The 1:10 scale fortress built to show Kaiser Wilhelm II new technology

Within Sanssouci Park, a miniature world of steel was constructed. In 1893, the Krupp company raised this 1:10 scale fortress to show Kaiser Wilhelm II the principles of new technology. The model served to showcase new artillery technology with armor plating.

Around 1890, the development of the 'Brisanzgranate' (high-explosive shell) forced a modernization of old fortresses. Brick-and-earth fortifications and artillery could not withstand the effects of this new explosive technology. The Gruson company began testing a new generation of armored fortifications and weapons to survive such blasts. When Friedrich Krupp AG took over the Grusonwerk in 1892/93, they secured a leading position in producing these new weapons.

On December 22, 1892, Kaiser Wilhelm II issued a cabinet order to modernize all fortifications and installed guns. To visualize this shift, Krupp commissioned a model approximately 40 meters long and 15 meters deep.

Julius Diener led the creation. Having served the Kaiser as a military educator, he headed the fortification department at Krupp starting in 1889. He finished the model in July 1893, creating a layout including a central work with a barracks and connection batteries. The fort featured a dry moat, semi-circular ditches, and a sloping Glacis. Precise armaments included 15 cm L/11 howitzers, 12 cm L/17 spherical cannons, and smaller turrets.

For a time, the fort was mistakenly considered a 'Prinzenspielplatz' (Princes' Playground). While a real playground for princes and princesses was located nearby, not far from the Neues Palais, it is probable that princes used the model installation for educational purposes as part of their military training.

In November 2004, the Foundation Prussian Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg filled the site with earth. The ruin can no longer be visited. Today, only grass and trees remain where the 1:10 scale fortress once stood, preserved as a subterranean layer of history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons