View source for Potsdam

{{short description|Capital of Brandenburg, Germany}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox German place
|name               = Potsdam
|type               = City
|image_photo={{Multiple image
 |caption_align = center
 |border = infobox
 |total_width = 280
 |perrow = 1/2/2/2
 |image1 = Havel-Park-Lake-Babelsberg-Downtown-Potsdam-Green.jpg
 |caption1 = View over Potsdam with [[Babelsberg Park]]
 |image2 = Potsdam - Landtag (State Parliament) - geo.hlipp.de - 40841.jpg
 |caption2 = [[City Palace, Potsdam|City Palace]]
 |image3 = Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam.jpg
 |caption3 = [[Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam)|Brandenburg Gate]]
 |image4 = Fortuna auf dem Fortunaportal, Altes Rathaus, Potsdam, Luftaufnahme-0723.jpg
 |caption4 = [[:de:Altes Rathaus (Potsdam)|Old City Hall]]
 |image5 = Potsdam Sanssouci 07-2017 img4.jpg
 |caption5 = [[New Palace, Potsdam|New Palace]]
 |image6 = Schloss Sanssouci Potsdam Germany - panoramio (3).jpg
 |caption6 = [[Sanssouci]]
 |image7 = 20220810 Orangerieschloss 08.jpg
 |caption7 = [[Orangery Palace]] }}
|image_flag         = Flag of Potsdam.svg
|image_coa          = DEU Potsdam COA.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|52|24|02|N|13|03|33|E|display=inline,title}}
|state              = Brandenburg
|district           = urban
|area               = 187.28	
|elevation          = 32
|area_metro         = <!-- Metropolitan area, in km<sup>2</sup>. XXX.XX (no commas or other text) -->
|pop_metro          = <!-- Metropolitan area, if available. No commas or other text -->
|postal_code        = 14467–14482
|area_code          = 0331
|licence            = P
|Gemeindeschlüssel  = 12 0 54 000
|divisions          = <!-- Subdivisions within location (e.g. "XX districts" or boroughs) -->
|website            = [https://en.potsdam.de/ www.potsdam.de]
|mayor              = Noosha Aubel
|leader_term        = 2025&ndash;33
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party              = independent
|ruling_party1      = <!-- Leading political party currently in power - give abbreviations -->
|ruling_party2      = <!-- 2nd ruling political party - give abbreviations -->
|ruling_party3      = <!-- 3rd ruling political party - give abbreviations -->
|year               = 1776
}}

'''Potsdam''' ({{IPA|de|ˈpɔtsdam|-|De-Potsdam.ogg}}) is the capital and largest city of the [[German state]] of [[Brandenburg]]. It is part of the [[Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region]]. Potsdam sits on the [[Havel|River Havel]], a tributary of the [[Elbe]], 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 {{convert|25|km|abbr=off}} southwest of Berlin's city centre. The name of the city and of many of its boroughs are of [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] origin.

Potsdam was a residence of the [[Prussia]]n kings and the [[German Emperor]] until 1918. Its planning embodied ideas of the [[Age of Enlightenment]]: 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.<ref>''The Potsdam project, 1996'', HRH The Prince of Wales, Charles; Hanson, Brian; Steil, Lucien; Prince of Wales's Urban Design Task Force; Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture, Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture, 1998, Introduction.</ref>

The city, which is over 1,000 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, Potsdam|New Palace]], [[Cecilienhof Palace]], and [[Charlottenhof Palace]]. Potsdam was also the location of the significant [[Potsdam Conference]] 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.

[[Potsdam-Babelsberg|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 centre of European film production since the [[fall of the Berlin Wall]]. The [[Studio Babelsberg|Filmstudio Babelsberg]], founded in 1912, is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.studiobabelsberg.com/en/corporate/about-us/|title = About us}}</ref>

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]]s in the city.

