Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

state of

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squ ...

. It is part of the

Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region The Berlin/Brandenburg metropolitan region (german: Metropolregion Berlin-Brandenburg) or capital region (german: Hauptstadtregion Berlin-Brandenburg) is one of eleven metropolitan regions of Germany, consisting of the entire territories of the ...

. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...

, downstream of Berlin, and lies embedded in a hilly morainic landscape dotted with many lakes, around 20 of which are located within Potsdam's city limits. It lies some southwest of Berlin's city centre. The name of the city and of many of its boroughs are of Slavic origin. Potsdam was a residence of the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

n kings and the German Kaiser until 1918. Its planning embodied ideas of the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

: through a careful balance of architecture and landscape, Potsdam was intended as "a picturesque, pastoral dream" which would remind its residents of their relationship with nature and reason. The city, which is over 1000 years old, is widely known for its palaces, its lakes, and its overall historical and cultural significance. Landmarks include the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, Germany's largest World Heritage Site, as well as other palaces such as the Orangery Palace, the New Palace, Cecilienhof Palace, and Charlottenhof Palace. Potsdam was also the location of the significant

Potsdam Conference The Potsdam Conference (german: Potsdamer Konferenz) was held at Potsdam in the Soviet occupation zone from July 17 to August 2, 1945, to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding the mistakes of the Paris P ...

in 1945, the conference where the three heads of government of the USSR, the US, and the UK decided on the division of Germany following its surrender, a conference which defined Germany's history for the following 45 years. Babelsberg, in the south-eastern part of Potsdam, was already by the 1930s the home of a major film production studio and it has enjoyed success as an important center of European film production since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Filmstudio Babelsberg, founded in 1912, is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world. Potsdam developed into a centre of science in Germany in the 19th century. Today, there are three public colleges, the University of Potsdam, and more than 30

research institute A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often i ...

s in the city.

Geography

Templiner See, Vorderkappe und Hermannswerder 1

The area was formed from a series of large moraines left after the last glacial period. Today, only one quarter of the city is built up, the rest remaining as green space. There are about 20 lakes and rivers in and around Potsdam, such as the

Havel The Havel () is a river in northeastern Germany, flowing through the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe and long. However, the direct distance from its source to its mo ...

, the

Griebnitzsee Griebnitzsee (, from the Slavic ''Grib'', ''Mushroom'') is a lake at the south-western outskirts of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. At an elevation of 29.4 m, its surface area is ca. 0.592 km². The lake forms the border between the G ...

Templiner See Templiner See () is a lake in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It stretches to the south and west from the centre of the city of Potsdam. The lake is some long, with a maximum width of and a surface area is . It lies at an elevation of above ...

Tiefer See Tiefer See is a lake in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the nor ...

Jungfernsee The Jungfernsee (translated "Virgin Lake") is north of Potsdam, Germany. It was a glacial kettle and is now part of the River Havel, which runs along its southeastern shore, which is also the only part of its shores that is in Berlin. The rest o ...

, Teltowkanal,

Heiliger See Heiliger See (English: Holy Lake) is a lake within the city limits of Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany, located northeast of the city center and bordering the historic park known as the New Garden. Together with the lakes Sacrower See and Groß G ...

, and

Sacrower See The Sacrower See () is a German lake in the northern part of Potsdam in the State of Brandenburg. Overview The Sacrower See, with the Groß Glienicker See 0.7 km to the north and the Heiliger See 1.6 km from Potsdam, forms a chain of l ...

. The highest point is the high '' Kleiner Ravensberg''.

Subdivisions

Potsdam is divided into seven historic city ''Stadtteile'' (quarters) and nine new ''Ortsteile'' (suburbs/wards, former separate villages), which joined the city in 2003. The appearance of the city boroughs is quite different. Those in the north and in the centre consist mainly of historical buildings, the south of the city is dominated by larger areas of newer buildings. The city of Potsdam is divided into 32 '' Stadtteile'' (boroughs, both quarters and suburbs/wards together), which are divided further into 84 statistical ''Bezirke'' (districts). Today, one distinguishes between the older parts of the city (areas of the historic city and places suburbanized at the latest in 1939) – these are the city center, the western and northern suburbs, Bornim, Bornstedt, Nedlitz, Potsdam South, Babelsberg, Drewitz, Stern and Kirchsteigfeld – and those communities incorporated after 1990 which have since 2003 become ''Otsteile'' – these are Eiche, Fahrland, Golm, Groß Glienicke, Grube, Marquardt, Neu Fahrland, Satzkorn and Uetz-Paaren. The new ''Ortsteile'' are located mainly in the north of the city. For the history of all incorporations, see the relevant section on incorporation and spin-offs. ''Structure with statistical numbering:'' Potsdam subdivisions

