Lustgarten is situated in the northern part of the Spree Island where initially the land was quite swampy. In the 15th Century, in the middle part of the island, prince Friedrich II had a palace built. Lustgarten’s history as a green space began as early as the 16th Century when the gardener Desiderius Corbinianus created a kitchen garden for the Palace. The garden had sections for herbs, fruit trees and a party place for the royal celebrations. However, during the 30-years war the garden was abandoned. After that it was redeveloped by prince Friedrich Wilhelm with the aid of his wife Luise Henriette and a couple of landscape architects. They reshaped the former kitchen garden installing fountains and lining it with geometric paths, giving it a modern for its time prospect. Also, following the plans of the palace architect Memhardt, a greenhouse was erected where many plants, such as tomatoes and potatoes, were introduced to Gremany for the first time. Later on in the 17th Century, the garden was developed to the state of being the first botanical garden in Germany and the first public garden square and became a favourite meeting point for Berlin citizens.

At the beginning of the 18th Century, king Friedrich Wilhelm I, who was keener on wars than on gardening, turned Lustgarten into an exercise square, and during that century it became also a marketplace and a training place for Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops. At approximately this time, the Berlin Cathedral was constructed. It underwent some major modernisation works in 1820 and 1822. Then the northern part of the Spree Island was also changed to the current Museum Island, because what is today’s Old Museum was then opened. In the following years 1826-1829 the right-angled square that stretched between Spree River, the Old Museum, the City Palace and the Cathedral was recreated by the garden architect Peter Josepf Lenne. He installed a spectacular 13-metre high fountain. Later on, the fountain was replaced by a grand statue of Friedrich Wilhelm III. After the Weimar Republic and the World Wars, when Lustgerten square was used for demonstrations and storage of bombs, it was once again rebuilt to its modern layout by Hans Loidl at the end of the millenium.

Lustgarten underwent many modifications during its long history both with respect to its usage and lookout. However, it has always been a hot spot mainly because of its location in the heart of Berlin. The essential buildings that surround the garden add to its high visitors’ rate. Also the delightful scenery of the green, well-manicured lawns, the geometrically conceived alleys, the beautiful water facilities and, last but not least, the leafy trees attract people to enjoy a pleasant stroll in the Pleasure Garden or lift their minds from their worries a bit while just passing through it.