== Geography ==
[[File:Templiner See, Vorderkappe und Hermannswerder 1.jpeg|thumb|left|The Havel flowing through Potsdam with view of Hermannswerder]]
The area was formed from a series of large [[moraine]]s 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 [[Griebnitzsee]], [[Templiner See]], [[Tiefer See]], [[Jungfernsee]], Teltowkanal, [[Heiliger See]], and [[Sacrower See]]. The highest point is the {{convert|114|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-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 ''[[Quarter (urban subdivision)|Stadtteile]]'' (boroughs, both quarters and suburbs/wards together),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10088596/513412/ |title=Stadtteilkatalog der Landeshauptstadt Potsdam |access-date=2016-12-28 |language=de |archive-date=2016-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323080412/http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10088596/513412 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 ''Ortsteile'' – these are Eiche, Fahrland, Golm, Groß Glienicke, Grube, Marquardt, Neu Fahrland, Satzkorn and Uetz-Paaren.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.potsdam.de/kategorie/stadtteile |title=Stadtteile |publisher=Landeshauptstadt Potsdam |access-date=2016-12-31 |language=de}}</ref> 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:''<ref name="StiB2019">{{cite web |url=https://www.potsdam.de/sites/default/files/documents/stadtteileimblick2019.pdf#page=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514044905/https://www.potsdam.de/sites/default/files/documents/stadtteileimblick2019.pdf |archive-date=2021-05-14 |url-status=live |title=Landeshauptstadt Potsdam, Stadtteile im Blick 2019 |format=PDF, 12.3 MB |date=2020-10-15 |access-date=2022-02-22 |language=de |pages=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.potsdam.de/sites/default/files/documents/Potsdam%20Stadtteile%20im%20Blick%202010.pdf#page=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228232404/http://www.potsdam.de/sites/default/files/documents/Potsdam%20Stadtteile%20im%20Blick%202010.pdf |archive-date=2016-12-28 |url-status=live |title=Landeshauptstadt Potsdam, Stadtteile im Blick 2010 |format=PDF, 5.4 MB |date=2011-06-30 |access-date=2016-12-28 |language=de |pages=5}} ''Note: Reports from later years omit mention of borough designations with single-digit numbers.''</ref>
[[File:Potsdam subdivisions.svg|thumb|''Stadtteile'' (boroughs) of Potsdam]]
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* '''1 Potsdam Nord'''
** 11 [[Bornim]]
** 12 [[Nedlitz (Potsdam)|Nedlitz]]
** 13 [[Bornstedt (Potsdam)|Bornstedt]]
** 14 [[Sacrow (Potsdam)|Sacrow]]
** 15 [[Eiche (Potsdam)|Eiche]]
** 16 Grube
** 17 [[Golm (Potsdam)|Golm]]
* '''2 [[Nördliche Vorstädte von Potsdam|Nördliche Vorstädte]]'''
** 21 Nauener Vorstadt
** 22 Jägervorstadt
** 23 Berliner Vorstadt
* '''3 [[Westliche Vorstädte von Potsdam|Westliche Vorstädte]]'''
** 31 Brandenburger Vorstadt
** 32 Potsdam West
* '''4 Innenstadt'''
** 41 Historische Innenstadt<!--
** 42 Südliche Innenstadt --><!-- divided, number repealed -->
** 43 Zentrum Ost und Nuthepark
** 44 Hauptbahnhof und Brauhausberg Nord
* '''5 [[Babelsberg]]'''
** 51 [[Klein Glienicke]]
** 52 Babelsberg Nord
** 53 Babelsberg Süd
* '''6 [[Potsdam-Süd|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 (Potsdam)|Drewitz]]
** 73 [[Kirchsteigfeld]]
* '''8 Nördliche Ortsteile'''
** 81 [[Uetz-Paaren]]
** 82 [[Marquardt (Potsdam)|Marquardt]]
** 83 [[Satzkorn]]
** 84 [[Fahrland]]
** 85 [[Neu Fahrland]]
** 86 [[Groß Glienicke]]
{{div col end}}

At the end of 2019, a change was made to the administrative structure:<ref name="StiB2019" />
* 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 climate|oceanic]] - more degraded by being far from the coast and to the east ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/europe/germany/brandenburg/potsdam-6406/|title=Potsdam climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Potsdam weather averages - Climate-Data.org|website=en.climate-data.org|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> but using the 1961–1990 normal and the 0&nbsp;°C isotherm the city has a [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfb''), which also shows a slight influence of the continent different from the climates predominantly influenced by the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. 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&nbsp;°C, the heat waves being influenced by the [[Urban heat island|UHI]] of Potsdam.<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/DL/10379.TXT
|title = Potsdam Climate Normals 1961–1990
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211221133125/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/DL/10379.TXT
|archive-date = 2021-12-21
|url-status = dead
|access-date = December 8, 2015}}</ref>

The average winter high temperature is {{convert|4.0|°C}}, with a low of {{convert|-1.3|°C}}. Snow is common in the winter. Spring and autumn are short. Summers are mild, with a high of {{convert|24.3|°C}} and a low of {{convert|13.5|°C}}.<ref name=WMO/>

The Potsdam weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Its highest temperature was {{convert|38.9|C|F}} on [[2022 European heatwaves#July heatwave 2|20 July 2022]].
* Its lowest temperature was {{convert|-26.8|C|F}} on 11 February 1929.
* Its greatest annual precipitation was {{convert|798.3|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 2007.
* Its least annual precipitation was {{convert|345.8|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 2018.
* The longest annual sunshine was 2,246.7 hours in 2018.
* The shortest annual sunshine was 1,355.3 hours in 1903.

