One should not think that when visiting the Sauen Park one is coming to a preferred place for pigs, because the name "Sauen" comes from the Sorbian "Sowa" and means owl. However, the connection with the nocturnal forest bird has not been known since it was first mentioned in 1418. The manor house changed hands several times until it was severely destroyed during the Thirty Years' War.
It was not until another 100 years later, in the middle of the 18th century, that the manor house that exists today was rebuilt on the foundations of the original building. The new style broke with the building tradition of the Renaissance that had been common up to that point. A "standard type of upscale aristocratic country estate" was created, which was characterized by transverse positioning on a rectangular floor plan, symmetrical axis structure, a central emphasis and pilasters. In 1912, the surgeon Prof. August Bier acquired the now run-down estate in order to restore and expand it with the architect Erich Blunck. Structural changes were carefully made in order to preserve the original appearance of the manor house. Some trees, the pond and the paved driveway to the main entrance of the house have been preserved from the courtyard design.
The landscape park, which is around one hectare in size, is connected to the Sauen Forest via an avenue and is therefore part of the "Forest, Avenue, Park" biotope association. August Bier used the forest to put his theoretical ideas on forest management into practice. His principle was to combine opposites into a harmonious whole. He deliberately planted deciduous trees next to conifers. Bier attached particular importance to the edge of the forest for keeping the forest healthy and planted native shrubs and wild fruit trees to prevent the wind from entering the forest. Attentive hikers can discover around 460 species of trees in the Sauen Forest. The forest area, which has been managed by the "August Bier for Ecology and Medicine" Foundation since 1994, continues to prove that not only pine monocultures but also species-rich mixed forests can thrive in Brandenburg. August Bier and his wife found their final resting place in the nearby forest.
Year of construction: in the middle of the 18th century
Directions: Car: A12 exit Fürstenwalde/Ost, continue on B168 to Sauen
