Museumsportal Berlin

The Steam Engine Building, located on a bay of the Havel River called the Neustädter Havelbucht, is at once the most charming as well as the most exotic building in Potsdam. Frederick William IV, the "Romantic on the throne," had it built by Ludwig Persius from 1841-1843, "in the style of the Turkish mosques, with a minaret as a smokestack." The building, which could still be seen at that time from Sanssouci Palace, added a picturesque architectural accent to the Potsdam cultural landscape.
In October 1842, the steam engine in the "Mosque," which could reach 81.4 horsepower, was inaugurated, allowing jets of water from the great fountain in front of Sanssouci Palace to rise to an impressive 38 meters. By possessing what was the most powerful machine in Prussia at the time, built by the young entrepreneur August Borsig, King Frederick William IV hoped to compete with the technical supremacy of England.
Although today’s supply of water to the fountains in Sanssouci Park is provided by means of modern electrical pumps, a visit to the "Mosque" allows the visitor to experience a technical marvel from days past that is still in operation.