* 1 Potsdam Nord ** 11 Bornim ** 12 Nedlitz ** 13 Bornstedt ** 14 Sacrow ** 15 Eiche ** 16 Grube ** 17 Golm * 2 Nördliche Vorstädte ** 21 Nauener Vorstadt ** 22 Jägervorstadt ** 23 Berliner Vorstadt * 3 Westliche Vorstädte ** 31 Brandenburger Vorstadt ** 32 Potsdam West * 4 Innenstadt ** 41 Historische Innenstadt ** 43 Zentrum Ost und Nuthepark ** 44 Hauptbahnhof und Brauhausberg Nord * 5 Babelsberg ** 51 Klein Glienicke ** 52 Babelsberg Nord ** 53 Babelsberg Süd * 6 Potsdam Süd ** 61 Templiner Vorstadt ** 62 Teltower Vorstadt ** 63 Schlaatz ** 64 Waldstadt I und Industriegelände ** 65 Waldstadt II * 7 Potsdam Südost ** 71 Stern ** 72 Drewitz ** 73 Kirchsteigfeld * 8 Nördliche Ortsteile ** 81 Uetz-Paaren ** 82 Marquardt ** 83 Satzkorn ** 84 Fahrland ** 85 Neu Fahrland ** 86

Groß Glienicke Groß Glienicke is a village located both in Berlin and Potsdam, the capital of the German state of Brandenburg. Until 2003, when it was merged into Potsdam, the Brandenburg—and main—side, was an autonomous municipality. The Berlin side is ...

At the end of 2019, a change was made to the administrative structure: * Borough 41 has been renamed: previously ''Nördliche Innenstadt'', now ''Historische Innenstadt''. * Borough 42 ''(Südliche Innenstadt)'' has been divided into two boroughs, 43 ''(Zentrum Ost und Nuthepark)'' and 44 ''(Hauptbahnhof und Brauhausberg Nord)''. The number 42 was thus repealed. * Some very sparsely populated urban boroughs have been disbanded: ** Borough 33 ''(Wildpark)'' was incorporated into borough 32 ''(Potsdam-West)''. ** Borough 66 ''(Industriegelände)'' was incorporated into borough 64 (formerly ''Waldstadt I''). The borough was then renamed ''Waldstadt I und Industriegelände''. ** Borough 67 ''(Forst Potsdam Süd)'' was incorporated into borough 61 ''(Templiner Vorstadt)''.

Climate

Officially the climate is oceanic - more degraded by being far from the coast and to the east ( Köppen: ''Cfb''), but using the 1961-1990 normal and the 0 °C isotherm the city has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(''Dfb''), which also shows a slight influence of the continent different from the climates predominantly influenced by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Low averages below freezing for almost all winter causing snows that are frequent and winters are cold, but not as stringent as inland locations or with greater influence from the same. Summer is also relatively warm with temperatures between 23 and 24 °C, the heat waves being influenced by the UHI of Potsdam. The average winter high temperature is , with a low of . Snow is common in the winter. Spring and autumn are short. Summers are mild, with a high of and a low of .

Etymology

The name "Potsdam" originally seems to have been '' Poztupimi''. A common theory is that it derives from an old West Slavonic term meaning "beneath the oaks", i.e., the corrupted ''pod dubmi/dubimi'' (''pod'' "beneath", ''dub'' "oak"). However, some question this explanation.August Kopish, "Die Königlichen Schlösser u. Gärten zu Potsdam", Berlin, 1854
p. 18 (Google Books)
/ref>

History

Pre- and early history

The area around Potsdam shows signs of occupancy since the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

and was part of '' Magna Germania'' as described by Tacitus. After the

great migrations ''Great Migrations'' is a seven-episode nature documentary television miniseries that airs on the National Geographic Channel, featuring the great migrations of animals around the globe. The seven-part show is the largest programming event in the ...

of the Germanic peoples, Slavs moved in and Potsdam was probably founded after the 7th century as a settlement of the

Hevelli The Hevelli or Hevellians/ Navellasîni (sometimes ''Havolane''; german: Heveller or ''Stodoranen''; pl, Hawelanie or ''Stodoranie''; cs, Havolané or ''Stodorané'') were a tribe of the Polabian Slavs, who settled around the middle Havel river ...

tribe centred on a castle. It was first mentioned in a document in 993 as ''Poztupimi'', when Emperor Otto III gifted the territory to the Quedlinburg Abbey, then led by his aunt

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

. By 1317, it was mentioned as a small town. It gained its town charter in 1345. In 1573, it was still a small

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

of 2,000 inhabitants.

Early modern era

Potsdam lost nearly half of its population due to the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

(1618–1648). A continuous

Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenb ...

possession since 1415, Potsdam became prominent, when it was chosen in 1660 as the hunting residence of Frederick William I, Elector of

, the core of the powerful state that later became the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...

. It also housed

n barracks. Voltaire-Baquoy

After the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Potsdam became a centre of European immigration. Its religious freedom attracted people from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s),

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

. The edict accelerated population growth and economic recovery. Later, the city became a full residence of the Prussian royal family. The buildings of the royal residences were built mainly during the reign of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

. One of these is the

Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style an ...

(French: "without cares", by

Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff (Hans) Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff (17 February 1699 – 16 September 1753) was a painter and architect in Prussia. Knobelsdorff was born in Kuckädel, now in Krosno Odrzańskie County. A soldier in the service of Prussia, he resigned his ...

