quantity of tiles and the frequent repetition of motifs for the sake of the overall effect. Here the charm lies in the fact that the tiles completely cover the walls and ceiling.

They must have been the work of experienced, qualified craftsmen, whose mastery is visible above all in the ceramic lining of the vaults and transverse arches. The original pattern of joints and the multicolored glazes create lively reflections on the porcelain-like surface, depending on the angle of the light. Even modern-day visitors can hardly tear themselves away from the extraordinary atmosphere and joy of discovery in the Tile Hall of Caputh Palace. 

This room with its typical Dutch faience not only bears witness to the influence of Netherlandish culture at the Brandenburg-Prussian court, but also constitutes an outstanding example of the Baroque fashion for tiles in European palaces.