German Cities Potsdam

One of the most well-known German cities, Potsdam is the capital of the former East German state of Brandenburg, and is located just 15.5 miles (around 25 kilometers) southwest of Berlin. Today, Potsdam has a population of around 150,000, and covers an area of 72.3 square miles (187.28 km. sq.). One of Potsdam’s various claims to fame is that it used to be the home city of the Prussian kings before the German Empire was disbanded following World War One in 1918. Potsdam was also the site of the historic Potsdam Conference following World War II, in which the Allied Powers discussed the terms of German surrender and negotiated the division of postwar Germany into zones of occupation. However, Potsdam is unique among German cities for many other reasons.

Potsdam has a unique history among German cities. Historians speculate that the Slavs founded Potsdam during the seventh century CE. In those days, the center of the village was a castle, and was known as Poztupimi, which means, “beneath the oaks.” The first written reference to Potsdam occurred in 993 CE. By the fourteenth century, the Germans had usurped the Slavs as Potsdam residents, and a town charter was drawn up in 1345. By 1660, the city was chosen as a hunting ground of King Wilhelm I of Prussia, which would eventually lead to its emergence as the Prussian seat of monarchial power. Upon the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II from his throne in 1918, Potsdam lost its status as the second capital of the German Empire. During the Second World War, Potsdam was heavily damaged in Allied bombing raids.

Potsdam was also chosen from among a number of German cities as the site of the Potsdam Conference of July 1945, a meeting between Allied leaders Harry S. Truman the President of the United States, Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and Joseph Stalin, the Party Secretary of the Soviet Union. The conference served as the arena where the victorious Allies debated and decided on how to disarm Germany, the division of German territory into zones of occupation, prosecution of Nazis for war crimes, the establishment of new borders, and many other issues related to the aftermath of the war.

Throughout its history, Potsdam has been unique among German cities for its religious tolerance and acceptance of immigrants. People from France, Russia, the Netherlands, and Bohemia have all relocated to Potsdam over the years, and have had an enormous impact on the culture of the city. Sites around Potsdam where this disparate cultural heritage is visible include the Sanssouci Palace, the home of the German imperial family, The Roman Baths, which were constructed during the nineteenth century, the Old Market Square, and the Dutch Quarter, which features over 150 buildings built using red brick in the Dutch style.