{{Weather box
|location= Potsdam (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|Jan record high C = 15.6
|Feb record high C = 19.9
|Mar record high C = 25.7
|Apr record high C = 31.8
|May record high C = 34.0
|Jun record high C = 38.4
|Jul record high C = 38.9
|Aug record high C = 38.6
|Sep record high C = 35.0
|Oct record high C = 27.8
|Nov record high C = 21.5
|Dec record high C = 17.3
|Jan avg record high C = 10.5
|Feb avg record high C = 12.4
|Mar avg record high C = 18.2
|Apr avg record high C = 24.9
|May avg record high C = 29.1
|Jun avg record high C = 32.1
|Jul avg record high C = 33.1
|Aug avg record high C = 33.0
|Sep avg record high C = 27.0
|Oct avg record high C = 21.3
|Nov avg record high C = 14.6
|Dec avg record high C = 10.9
|year avg record high C = 35.2
|Jan high C = 3.2
|Feb high C = 4.9
|Mar high C = 9.2
|Apr high C = 15.7
|May high C = 20.0
|Jun high C = 23.0
|Jul high C = 25.1
|Aug high C = 24.9
|Sep high C = 19.9
|Oct high C = 13.7
|Nov high C = 7.6
|Dec high C = 3.9
|year high C = 14.3
|Jan mean C = 0.7
|Feb mean C = 1.6
|Mar mean C = 4.7
|Apr mean C = 9.9
|May mean C = 14.2
|Jun mean C = 17.4
|Jul mean C = 19.4
|Aug mean C = 18.9
|Sep mean C = 14.6
|Oct mean C = 9.6
|Nov mean C = 4.8
|Dec mean C = 1.7
|year mean C = 9.8
|Jan low C = -1.9
|Feb low C = -1.4
|Mar low C = 0.9
|Apr low C = 4.7
|May low C = 8.8
|Jun low C = 12.1
|Jul low C = 14.4
|Aug low C = 14.1
|Sep low C = 10.4
|Oct low C = 6.2
|Nov low C = 2.2
|Dec low C = -0.7
|year low C = 5.8
|Jan avg record low C = -11.0
|Feb avg record low C = -8.6
|Mar avg record low C = -4.7
|Apr avg record low C = -1.5
|May avg record low C = 2.9
|Jun avg record low C = 7.3
|Jul avg record low C = 9.8
|Aug avg record low C = 9.4
|Sep avg record low C = 5.5
|Oct avg record low C = 0.0
|Nov avg record low C = -4.0
|Dec avg record low C = -8.4
|year avg record low C = -13.0
|Jan record low C = -25.7
|Feb record low C = -26.8
|Mar record low C = -17.3
|Apr record low C = -7.3
|May record low C = -3.6
|Jun record low C = 1.9
|Jul record low C = 5.8
|Aug record low C = 5.4
|Sep record low C = 0.1
|Oct record low C = -9.0
|Nov record low C = -16.6
|Dec record low C = -24.5
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 45.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 36.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 39.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 29.2
|May precipitation mm = 53.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 60.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 76.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 59.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 47.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 42.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 42.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 46.1
|year precipitation mm = 577.6
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 16.8
|Feb precipitation days = 14.7
|Mar precipitation days = 14.9
|Apr precipitation days = 11.5
|May precipitation days = 12.8
|Jun precipitation days = 12.8
|Jul precipitation days = 14.0
|Aug precipitation days = 13.0
|Sep precipitation days = 12.2
|Oct precipitation days = 13.8
|Nov precipitation days = 15.4
|Dec precipitation days = 17.1
|year precipitation days = 168.9
|Jan snow depth cm = 8.6
|Feb snow depth cm = 8.6
|Mar snow depth cm = 3.6
|Apr snow depth cm = 0.5
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = trace
|Nov snow depth cm = 2.1
|Dec snow depth cm = 7.1
|year snow depth cm = 13.1
|unit snow days = 1.0 cm
|Jan snow days = 11.2
|Feb snow days = 9.4
|Mar snow days = 3.6
|Apr snow days = 0.4
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 1.9
|Dec snow days = 5.9
|year snow days = 32.1
|Jan sun = 55.6
|Feb sun = 79.1
|Mar sun = 128.9
|Apr sun = 198.2
|May sun = 233.4
|Jun sun = 236.9
|Jul sun = 244.8
|Aug sun = 229.2
|Sep sun = 172.9
|Oct sun = 121.7
|Nov sun = 60.3
|Dec sun = 46.5
|year sun = 1807.6
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 87.6
|Feb humidity = 82.6
|Mar humidity = 76.5
|Apr humidity = 66.8
|May humidity = 68.5
|Jun humidity = 69.1
|Jul humidity = 70.0
|Aug humidity = 71.3
|Sep humidity = 78.3
|Oct humidity = 85.4
|Nov humidity = 89.8
|Dec humidity = 89.5
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name=WMO>{{cite web
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231012170610/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Potsdam_10379.csv
|archive-date = 12 October 2023
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Potsdam_10379.csv
|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
|work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = 12 October 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] / SKlima.de<ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 18 October 2024}}</ref>}}

