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Introducing Potsdam
Potsdam, on the Havel River just southwest of Greater Berlin, is the capital and crown jewel of the state of Brandenburg. The captivating architecture of this former Prussian royal seat and the elegant air of history that still hangs over its parks and gardens prove an intoxicating cocktail to the millions of visitors who descend upon the town each year. A visit here is essential if you’re spending any time in the region at all. All this splendour didn’t go unnoticed by Unesco, which gave World Heritage site status to the entire city in 1990.
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No single individual shaped Potsdam more than King Friedrich II (Frederick the Great), the visionary behind many of Sanssouci’s fabulous palaces and parks. Although WWII bombing squadrons largely reduced the historic town centre to rubble, the palaces escaped with nary a shrapnel wound.
To emphasise their victory over the German military machine, the Allies chose Schloss Cecilienhof for the Potsdam Conference of August 1945, which set the stage for the div-ision of Berlin and Germany into occupation zones.
The suburb of Babelsberg is the site of a historic – and now once again functioning – film studio (with a less than historic theme park).
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