, 1744), famed for its formal gardens and

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

interiors. Other royal residences include the New Palace and the Orangery. In 1815, at the formation of the

Province of Brandenburg The Province of Brandenburg (german: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1945. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg ...

, Potsdam became the provincial capital until 1918, except for a period between 1827 and 1843 when Berlin was the provincial capital (as it became once again after 1918). The province comprised two governorates named after their capitals Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder).

Governorate of Potsdam

Between 1815 and 1945, the city of Potsdam served as capital of the (german: Regierungsbezirk Potsdam). The ''

Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...

'' encompassed the former districts of Uckermark, the Mark of Priegnitz, and the greater part of the Middle March. It was situated between

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...

and the Province of Pomerania on the north, and the Province of Saxony on the south and west (Berlin, with a small surrounding district, was an urban governorate and enclave within the governorate of Potsdam between 1815 and 1822, then it merged as urban district into the governorate only to be disentangled again from Potsdam governorate in 1875, becoming a distinct province-like entity on 1 April 1881). Towards the north west the governorate was bounded by the rivers

and the Havel, and on the north east by the Oder. The south eastern boundary was to the neighbouring governorate of Frankfurt (Oder). About 500,000 inhabitants lived in the Potsdam governorate, which covered an area of about , divided into thirteen rural districts, partially named after their capitals:Thomas Curtis (1839). ''The London encyclopaedia, or, Universal dictionary of science, art, literature, and practical mechanics, by the orig. ed. of the Encyclopaedia metropolitana'' Volume XVIII
p. 11
/ref> The traditional towns in the governorate were small, however, in the course of the industrial labour migration some reached the rank of urban districts. The principal towns were Brandenburg upon Havel,

Köpenick Köpenick () is a historic town and locality (''Ortsteil'') in Berlin, situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopt ...

, Potsdam, Prenzlau,

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...

and Ruppin. Until 1875 Berlin also was a town within the governorate. After its disentanglement a number of its suburbs outside Berlin's municipal borders grew to towns, many forming urban ''Bezirke'' within the governorate of Potsdam such as Charlottenburg, Lichtenberg, Rixdorf (after 1912 Neukölln), and Schöneberg (all of which, as well as Köpenick and Spandau, incorporated into Greater Berlin in 1920). The urban ''Bezirke'' were (years indicating the elevation to rank of urban ''Bezirk''or affiliation with Potsdam governorate, respectively):

20th century

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

was the capital of

and later of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

, but the court remained in Potsdam, where many government officials settled. In 1914, Emperor Wilhelm II signed the Declaration of War in the ''Neues Palais'' (New Palace). The city lost its status as a "second capital" in 1918, when Wilhelm II abdicated and Germany became a

Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. After the Nazis seized power in 1933, there was a ceremonial handshake between

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...

and the new

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

on 21 March 1933 in Potsdam's Garrison Church in what became known as the " Day of Potsdam". This symbolised a coalition of the military (''

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshape ...

'') and

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

. Potsdam was severely damaged by Allied bombing raids during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The Cecilienhof Palace was the scene of the

from 17 July to 2 August 1945, at which the victorious Allied leaders Harry S. Truman,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

and

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet Union, Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as Ge ...

met to decide the future of Germany and postwar Europe in general. The conference ended with the Potsdam Agreement and the Potsdam Declaration. Glienicker Brücke2

The government of

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...

(formally known as the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

(German: ''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', DDR)) tried to remove symbols of "Prussian militarism". Many historic buildings, some of them badly damaged in the war, were demolished. When in 1946 the remainder of the Province of Brandenburg west of the Oder-Neiße line was constituted as the state of

, Potsdam became its capital. In 1952 the GDR disestablished its states and replaced them by smaller new East German administrative districts known as ''Bezirke''. Potsdam became the capital of the new '' Bezirk Potsdam'' until 1990. Potsdam, south-west of Berlin, lay just outside

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

after the construction of the Berlin Wall. The walling off of West Berlin not only isolated Potsdam from West Berlin, but also doubled commuting times to East Berlin. The Glienicke Bridge across the Havel connected the city to West Berlin and was the scene of some

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

exchanges of spies. After German reunification, Potsdam became the capital of the newly re-established state of

. Since then there have been many ideas and efforts to reconstruct the original appearance of the city, including the Potsdam City Palace and the Garrison Church.

Demography

Since 2000 Potsdam has been one of the fastest-growing cities in Germany. Bevölkerungsentwicklung Potsdam.pdf, Development of Population since 1875 within the Current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population Development of Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi rule; Red Background: Time of Communist rule) Bevölkerungsprognosen Potsdam.pdf, Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the

Census in Germany A national census in Germany (german: Volkszählung) was held every five years from 1875 to 1910. After the World Wars, only a few full population censuses have been held, the last in 1987. The most recent census, though not a national census, w ...

in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005–2030 (yellow line); for 2017–2030 (scarlet line); for 2020–2030 (green line)

International residents

Largest groups of foreign residents:

Governance

City government

Potsdam has had a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

(''Bürgermeister'') and

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

since the 15th century. From 1809 the city council was elected, with a mayor (''Oberbürgermeister'') at its head. During

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, the mayor was selected by the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

and the city council was dissolved; it was reconstituted in token form after 1945, but free elections did not take place until after

reunification A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal governmen ...

