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GERMANY | Potsdam, Germany Travel Guide
Thursday, December 26, 2024
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Potsdam Old Town
Potsdam Old Town
Although Potsdam suffered war damage in World War II, several historic buildings survived to the present day. It is a short walk across the Havel River from the main and S-Bahn stations to the Old Town.
The Alter and Neuer Markt (Old and New Market Squares) are at the heart of Potsdam’s Old Town. The Nikolaikirche (Nicholas Church), Am Alten Markt is a favorite venue for concerts. The early 19th-century church, with a huge cupola, is molded on the example of St Paul’s in London.
The Brandenburger Tor (Town Gate) at Luisenplatz in Potsdam’s Old Town is 20 years older than its famous and more illustrious namesake in Berlin. It was completed in 1770 with some of the decorative statues based on personal drawings by Frederick the Great. Nearby is the Jägertor, the oldest surviving city gate.
The Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter) consists of Dutch-style brick and gabled houses. The area was created by Friedrich Wilhelm, the Great Elector, who attempted to draw Dutch citizens to repopulate Brandenburg after the devastating effects of the Thirty Years’War. During the Communist years, this area suffered deprivation and restoration work was only started after re-unification. The most beautiful area is Mittelstraße, which has 128 gabled houses built around 1740.
Frederick the Great saw the beautiful fountains in Park Sanssouci in action only once. It was only in 1842 that the Berlin engineering firm Borsig managed to build a steam engine able to pump the necessary waters to the fountains on a regular basis. The Dampfmachinenhaus (Pump Station), at Breitestraße, is housed in a rather politically incorrect Mosque-like building.
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