==Etymology==
The name "Potsdam" originally seems to have been ''[[#History|Poztupimi]]''. A common theory is that it derives from an old [[West Slavic languages|West Slavonic]] term meaning "beneath the oaks",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10000936/33981/|title=993 – From Poztupimi to the Royal Seat|date=1 December 2004|work=potsdam.de|access-date=27 April 2011|archive-date=8 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308133733/http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10000936/33981/|url-status=dead}}</ref> i.e., the corrupted ''pod dubmi/dubimi'' (''pod'' "beneath", ''dub'' "oak"). However, some question this explanation.<ref name=kopish>August Kopish, "Die Königlichen Schlösser u. Gärten zu Potsdam", Berlin, 1854, p. 18</ref>

==History==
===Pre- and early history===
[[File:Schenkungsurkunde Potsdam 993.jpg|thumb|right|Document from the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 993 mentioning ''Poztupimi'']]

The area around Potsdam shows signs of occupancy since the [[Bronze Age]] and was part of ''[[Magna Germania]]'' as described by [[Tacitus]]. After the [[Migration Period|great migrations]] of the Germanic peoples, [[Slav]]s moved in and Potsdam was probably founded after the 7th century as a settlement of the [[Hevelli]] 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, Abbess of Quedlinburg|Matilda]].<ref name=kopish/> 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]] of 2,000 inhabitants.

===Early modern era===

Potsdam lost nearly half of its population due to the [[Thirty Years' War]] (1618–1648).

A continuous [[Hohenzollern]] possession since 1415, Potsdam became prominent, when it was chosen in 1660 as the hunting residence of [[Frederick William, the Great Elector|Frederick William I]], [[prince-elector|Elector]] of [[Brandenburg-Prussia|Brandenburg]], the core of the powerful state that later became the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. It also housed [[Prussia]]n [[barracks]].

After the [[Edict of Potsdam]] in 1685, Potsdam became a centre of European immigration. Its religious freedom attracted people from [[France]] ([[Huguenot]]s), [[Russia]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[Bohemia]]. The edict accelerated population growth and economic recovery.

[[File:Potsdam Sanssouci 07-2017 img4.jpg|thumb|left|[[New Palace, Potsdam|New Palace]] today]]

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 II of Prussia|Frederick the Great]]. One of these is the [[Sanssouci|Sanssouci Palace]] (French: "without cares" or "no concern", by [[Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff]], 1744), famed for its formal gardens and [[Rococo]] interiors. Other royal residences include the [[New Palace (Potsdam)|New Palace]] and the [[Orangery Palace|Orangery]].

In 1815, at the formation of the [[Province 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===
[[File:Stadt Potsdam 1852.jpg|thumb|right|Bond of Potsdam, issued 22 May 1852]]

Between 1815 and 1945, the city of Potsdam served as capital of the {{ill|Regierungsbezirk of Potsdam|de|Regierungsbezirk Potsdam|}} ({{langx|de|Regierungsbezirk Potsdam}}). The ''[[Regierungsbezirk]]'' encompassed the former districts of [[Uckermark]], the Mark of Priegnitz, and the greater part of the [[Kurmark|Middle March]]. It was situated between [[Mecklenburg]] and the [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|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 [[Elbe]] 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 {{convert|20700|km2|0|abbr=out}}, divided into thirteen rural [[Kreis in Prussia|districts]], partially named after their capitals:<ref name=Curtis-1839>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, [https://books.google.com/books?id=OEr68dC6RLEC&dq=%22Potsdam%22&pg=PA11 p. 11]</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|-
|Angermünde||Beeskow-Storkow (as of 1836)||East Havelland||East Prignitz
|-
|Jüterbog-Luckenwalde||Lower Barnim||Prenzlau||Ruppin
|-
|Teltow (as of 1836)||Teltow-Storkow (until 1835)||Templin||Upper Barnim
|-
|colspan="1"|West Havelland||West Prignitz||Zauch-Belzig||
|}