. Today, the city council is the city's central administrative authority. Local elections took place on 26 October 2003 and again in 2008. Between 1990 and 1999, the Chairman of the City Council was known as the "Town President" but today the post is the "Chairman of the City Council". The mayor is elected directly by the population. 2018 Potsdam mayoral election (2nd round)

2018 Potsdam mayoral election (2nd round)

The current mayor is Mike Schubert of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SPD) since 2018. The most recent mayoral election was held on 23 September 2018, with a runoff held on 14 October, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Mike Schubert , align=left,

, 23,872 , 32.2 , 28,803 , 55.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Martina Trauth , align=left, The Left , 14,161 , 19.1 , 23,283 , 44.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Götz Friederich , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 12,892 , 17.4 , - , , align=left, Lutz Boede , align=left, The Others , 8,449 , 11.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dennis Hohloch , align=left, Alternative for Germany , 8,215 , 11.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Janny Armbruster , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens , 6,586 , 8.9 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 74,175 ! 99.3 ! 52,086 ! 97.7 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 549 ! 0.7 ! 1,251 ! 2.3 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 74,724 ! 100.0 ! 53,337 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 140,963 ! 53.0 ! 141,109 ! 37.8 , - , colspan=7, Source: City of Potsdam
1st round
2019 Potsdam City Council election

The city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 49,898 , 19.3 , 4.0 , 11 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 48,739 , 18.8 , 6.9 , 10 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 46,761 , 18.1 , 7.2 , 10 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 32,078 , 12.4 , 3.1 , 7 , 2 , - , bgcolor=127070, , align=left, The Others (aNDERE) , 26,754 , 10.3 , 2.6 , 6 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD) , 24,508 , 9.5 , 5.0 , 5 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 12,620 , 4.9 , 2.4 , 3 , 2 , - , , align=left, CitizensAlliance (BB) , 10,124 , 3.9 , 2.2 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI , 3,955 , 1.5 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters The Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters (German: ''Brandenburger Vereinigte Bürgerbewegungen/Freie Wähler''; BVB/Free Voters or BVB/FW) is a political party in Brandenburg in eastern Germany. The party was co-founded in 2008 by Péte ...

(BVB/FW) , 2,985 , 1.2 , 0.3 , 1 , ±0 , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Independent Charnow , 214 , 0.1 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 258,636 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total votes ! 88,055 ! 100.0 ! ! 56 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 141,443 ! 62.3 ! 13.5 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Potsdam

Brandenburg state government

The

Landtag Brandenburg The Landtag of Brandenburg is the unicameral legislature of the state of Brandenburg in Germany. Its 88 members of parliament are usually elected every 5 years. It is responsible for deciding on state laws, controlling the state government ...

, the parliament of the state of Brandenburg is in Potsdam. It has been housed in the Potsdam City Palace since 2014.

Twin towns – sister cities

Potsdam is twinned with: * Opole, Poland (1973) * Bobigny, France (1974) * Jyväskylä, Finland (1985) *

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

, Germany (1988) *

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part ...

, Italy (1990) * Sioux Falls, United States (1990) * Lucerne, Switzerland (2002) *

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

, France (2016) * Zanzibar City, Tanzania (2017)

Infrastructure

Transport

Rail transport

Potsdam, included in the fare zone "C" (''Tarifbereich C'') of

's public transport area and fare zones A and B of its own public transport area, is served by the S7 ''

S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...

'' line. The stations served are

, Babelsberg and the Central Station (''Hauptbahnhof''), the main and long-distance station of the city. Other DB stations in Potsdam are Charlottenhof, Park Sanssouci (including the monumental '' Kaiserbahnhof''), Medienstadt Babelsberg, Rehbrücke, Pirschheide and Marquardt. The city also possesses a 27 km-long tramway network.

Road transport

Potsdam is served by several

motorways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

: the A 10, a beltway better known as ''Berliner Ring'', the A 115 (using part of the AVUS) and is closely linked to the A 2 and A 9. The B 1 and B 2 federal roads cross the city. Potsdam features a network of urban and suburban buses.

Education and research

Potsdam is a

university town A college town or university town is a community (often a separate town or city, but in some cases a town/city neighborhood or a district) that is dominated by its university population. The university may be large, or there may be several s ...

. The University of Potsdam was founded in 1991 as a university of the State of Brandenburg. Its predecessor was the ''Akademie für Staats- und Rechtswissenschaften der DDR " Walter Ulbricht"'', a college of education founded in 1948 which was one of the GDR's most important colleges. There are about 20,000 students enrolled at the university. Einsteinturm 7443

In 1991 the ''

Fachhochschule Potsdam The ''Fachhochschule Potsdam'' is a University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam, the capital of the German federal state of Brandenburg. It was founded in 1991 and teaching began in the 1991/92 winter semester. History After the state of Brande ...

