Green Citadel in Magdeburg - playful and green living

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | The Green Citadel in Magdeburg is a residential building, but also a spectacular and fantastic attraction. This house was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser and offers playfulness, but also lovely greenery in the centre of the city.

The Green Citadel in Magdeburg

The Green Citadel (Die Grüne Zitadelle) in Magdeburg may seem pink at first glance, which is true, but if you look into the courtyards or visit the roof, you'll immediately realise why the building is called 'green'. The vegetation is lush and the birds are thriving. Even though we are in the centre of the city, we hear the constant chirping of small birds.

The Green Citadel in Magdeburg is located at Breiter Weg 8-10A in the centre of Magdeburg, in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.

A masterpiece by a master. Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was a special man. He painted amazing paintings and created buildings like no other, but he also enjoyed travelling, learned several languages and sailed to New Zealand on his own.

Already as a young art student, he decided to change his surname 'Stowasser' to 'Hundertwasser'. The prefix 'sto' means 'hundred' in Czech, and the change made the meaning clearer - 'Hundravatten'.

Later, he also changed his first name from Friedrich (Frederick) to Friedensreich (Peace Kingdom). He also added some extra middle names, in true Pippi Longstocking spirit, so that his full name became Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser (roughly: Fredsreich Regndag Mörkfärggrann Hundravatten).

The straight line is ungodly and immoral.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Hundertwasser believed that the straight line is ungodly and immoral, so anything straight should be avoided. He also believed that building takes away from nature, and that you have to give back to nature, for example by planting trees and shrubs on roofs and balconies.

The Green Citadel in Magdeburg is Hundertwasser's last building. The original plan was to have Hundertwasser redesign the GDR-style building already on the site, but when the building was demolished, the designer was given free rein. He worked on the design until his death in 2000, and the building was completed in 2005.

Visiting the Green Citadel in Magdeburg

If you are in the neighbourhood of Magdeburg, we highly recommend a visit to the Green Citadel. A visit here is both interesting and inspiring in many ways. You can choose to look around on your own (outside and in the courtyards) or join a guided tour to see more.

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To begin with, it is fascinating to see the Green Citadel from the outside. There are 856 windows in about 300 different variations.

The colourful and decorated pillars are all unique. In fact, the whole house is full of individual details, and you see new things everywhere.

The Green Citadel is huge, and no two parts are the same. Be sure to walk around the building to see it from different angles. In one corner, for example, there is a car park, which of course is also beautifully pink and green.

Courtyards

To see a bit more of the house, you can walk into the two courtyards. Here you will find several shops and a few different eateries. You can also enjoy the greenery and check out the huge number of colourful birdhouses used as decoration.

If you take a coffee in one of the courtyards, you can look at all the colourful fountains, furniture and decorations at the same time.

Guided tour - up on the roof

The most interesting thing is to go on a guided tour. Then you get to see a little more of the interior of the building and - most interesting of all - go up to different parts of the roof. From the roof you have a fantastic view both of other parts of the building and of the city in general.

You can also experience the tranquillity and greenery up here. Despite being in the centre of the city, you feel like you're in nature, surrounded by bushes, flowers and birds chirping. If every building in the world could be built this way - with green roofs - what a much better place the world would be! It shouldn't be impossible, should it?

More Hundertwasser buildings in the world

Friedensreich Hundertwasser has designed many more buildings around the world. We took a look at some of these in pictures, and were really excited to see more. Here are some of the buildings we are curious to see:

• Kuchlbauer Tower in Abensberg, Germany
• Forest spiral (Forest spiral) in Darmstadt, Germany
• Living under the Regency Tower (Stay under the Rain Tower) in Plochingen, Germany
• Spittelau district heating plant in Vienna, Austria
• Hundertwasser House in Vienna, Austria
• Motorway restaurant Bad Fischau-Brunn in Bad Fischau, Austria
• Altenrhein Market Hall in Thal, Switzerland
• Quixote Winery in Napa Valley, USA
• Maishima incinerator in Osaka, Japan
• Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa, New Zealand

More to see and do in Magdeburg and Germany

There is of course more to see and do in Magdeburg. Some of the biggest sights, in addition to the Green Citadel, are the cathedral, the Millennium Tower and the world's longest aqueduct that is navigable by boat.

READ MORE: Things to do in Magdeburg - 12 tips for the Ottostadt in Germany