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 an der Havel|Brandenburg upon Havel]], [[Köpenick]], Potsdam, [[Prenzlau]], [[Spandau]] and [[Neuruppin|Ruppin]].<ref name=Curtis-1839/> 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 (locality)|Lichtenberg]], [[Neukölln (locality)|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):

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|-
|Berlin (1822–1875)||[[Brandenburg an der Havel|Brandenburg/Havel]] (as of 1881)||[[Charlottenburg]] (1877–1920)||[[Eberswalde]] (as of 1911)
|-
|[[Lichtenberg (locality)|Lichtenberg]] (1908–1920)||[[Schöneberg]] (1899–1920)||[[Wilmersdorf|Deutsch-Wilmersdorf]] (1907–1920)||[[Neukölln (locality)|Rixdorf (Neukölln)]] (1899–1920)
|-
|Potsdam||[[Rathenow]] (as of 1925)||[[Spandau]] (1886–1920)||[[Wittenberge]] (as of 1922)
|}

===20th century===
[[Berlin]] was the capital of [[Prussia]] and later of the [[German Empire]], but the court remained in Potsdam, where many government officials settled. In 1914, Emperor [[Wilhelm II of Germany|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 [[Weimar Republic|Republic]] at the end of [[World War I]].

{{anchor|Allied air attacks}}After the Nazis [[Machtergreifung|seized power in 1933]], there was a ceremonial handshake between [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President]] [[Paul von Hindenburg]] and the new [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Adolf Hitler]] on 21 March 1933 in Potsdam's [[Garrison Church (Potsdam)|Garrison Church]] in what became known as the "[[Potsdam Day|Day of Potsdam]]". This symbolised a coalition of the military (''[[Reichswehr]]'') and [[Nazism]]. Potsdam was severely damaged by [[Strategic bombing during World War II|Allied bombing raids]] during [[World War II]], particularly [[Bombing of Potsdam|one targeted at its Old Town on 14 April 1945]].

[[File:L to R, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Harry S. Truman, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin in the... - NARA - 198958.jpg|thumb|left|[[Potsdam Conference]] in 1945 with [[Winston Churchill]], [[Harry S. Truman]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]]]

The [[Cecilienhof|Cecilienhof Palace]] was the scene of the [[Potsdam Conference]] from 17 July to 2 August 1945, at which the victorious [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] leaders [[Harry S. Truman]], [[Winston Churchill]] and [[Joseph Stalin]] met to decide the future of Germany and postwar Europe in general. The conference ended with the [[Potsdam Agreement]] and the [[Potsdam Declaration]].

[[File:Glienicker Brücke2.JPG|thumb|The [[Glienicke Bridge]], used for exchanging spies during the Cold War]]
The government of [[East Germany]] (formally known as the [[German Democratic Republic]] (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 [[Brandenburg]], Potsdam became its capital. In 1952 the GDR disestablished its states and replaced them by smaller new [[Subdivisions of East Germany|East German administrative districts]] known as ''Bezirke''. Potsdam became the capital of the new ''[[Potsdam (Bezirk)|Bezirk Potsdam]]'' until 1990.

Potsdam, south-west of Berlin, lay just outside [[West Berlin]] 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]] exchanges of [[spy|spies]].

After [[German reunification]], Potsdam became the capital of the newly re-established state of [[Brandenburg]]. Since then there have been many ideas and efforts to reconstruct the original appearance of the city, including the [[Stadtschloss, Potsdam|Potsdam City Palace]] and the [[Garrison Church, Potsdam|Garrison Church]].

==Demography==
Since 2000 Potsdam has been one of the fastest-growing cities in Germany.<ref>[http://www.maz-online.de/Lokales/Potsdam/Rekord-Zuwachs-in-Potsdam-und-kein-Ende-in-SichtRekord-] {{Dead link|date=April 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

<gallery widths="250" heights="200">
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]] in 2011 (blue bordered line); official projections for 2005–2030 (yellow line); for 2017–2030 (scarlet line); for 2020–2030 (green line)
</gallery>