'' was founded as the second college. It had 3,518 students as of 2017.

Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg The Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg (German: ''Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf'') is the oldest and largest film school in Germany. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, as well as post-graduate studies in all fields ...

(HFF), founded in 1954 in Babelsberg, is the foremost centre of the German film industry since its birth, with over 600 students. There are also several research foundations, including Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research and Biomedical Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (''Albert Einstein Institute''), Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, the GFZ –

German Research Centre for Geosciences The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, also known as GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam or just GFZ, is the national research center for Earth Sciences in Germany, located on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam, in the German federal state of Brand ...

, the Potsdam Astrophysical Institute, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, which employs 340 people in researching

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

. As well as universities, Potsdam is home to reputable

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s. Montessori Gesamtschule Potsdam, in western Potsdam, attracts 400 students from the Brandenburg and Berlin region.

Culture

Potsdam was historically a centre of European immigration. Its religious tolerance attracted people from France, Russia, the Netherlands and Bohemia. This is still visible in the culture and architecture of the city. The most popular attraction in Potsdam is

Sanssouci Park Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany, built under Frederick the Great in the mid-1700s. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the st ...

, west of the city centre. In 1744 King Frederick the Great ordered the construction of a residence here, where he could live ''sans souci'' ("without worries", in the French spoken at the court). The park hosts a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

(

Botanical Garden, Potsdam The Botanical Garden in Potsdam (german: Botanischer Garten Potsdam or ''Botanischer Garten der Universität Potsdam''), is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Potsdam. It has a total area of 8.5 hectares, of which 5 ...

) and many buildings: * The

(''Schloss Sanssouci''), a relatively modest palace of the Prussian royal (and later German imperial) family * The Orangery Palace (''Orangerieschloss''), former palace for foreign royal guests * The New Palace (''Neues Palais''), built between 1763 and 1769 to celebrate the end of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

, in which Prussia held off the combined attacks of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and Russia. It is a much larger and grander palace than Sanssouci, having over 200 rooms and 400 statues as decoration. It served as a guest house for numerous royal visitors. Today, it houses parts of University of Potsdam. * The Charlottenhof Palace (''Schloss Charlottenhof''), a Neoclassical palace by Karl Friedrich Schinkel built in 1826 * The Roman Baths (''Römische Bäder''), built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and

Friedrich Ludwig Persius Friedrich Ludwig Persius (15 February 1803 in Potsdam – 12 July 1845 in Potsdam) was a Prussian architect and a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Persius assisted Schinkel with, among others, the building of the Charlottenhof Castle an ...

in 1829–1840. It is a complex of buildings including a tea pavilion, a Renaissance-style villa, and a Roman bathhouse (from which the whole complex takes its name). * The Chinese Tea House (''Chinesisches Teehaus''), an 18th-century pavilion built in a Chinese style, the fashion of the time. Three gates from the original city wall remain today. The oldest is the Hunters' Gate (''Jägertor''), built in 1733. The Nauener Tor was built in 1755 and close to the historic Dutch Quarter. The ornate Brandenburg Gate (built in 1770, not to be confused with the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin) is situated on the Luisenplatz at the western entrance to the old town. Nikolaikirche mit Tympanon

The Old Market Square (''Alter Markt'') is Potsdam's historical city centre. For three centuries this was the site of the City Palace (''Stadtschloß''), a royal palace built in 1662. Under

, the palace became the winter residence of the Prussian kings. The palace was severely damaged by Allied bombing in 1945 and demolished in 1961 by the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...

authorities. In 2002 the Fortuna Gate (''Fortunaportal'') was rebuilt in its original historic position which was followed by a complete reconstruction of the palace as the Brandenburg Landtag building inaugurated in 2014. Nearby the square in the Humboldtstraße block, which also was demolished after getting damaged in 1945, reconstructions of several representative residential palaces including Palazzo Pompei and Palazzo Barberini housing an arts museum were completed in 2016–2017 alongside buildings with modernized facades to restore the historical proportions of the block. Potsdam Brandenburger Str

The Old Market Square is dominated today by the dome of St. Nicholas' Church, built in 1837 in the Neoclassical style. It was the last work of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, who designed the building but did not live to see its completion. It was finished by his disciples Friedrich August Stüler and Ludwig Persius. The eastern side of the Market Square is dominated by the Old City Hall, built in 1755 by the Dutch architect Jan Bouman (1706–1776). It has a characteristic circular tower, crowned with a gilded

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geogra ...

bearing the world on his shoulders. Potsdam - Brandenburger Tor - Feldseite - 2013

North of the Old Market Square is the oval French Church (''Französische Kirche''), erected in the 1750s by Boumann for the

community. To the south lies the

Museum Barberini The Museum Barberini is an art museum in Potsdam opened in 2017. Its exhibitions range from the so-called Old Masters to contemporary art, with an emphasis on impressionist painting. Centered around works from the collection of its founder and p ...

, a copy of the previous building, the Barberini Palace. The museum was funded by the German billionaire

Hasso Plattner Hasso Plattner (born 21 January 1944) is a German businessman. A co-founder of SAP SE software company, he has been chairman of the supervisory board of SAP SE since May 2003. As of August 2020, '' Forbes'' reported that he possessed a net worth ...

