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 Geographically, the Havelland is the region around which the River Havel flows in a U-shape between Oranienburg to the northeast and Rhinow to the northwest. The northern boundary of the Havelland is formed by the River Rhin and the Rhin Canal. ...

region around

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

and the German capital of

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 constitue ...

. The term was used upon the designation of the cultural ensemble as a

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 h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1990. It was recognized for the historic unity of its landscape—a unique example of landscape design against the background of monarchic ideas 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 em ...

n state and common efforts of emancipation.

Extent

Initially, the world heritage site encompassed 500 hectares, covering 150 construction projects, which spanned the years from 1730 to 1916. Until the

Peaceful Revolution The Peaceful Revolution (german: Friedliche Revolution), as a part of the Revolutions of 1989, was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany's borders with the West, the end of the ruling of the Socialist Unity ...

of 1989, these areas were separated by the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...

, running between Potsdam and

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 ...

, and several historic sites were destructed by 'death strip' border fortifications. Two stages of extension to the World Heritage Site, in 1992, and 1999 led to the incorporation of a larger area. The

Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (german: Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg; SPSG) was founded by a treaty of 23 August 1994 between the German federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg as ...

, which administers the site, puts the area at 2,064 hectares.

1990 designation

Palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

and Park of Sanssouci, Potsdam * '' Neuer Garten'' (New Garden),

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 ''Friedri ...

(Marble Palace), and '' Schloss Cecilienhof'', northeast of Sanssouci, Potsdam * '' Park Babelsberg'' and ''

Schloss Babelsberg 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 W ...

'', Potsdam * '' Schloss Glienicke'' and '' Park Klein-Glienicke'', Berlin * ''Nikolskoe'' log house, Berlin * ''

Pfaueninsel Pfaueninsel (, "Peacock Island") is an island in the River Havel situated in Berlin- Wannsee, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf in southwestern Berlin, near the border with Potsdam in Brandenburg. The island is part of the Palaces and Par ...

'' (Peacock Island), Berlin * ''Böttcherberg'' (Mount Böttcher), Berlin * '' Jagdschloß Glienicke'' (Glienicke hunting lodge), Berlin

1992 extension

* '' Heilandskirche'' (Church of the Redeemer), Sacrow (Potsdam) * Palace and Park of Sacrow, Potsdam

1999 extension

* ''Lindenallee'', Potsdam * ''Königliche Gärtnerlehranstalt'' (former gardeners' school) and the ''Kaiserbahnhof'', Potsdam * Palace and Park of Lindstedt, Potsdam * Village of Bornstedt, church, cemetery and landscape north of Park Sanssouci, Potsdam * The ''Seekoppel'' (landscape area west of ''Ruinenberg'' (Mount of Ruins)), Potsdam * ''Voltaireweg'' (greenbelt and road between Park Sanssouci and ''Neuer Garten''), Potsdam * Entrance area of Park Sanssouci, Potsdam * ''Alexandrowka'' log houses ("Russian colony"), Potsdam * The ''Pfingstberg'' and ''

Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg The Belvedere on the Pfingstberg (german: link=no, Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg) is a large structure north of the New Garden in Potsdam, Germany, at the summit of Pfingstberg hill. It was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia a ...

'', Potsdam * An area between ''Pfingstberg'' and ''Neuer Garten'', Potsdam * Southern shore of the ''

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 of ...

'', Potsdam * ''Königswald'' (King's Forest, forests surrounding Palace and Park of Sacrow), Potsdam * Approaches to

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 ...

, Potsdam * Observatory in Babelsberg, Potsdam

References

External links