{{historical populations
|align=none | cols=3 |title = Potsdam: Population development <br />within the current boundaries (2020)<ref>Detailed data sources are to be found in the Wikimedia Commons.[[:commons:Category:Population projection Brandenburg|Population Projection Brandenburg at Wikimedia Commons]]{{Circular reference|date=January 2025}}</ref>
| 1875 | 61719
| 1890 | 77301
| 1910 | 101950
| 1925 | 107734
| 1939 | 125664
| 1950 | 114663
| 1964 | 117711
| 1971 | 118923
| 1981 | 139746
|1990|147279|2001|141907|2011|156021
|2022|182806}}

===International residents===

Largest groups of foreign residents:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Nationality
! Population (November 31, 2019) 
|-
|1||{{flag|Ukraine}}||2,947
|-
|2||{{flag|Syria}}||2,415
|-
|3||{{flag|Russia}}||1,305
|-
|4||{{flag|Poland}}||1,186
|-
|5||{{flag|Vietnam}}||1,063
|-
|6||{{flag|France}}||973
|-
|7||{{flag|Croatia}}||885
|-
|8||{{flag|Romania}}||795
|-
|9||{{flag|India}}||743
|-
|10||{{flag|Italy}}||647
|}

==Governance==
[[File:Potsdam Rathaus 07-2017.jpg|thumb|Potsdamer Stadthaus, the city hall]]

===City government===
Potsdam has had a [[mayor]] (''Bürgermeister'') and [[city council]] since the 15th century. From 1809 the city council was elected, with a mayor (''Oberbürgermeister'') at its head. During [[Nazi Germany]], the mayor was selected by the [[NSDAP]] and the city council was dissolved; it was reconstituted in token form after 1945, but free elections did not take place until after [[reunification]].

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.

[[File:2018 Potsdam mayoral election (2nd round).svg|thumb|300px|Results of the second round of the 2018 mayoral election]]
The current mayor is Mike Schubert of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (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:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Mike Schubert
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 23,872
| 32.2
| 28,803
| 55.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Martina Trauth
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 14,161
| 19.1
| 23,283
| 44.7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Götz Friederich
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 12,892
| 17.4
|-
| bgcolor=127070| 
| align=left| Lutz Boede
| align=left| The Others
| 8,449
| 11.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Dennis Hohloch]]
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 8,215
| 11.1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| 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 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220815110012/https://egov.potsdam.de/wahlen/app/bw2018hw.html 1st round], [https://web.archive.org/web/20220815084902/https://egov.potsdam.de/wahlen/app/bw2018stich.html 2nd round])
|}

The city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 57,258
| 19.4
| {{increase}} 0.1
| 11
| {{steady}} 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 43,494
| 14.7
| {{increase}} 2.3
| 8
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 42,804
| 14.5
| {{decrease}} 4.3
| 8
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 40,321
| 13.7
| {{increase}} 4.2
| 8
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor=127070| 
| align=left| The Others (aNDERE)
| 29,973
| 10.2
| {{decrease}} 0.2
| 6
| {{steady}} 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 25,778
| 8.7
| {{decrease}} 9.3
| 5
| {{decrease}} 5
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens' Alliance Free Voters (BfW)
| 16,167
| 5.5
| New
| 3
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 13,155
| 4.5
| {{decrease}} 0.4
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters}}| 
| align=left| [[Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters|Brandenburg Free Voters]] (BVB/FW)
| 8,686
| 2.9
| {{increase}} 1.8
| 2
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| 
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]]
| 7,837
| 2.7
| {{increase}} 1.1
| 1
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Volt Germany]] (Volt)
| 5,503
| 1.9
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Potsdam Centre (Mitten)
| 3,559
| 1.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Independent Witzsche
| 485
| 0.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 295,020
! 100.0
! 
! 56
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid ballots
! 1,665
! 1.7
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total ballots
! 100,728
! 100.0
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 143,118
! 70.4
! {{increase}} 8.1
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlergebnisse.brandenburg.de/54/200/20240609/kreistagswahl_kreis/index.html City of Potsdam]
|}

===Brandenburg state government===
The [[Landtag Brandenburg]], the parliament of the [[States of Germany|state]] of Brandenburg is in Potsdam. It has been housed in the [[Stadtschloss, Potsdam|Potsdam City Palace]] since 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pnn.de/potsdam/804384/|title=Landtag: Umzug ins neue Domizil|first=Yvonne|last=Jennerjahn|date=13 November 2013|via=Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten|access-date=4 January 2014|archive-date=17 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317200731/http://www.pnn.de/potsdam/804384/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Potsdam is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Die Partnerstädte der Landeshauptstadt Potsdam|url=https://www.potsdam.de/content/die-partnerstaedte-der-landeshauptstadt-potsdam|website=potsdam.de|date=17 November 2004|publisher=Potsdam|language=de|access-date=2021-03-11}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Opole]], Poland (1973)
*[[Bobigny]], France (1974)
*[[Jyväskylä]], Finland (1985)
*[[Bonn]], Germany (1988)
*[[Perugia]], Italy (1990)
*[[Sioux Falls, South Dakota|Sioux Falls]], United States (1990)
*[[Lucerne]], Switzerland (2002)
*[[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]], France (2016)
*[[Zanzibar City]], Tanzania (2017)
*[[Ivano-Frankivsk]], Ukraine (2023)
{{div col end}}