. The former

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

building was built by

Carl von Gontard Carl Philipp Christian von Gontard (13 January 1731 in Mannheim – 23 September 1791 in Breslau) was a German architect who worked primarily in Berlin, Potsdam, and Bayreuth in the style of late Baroque Classicism. Next to Knobelsdorff he was c ...

in 1771–1772, inspired by the Renaissance palace Palazzo Barberini in Rome. The newly built museum was scheduled to open in spring 2017. Another landmark of Potsdam is the two-street Dutch Quarter (''Holländisches Viertel''), an ensemble of buildings that is unique in Europe, with about 150 houses built of red bricks in the Dutch style. It was built between 1734 and 1742 under the direction of Jan Bouman to be used by Dutch artisans and craftsmen who had been invited to settle here by King Frederick Wilhelm I. Today, this area is one of Potsdam's most visited quarters. North of the city centre is the

n colony of Alexandrowka, a small enclave of Russian architecture (including an Orthodox chapel) built in 1825 for a group of Russian immigrants. Since 1999, the colony has been part of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (german: Schlösser und Gärten von Potsdam und Berlin) are a group of palace complexes and extended landscape gardens located in the Havelland region around Potsdam and the German capital of Berlin. The te ...

. East of the Alexandrowka colony is a large park, the New Garden (''Neuer Garten''), which was laid out from 1786 in the English style. The site contains two palaces; one of them, the Cecilienhof, was where the

was held in July and August 1945. The ''

Marmorpalais The Marmorpalais (or Marble Palace) is a former royal residence in Potsdam, near Berlin in Germany, built on the grounds of the extensive '' Neuer Garten'' on the shores of the '' Heiliger See'' (lake). The palace was commissioned by King ''Frie ...

'' (Marble Palace) was built in 1789 in Neoclassical style. Nearby is the '' Biosphäre Potsdam'', a tropical

. Babelsberg, a quarter south-east of the centre, houses the UFA film studios ( Babelsberg Studios), and an extensive

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

with some historical buildings, including the

Babelsberg Palace Babelsberg Palace (german: Schloss Babelsberg) lies in the eponymous park and quarter of Potsdam, the capital of the German state of Brandenburg, near Berlin. For over 50 years it was the summer residence of Prince William, later German Emperor ...

(Schloß Babelsberg, a

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

palace designed by Schinkel). The Einstein Tower is located within the

Albert Einstein Science Park The Albert Einstein Science Park is located on the Telegrafenberg hill in Potsdam, Germany. The park was named after the physicist Albert Einstein. The best known buildings in the park are the Einstein Tower, an astrophysical observatory that was ...

, which is on the top of the ''Telegraphenberg'' within an astronomy compound. Potsdam also features a memorial centre in the former KGB prison in Leistikowstraße. In the Volkspark to the north, there is one of the last monuments dedicated to Lenin in Germany. Potsdam joined

's Network of Creative Cities as a Design City on October 31, 2019 on the occasion of World Cities’ Day.

Parks

There are many parks in Potsdam, most of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among their attractions are: 2010 Park Sanssouci - Potsdam.jpg, The Chinese House in

Hunting Lodge Glienicke 2.jpg, Glienicke Hunting Lodge, as seen from

Babelsberg Park Babelsberg Park (german: Park Babelsberg) is a 114 hectare park in the northeast of the city of Potsdam, bordering on the ''Tiefen See'' lake on the River Havel. The park was first designed by the landscape artist Peter Joseph Lenné and, af ...

2020-09-23 Potsdam 1DX 1634 by Stepro.jpg, The

in New Garden Orangerie Schloss Spielstätte.JPG, Sanssouci: the Orangery Palace Potsdam BelvedereKlausberg1.jpg, The

Belvedere auf dem Klausberg The Belvedere auf dem Klausberg is a building in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany erected in 1770–72 using Georg Christian Unger's plans. Architecture Georg Christian Unger based his plans on a drawing by the Italian archeologist Francesco B ...

Schloss Babelsberg 3.jpg,

Sports

* 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, one of the most successful German female football clubs (

Bundesliga (women) The Frauen-Bundesliga ( German for ''Women's Federal League''), currently known as the FLYERALARM Frauen-Bundesliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of league competition for women's association football in Germany. In 1990 the German Fo ...

)
Potsdam Royals
American football team competing in the German Football League. * SV Babelsberg 03, football club Regionalliga Nordost * * USV Potsdam,

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

( 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga) and football (

Kreisklasse The Kreisliga ( en, District League), along with the ''Kreisoberliga'' ( en, District Premier League) and the ''Kreisklasse'' ( en, District Class), are the lowest set of divisions in the German football league system, set at step 8 and below. S ...

) *

List of football clubs in Potsdam {{Short description, none There are a number of football clubs based in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg in Germany, but the most successful team is the women's football club 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam. The following teams are ranked according to ...

* The (''Potsdam Palace Marathon'') is a marathon in that is held annually in June. Thousands of runners run the course past the palaces for the half marathon and several hundred repeat the course to complete the full marathon.

