Something About the Potatoes — No Worries in Potsdam
By Aryana Kamelian
There was something about the potatoes that lay so perfectly decorated on the grave of Prussian king Frederick the Great that embodied the whimsical, leisurely nature of his Sanssouci Palace.
The grave, where he is buried next to 11 of his beloved dogs, overlooks extensive gardens that convey “Old Fritz’s” appreciation for both art and nature.
The palace itself, painted a vibrant yet playful yellow topped by a pale green dome reads — Sanssouci — Without Worry. At the same time as Frederick the Great led Prussia to become a European powerhouse, he composed over 100 sonatas for the flute, and introduced the potato to the country. Yet he was still able to find time for leisure, art, nature, and good company.
As I walked through each of the 10 rooms within the palace, the intricately designed themes of each room came to life with various art pieces and complementing colors. Back in the 18th century, each room of the palace was constantly filled with aristocratic guests enjoying good food and each other’s company. Even the French philosopher Voltaire enjoyed the space for three years. The guests’ only worry was to have no worry at all.
It seemed a fitting motif. After spending just one week in Berlin with my journalistic colleagues, who had by now become close friends, the divide between work and play on our reporting trip typified what many young Americans feel throughout their college experience: pressure.
Success, as many of us have felt, comes by when we are consumed by work. Students must be taking classes or have an internship, work or volunteer their time, we believe. To be occupied with something other than advancing one’s career is seen as a waste of time.
Here I was in one of the most beautiful, historic, and culturally rich cities in the world, worrying about work. Was I doing enough? It’s a hard question to answer when nothing has ever felt like enough.
According to a 2012 study published by the American Psychological Association, millennials have grown up as the most stressed demographic group. Whether due to stress from school or pressure from parents, the expectations on young adults often bleed into time that could be spent enjoying the places and people of the present.
As I wandered the halls of a palace once dedicated to leisure and learned of the extensive accomplishments of Frederick the Great, I couldn’t help but think that maybe it was the experiences he had within the rooms of the palace that allowed him to be so resilient, so passionate, so great. Maybe it’s the life experiences we have that truly change us. And maybe while we spend our time fighting for an unreachable standard, we’re missing the parts of life that we never imagined would impact us in the ways they do.
The lighthearted Rococo style architecture of the palace and the potatoes displayed across the grave served not only as reminders of Frederick the Great and all of his distinguished accomplishments, but also as a reminder that great things can still be accomplished even when we take time to enjoy the world around us. My colleagues and I took a lesson from Old Fritz to enjoy the culture of Berlin and all it had to offer.
UC Santa Barbara journalism students are reporting from Berlin for feature articles which will be published here later in July. Meanwhile, they are blogging from the city about their travel and journalism experiences.
