IN THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES King Frederick II of Prussia was a much-contested figure of German history. For most academics and the wider public he was a genius, a hero, a role model; but for a small number of academics and a small portion of the population he was a warmonger, a misanthrope — menace personified. These admittedly exaggerated views determined the general view of Frederick, the public’s perception of him, until the 1980s, and to some extent still do today.

Regardless of one’s opinion of Frederick, whether one admires or abhors him, he was a leading figure of eighteenth-century German and European history. To give just two examples, he was important to both Enlightenment discourse and military theory, which he both actively practiced and influenced. His taste and imagination ushered in a type of Rococo that came to be known as Frederician Rococo, and the wars he won or survived resulted in Prussia’s political ascendancy to become one of the great European powers. Frederick continued to be fundamental to the Prussian state’s identity even after his death in 1786. His descendants referred back to the king and his conduct for as long as the monarchy existed, as did their successors during the Republic and the dictatorship, right up until the middle of the twentieth century.

The king’s tercentenary will be marked on 24 January 2012. Because of Frederick’s prominence and historical significance (and because such celebrations guarantee public interest), this anniversary will be celebrated in Berlin and Brandenburg, and in the former Prussian areas and regions throughout northern Germany, in a variety of ways. (In southern Germany Frederick’s birthday is not traditionally commemorated: as a result of the political impact that Frederick and Prussia had on the south in general, the anniversary may be viewed critically and with suspicion by those south of the Main River.)

The tercentenary poses a particular challenge for the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg; PPG Foundation) because it is responsible for con serving the king’s estate, something that cannot easily be archived: his architectural designs, the Sanssouci Palace and gardens, the New Palace in the Sanssouci Park, and the palace and gardens in Charlottenburg, not to mention Frederick’s art collection, his paintings, books, furniture and porcelain, silverware, snuff boxes, and various other items.