Notable people

;18th century Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck LM FWzeK

* Abraham Abramson (1754–1811), medalist *

Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg Johann David Ludwig Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (born von Yorck; 26 September 1759 – 4 October 1830) was a Prussian '' Generalfeldmarschall'' instrumental in the switching of the Kingdom of Prussia from a French alliance to a Russian allia ...

(1759–1830), Prussian field marshal *

Wilhelm von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (, also , ; ; 22 June 1767 – 8 April 1835) was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was named afte ...

(1767–1835), scholar and statesman, founder of the Berlin Humboldt University *

Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, w ...

(1770–1840), King of Prussia 1797–1840 * Wilhelm Ludwig Viktor Henckel von Donnersmarck (1775–1849), Prussian general lieutenant *

Eleonore Prochaska Marie Christiane Eleonore Prochaska (11 March 1785, in Potsdam – 5 October 1813, in Dannenberg) was a German female soldier who fought in the Prussian army against Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Life Prochaska's father was a no ...

(1785–1813), woman soldier during the

liberation war Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separat ...

, unrecognized as a man disguised as a drummer, later as an infantryman in the Prussian army against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

* Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch (1790–1850), lieutenant general in the Prussian Army * Heinrich Wilhelm Krausnick (1797–1882), lawyer and Lord Mayor of Berlin ;19th century Kaiser Friedrich III Porträt

Moritz Hermann von Jacobi Moritz Hermann or Boris Semyonovich (von) Jacobi (russian: Борис Семёнович Якоби; 21 September 1801, Potsdam – 10 March 1874, Saint Petersburg) was a Prussian and Russian Imperial engineer and physicist of Jewish descent. Jac ...

(1801–1874), physicist and engineer *

Ludwig Persius Friedrich Ludwig Persius (15 February 1803 in Potsdam – 12 July 1845 in Potsdam) was a Prussian architect and a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Persius assisted Schinkel with, among others, the building of the Charlottenhof Castle an ...

(1803–1845), architect * Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi (1804–1851), mathematician * Adolf von Rauch (1805–1877), Prussian cavalry officer * Philipp Galen (1813–1899), writer and physician * Julius Lange (1815–1905), numismatist *

Hermann von Helmholtz Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (31 August 1821 – 8 September 1894) was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions in several scientific fields, particularly hydrodynamic stability. The Helmholtz Associat ...

(1821–1894), physiologist and physicist, one of the most important natural scientists of his time * Alfred Bonaventura von Rauch (1824–1900), Prussian general * Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch (1827–1907), Prussian general leutnant * Egmont von Rauch (1829–1875), Prussian cavalry officer and later colonel in the Prussian Army * Frederick III, German Emperor (1831–1888), Emperor of the German Empire and King of Prussia 1888 * Alfred von Waldersee (1832–1904), field marshal *

Ernst Haeckel Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new s ...

(1834–1919), zoologist, philosopher * Gottlieb Graf von Haeseler (1836–1919), Prussian field marshal * Hermann Schubert (1848–1911), mathematician *

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Emp ...

(1859–1941), Emperor of the German Empire and King of Prussia 1888–1918 * Friedrich Adolf Steinhausen (1859−1910), doctor and physiologist * Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch (1868–1899), Prussian officer * Friedrich Ludwig (1872–1930), music historian and rector of the University of Göttingen * Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-143-21, Hasso von Manteuffel

Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-143-21, Hasso von Manteuffel

Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing (22 April 1873, Potsdam – 12 January 1956, Oberaudorf am Inn) was a German Egyptologist. He was the son of Prussian general Moritz Ferdinand von Bissing (1844–1917). He studied classical philology, archaeology, ...

(1873–1956), egyptologist * Elisabeth von Knobelsdorff (1877–1959), engineer and architect * Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia (1883–1942), second son of King William II of Prussia *

Ludowika Jakobsson Ludovika Antje Margareta Jakobsson-Eilers (née Eilers, 25 July 1884 – 1 November 1968) was a German-Finnish figure skater. Competing in pair skating with her husband Walter Jakobsson, she won the gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympic ...

(1884–1968), German-Finnish figure skater * Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (1886–1974), general of tank troops and military attachée * Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck (1892-1955), general * Paul Blobel (1894–1951), Nazi war criminal, hanged for war crimes * Hasso von Manteuffel (1897-1978) General in the Wehrmacht, and later spokesman for defense of the Free Democratic Party in the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Comm ...

;20th century * Margarete Buber-Neumann (1901–1989), writer * Egon Eiermann (1904–1970), architect * Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1907–1994), German and Prussian heir to the throne and head of the House of Hohenzollern * Marie Eleonore of Albania (1909–1957), princess * Adam von Trott zu Solz (1909–1944), lawyer, diplomat and resistance fighter * Carol Victor (1913–1973), Hereditary Prince of Albania * Peter Weiss (1916–1982), writer, graphic artist and painter * Hans Richter (1919–2008), actor *

Bernhard Hassenstein Bernhard Hassenstein (31 May 1922 – 16 April 2016) was a German biologist and psychobiologist. Life and work Bernhard Hassenstein was a student of behavioral physiologist Erich von Holst and one of the leading researchers in the fields of beh ...

