Cobblestones from the Eosanderhof courtyard (1 of 2)

This was the site of the Großer Schlosshof (large palace courtyard), which was paved with these granite stones in 1836. The courtyard had been accessible to the public since the eighteenth century, enabling people to cross from one part of the city to the other. The many administrative offices based in the palace also generated a constant stream of traffic through the court­yard. It was Kaiser Wilhelm II who finally installed wrought­iron gates in 1890 to limit access. As a consequence of the 1918 revolution the palace once again became a public space – just as the Humboldt Forum is today.