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Potsdam Kaiserbahnhof Gebaeude 2.jpg|thumb|The ''Kaiserbahnof'' building]]
[[File:Berlin Brandenburg Airport Terminal 1.jpg|thumb|Berlin Brandenburg Airport]]

===Transport===

====Rail transport====
Potsdam, included in the fare zone "C" (''Tarifbereich C'')<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/3713/name/Liniennetz.html BVG: Berliner public transport pdf maps showing fare zones] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529175642/http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/3713/name/Liniennetz.html |date=2011-05-29 }}</ref> of [[Berlin]]'s public transport area and fare zones A and B of its own public transport area, is served by the [[S7 (Berlin)|S7]] ''[[Berlin S-Bahn|S-Bahn]]'' line. The stations served are [[Potsdam Griebnitzsee railway station|Griebnitzsee]], [[Potsdam-Babelsberg station|Babelsberg]] and the [[Potsdam Hauptbahnhof|Central Station]] (''Hauptbahnhof''), the main and long-distance station of the city. Other [[Deutsche Bahn|DB]] stations in Potsdam are [[Potsdam Charlottenhof station|Charlottenhof]], [[Potsdam Park Sanssouci railway station|Park Sanssouci]] (including the monumental ''[[Kaiserbahnhof Potsdam|Kaiserbahnhof]]''), [[Potsdam Medienstadt Babelsberg station|Medienstadt Babelsberg]], [[Potsdam-Rehbrücke station|Rehbrücke]], [[Potsdam Pirschheide railway station|Pirschheide]] and [[Marquardt station|Marquardt]]. The city also possesses a 27&nbsp;km-long [[Potsdam Tramway|tramway network]].

====Road transport====
Potsdam is served by several [[German Autobahnen|motorways]]: the [[Bundesautobahn 10|A 10]], a beltway better known as ''Berliner Ring'', the [[Bundesautobahn 115|A 115]] (using part of the [[AVUS]]) and is closely linked to the [[Bundesautobahn 2|A 2]] and [[Bundesautobahn 9|A 9]]. The [[Bundesstraße 1|B 1]] and [[Bundesstraße 2|B 2]] [[List of federal highways in Germany|federal roads]] cross the city. Potsdam features a network of urban and suburban buses.

====Airports====
Potsdam is connected to national and international air traffic via [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] (BER), which is around 40 kilometers to the east.

==Education and research==
[[File:Potsdam Sanssouci 07-2017 img2.jpg|thumb|left|The [[University of Potsdam]]]]

Potsdam is a [[College town|university town]]. 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.

[[File:Einsteinturm 7443.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Einstein Tower]] was built in 1921 to house research on the [[theory of relativity]].]]
In 1991 the ''[[Fachhochschule Potsdam]]'' was founded as the second college. It had 3,518 students as of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fh-potsdam.de/informieren/profil/zahlenfakten/|title=FH Potsdam in Zahlen und Fakten|website=www.fh-potsdam.de|language=de|access-date=2019-04-27|archive-date=2019-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427200334/https://www.fh-potsdam.de/informieren/profil/zahlenfakten/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg]] (HFF), founded in 1954 in [[Babelsberg]], is the foremost centre of the German film industry since its birth, with over 600 students.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Die HFF Potsdam wird zur Filmuniversität Babelsberg: Die Uni der Stars |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/die-uni-der-stars-3572974.html |access-date=2026-02-08 |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}}</ref>