(1922–2016), biologist and behaviorist *

Burkhard Heim Burkhard Heim (; 9 February 1925 – 14 January 2001) was a German theoretical physicist. He devoted a large portion of his life to the pursuit of his unified field theory, Heim theory. One of his childhood ambitions was to develop a method of s ...

(1925–2001), theoretical physicist *

Günther Schramm Günther Schramm (born 18 February 1929) is a German film and television actor. In 1958 he married the actress Gudrun Thielemann. Selected filmography * '' The Ambassador'' (1960) * ''The Happy Years of the Thorwalds'' (1962) * '' Snow White a ...

(born 1929), actor * Hilla Becher (1934–2015), photographer *

Nicole Heesters Nicole Heesters (born 14 February 1937) is a German actress. She was born in Potsdam and comes from a family of actors; her parents are Johannes Heesters, a Dutch-German actor, and Louise Ghijs, a Belgian stage actress. Her husband was film ...

(born 1937), actress *

Manfred Wolke Manfred Wolke (born 14 January 1943 in Babelsberg, Brandenburg) is a German former welterweight boxer. He was a member of the ''Armeesportsklub Vorwärts Frankfurt an der Oder''. Wolke, representing East Germany, was the Welterweight O ...

(born 1943), boxer and boxing coach *

Klaus Katzur Klaus Katzur (26 August 1943 – 4 September 2016) was a German swimmer who competed in the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1972, he won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metre medley relay and finished eighth in the 200 metre breaststrok ...

(1943–2016), swimmer and Olympic medalist *

Wolfgang Joop Wolfgang Joop (born 18 November 1944) is a German fashion designer. He is the founder of the fashion and cosmetics company JOOP! as well as the fashion brand Wunderkind. He is the father of fashion and jewel designer Jette Joop as well as write ...

(born 1944), fashion designer *

Oliver Bendt Oliver Bendt (born Jörg Knoch on 29 October 1946 in Potsdam) is a German singer and actor. Knoch grew up the son of an actress in Munich, where he played children's roles in several films, including '' Königswalzer'' (1955) and ''Weil du ar ...

(born 1946), actor, gymnast, singer * Christiane Lanzke (born 1947), diver and actress * Lothar Doering (born 1950), handball player and coach * Brigitte Ahrenholz (born 1952), rower *

Matthias Platzeck Matthias Platzeck (born 29 December 1953) is a German politician. He was Minister President of Brandenburg from 2002 to 2013 and party chairman of the SPD from November 2005 to April 2006. On 29 July 2013 Platzeck announced his resignation fro ...

(born 1953), politician, Minister President of Brandenburg * Klaus Thiele (born 1958), athlete * Gabriele Berg (born 1963), biologist and biotechnologist * Ralf Brudel (born 1963), rower * Jens-Peter Berndt (born 1963), swimmer * Birgit Peter (born 1964), rower * Carsten Wolf (born 1964), cyclist, world champion *

Daniela Neunast Daniela Neunast (born 19 September 1966) is a retired German coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since ...

(born 1966), steward in rowing *

René Monse René Monse (28 September 1968 in Potsdam – 8 June 2017) was a German heavyweight boxer best known for having won a bronze medal at the world championships in 1995. Monse died in 2017 after what his former promoter described as a lengthy illn ...

(born 1968), heavyweight boxer * Klara Geywitz (born 1976), politician * Aleksandr Sayenko (born 1978), footballer ;20th century * Ermyas Mulugeta, assaulted in a nationally significant case

Honorary citizens

* 1845: Wilhelm Ludwig Viktor Henckel von Donnersmarck, Lieutenant General * 1856: Friedrich von Wrangel, Field Marshal * 1863: Peter Joseph Lenné, gardener and landscape architect * 1891:

, naturalist * 1905: Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, president of the province of Brandenburg * 1933:

, Fieldmarshal and Reichspräsident * 1933: ''

'', chancellor (withdrawn 15 August 1990 by decision of the Potsdam City Council) * 1938: Josef Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda * 1955:

Max Volmer Max Volmer (; 3 May 1885 – 3 June 1965) was a German physical chemist, who made important contributions in electrochemistry, in particular on electrode kinetics. He co-developed the Butler–Volmer equation. Volmer held the chair and directo ...

, physical chemist * 1960: Hans Marchwitza, writer and proletarian poet * 1965:

Otto Nagel Otto Nagel (27 September 1894 – 12 July 1967) was a German painter, graphic designer and long-time head of the Berlin Academy of Arts who was one of the most prolific artists of East Germany. Life Born at Berlin-Wedding, Nagel was the so ...

, painter

References

Sources

* Paul Sigel, Silke Dähmlow, Frank Seehausen und Lucas Elmenhorst, Architekturführer Potsdam Architectural Guide, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 2006, .

External links

* an
English
{{Authority control Cities in Brandenburg German state capitals Populated places established in the 7th century 7th-century establishments in Germany