Park Sauen

It was only a few hundred years later, in the middle of the 18th century, that the manor house that stands there today was rebuilt on the foundations of the original building. The new style broke with the building traditions of the Renaissance that had prevailed until then. A “typical superior noble country seat” was created, characterised by its crossways positioning on a rectangular plot, symmetrical axis structure, central focus and pilasters. In 1912, the surgeon Professor August Bier acquired the then run-down estate and worked with the architect Erich Blunck to restore and extend it. Structural changes were undertaken with the utmost caution in order to retain the original appearance of the manor house. From the original design, a few trees, the pond and the plastered driveway to the main entrance to the house have been retained.

The landscape park, covering about a hectare, is connected via an avenue with the Sauen Forest, and is thus part of the combined “Forest, Avenue, Gardens” biotope. August Bier used the forest to try his theoretical ideas about forest management out in practice. His principle was to combine opposites into a harmonious whole. He therefore deliberately planted deciduous trees next to conifers. Bier felt that the edge of the forest was particularly important in maintaining the health of the forest, and so he planted indigenous bushes and wild fruit trees here to keep the wind out of the forest. Attentive walkers can discover around 460 species of trees and shrubs in the Sauen Forest. The forest area managed since 1994 by the “August Bier for Ecology and Medicine” Foundation still proves that biodiverse mixed forests, as well as pine monocultures, can thrive in Brandenburg. August Bier and his wife found their last resting place in the forest nearby.

Year of construction: Middle of the 18th century
How to get there: Car: A12 to Fürstenwalde/Ost exit, then B168 to Sauen