The late baroque manor house served as a residence for the Berlin surgeon August Bier and his family until 1981, which he had reconstructed and planted as a species-rich mixed forest. The family then sold the manor house, inspector's house, park and stables to the Ministry of Culture of the GDR.
In the 80s, the Weißensee Art Academy acquired the manor house and adjacent buildings in order to organize excursions and exercises for its students in various specialist areas. With German reunification, a close cooperation with the Academy of Arts was established. After extensive restoration and reconstruction of the castle, Sauen is now a meeting place for all Berlin art academies. Excursions, workshops, readings and concerts take place here. The close cooperation between the August Bier Foundation and the art academies and their students is seen as a creative basis and an opportunity to communicate the foundation's goals to students and teachers and thus to spread the foundation's ideas and work.