There are also several research foundations, including [[Fraunhofer Institute]]s 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 of Molecular Plant Physiology]], the GFZ – [[German Research Centre for Geosciences]], 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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iap.fraunhofer.de/en.html|title=Fraunhofer IAP|website=Iap.fraunhofer.de|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ibmt.fhg.de/fhg/ibmt_en/profile/locations/_index_potsdam_golm.jsp |title=Fraunhofer IBMT Location Potsdam_Golm |access-date=2009-06-20 |archive-date=2008-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316062349/http://www.ibmt.fhg.de/fhg/ibmt_en/profile/locations/_index_potsdam_golm.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mpikg.mpg.de/en/|title=Home|website=Mpikg.mpg.de|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/|title=Home|website=Mpimp-golm.mpg.de|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090913060315/http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/portal/] </ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aip.de/ |title=Astrophys. Inst. Potsdam - History |access-date=2007-08-19 |archive-date=2012-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204112442/http://www.aip.de/institute/history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rifs-potsdam.de/de|title=Startseite &#124; Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit|website=Rifs-potsdam.de|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en|title=Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research|website=Pik-potsdam.de|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref>

As well as universities, Potsdam is home to reputable [[secondary school]]s. [[Montessori Gesamtschule Potsdam]], in western Potsdam, attracts 400 students from the Brandenburg and Berlin region.

==Culture==
{{main|List of sights of Potsdam}}
[[File:Historischer Stadtkern von Potsdam.png|thumb|upright=1.5|The historical centre of Potsdam]]
[[File:P1190390 Potsdam sans souci rwk.jpg|thumb|[[Sanssouci|Sanssouci Palace]]]]
[[File:Schloss Cecilienhof Panorama.jpg|thumb|[[Cecilienhof|Cecilienhof palace]]]]

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]], {{convert|2|km|0|abbr=on}} west of the city centre. In 1744 [[Frederick II of Prussia|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]] ([[Botanical Garden, Potsdam]]) and many buildings:

* The [[Sanssouci|Sanssouci Palace]] (''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 (Potsdam)|New Palace]] (''Neues Palais''), built between 1763 and 1769 to celebrate the end of the [[Seven Years' War]], in which Prussia held off the combined attacks of [[Austria]] 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 architecture|Neoclassical]] palace by [[Karl Friedrich Schinkel]] built in 1826
* The [[Roman Baths (Potsdam)|Roman Baths]] (''Römische Bäder''), built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and [[Friedrich Ludwig Persius]] 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 House (Potsdam)|Chinese Tea House]] (''Chinesisches Teehaus''), an 18th-century pavilion built in a [[China|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 (Potsdam)|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.

[[File:Nikolaikirche mit Tympanon.jpg|thumb|[[St. Nicholas Church, Potsdam|St. Nicholas' Church]] on the ''[[Old Market Square, Potsdam|Alter Markt]]'']]

The [[Old Market Square, Potsdam|Old Market Square]] (''Alter Markt'') is Potsdam's historical city centre. For three centuries this was the site of the [[Stadtschloss, Potsdam|City Palace]] (''Stadtschloß''), a royal palace built in 1662. Under [[Frederick II of Prussia|Frederick the Great]], 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]] 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 [[Landtag of Brandenburg|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 [[Museum Barberini|housing an arts museum]] were completed in 2016–2017 alongside buildings with modernized facades to restore the historical proportions of the block.

[[File:Potsdam Brandenburger Str.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The old town (main shopping street, ''Brandenburger Straße'')]]

The Old Market Square is dominated today by the dome of [[St. Nicholas' Church, Potsdam|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 (mythology)|Atlas]] bearing the world on his shoulders.

[[File:Potsdam - Brandenburger Tor - Feldseite - 2013.jpg|thumb|Potsdam's [[Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam)|Brandenburg Gate]]]]

North of the Old Market Square is the oval [[Französische Kirche (Potsdam)|French Church]] (''Französische Kirche''), erected in the 1750s by Boumann for the [[Huguenot]] community. To the south lies the [[Museum Barberini]], a copy of the previous building, the Barberini Palace. The museum was funded by the German billionaire [[Hasso Plattner]]. The former [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] building was built by [[Carl von Gontard]] in 1771–1772, inspired by the Renaissance palace [[Palazzo Barberini]] in Rome. The newly built museum was scheduled to open in spring 2017.

[[File:Garnisonkirche Potsdam, Luftaufnahme-0745.jpg|thumb|[[Garrison Church (Potsdam)|Garrison Church]]]]

The [[Garrison Church (Potsdam)|Garrison Church]] contains a [[Coventry Cross of Nails|Coventry]] chapel, an exhibition about the history of the place and a viewing platform at a height of 57 meters.

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 [[Frederick Wilhelm I|King Frederick Wilhelm I]]. Today, this area is one of Potsdam's most visited quarters.

North of the city centre is the [[Russia]]n colony of Alexandrowka, a small enclave of Russian architecture (including an [[Russian Orthodox|Orthodox]] chapel) built in 1825 for a group of Russian immigrants. Since 1999, the colony has been part of the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] [[Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin]].

East of the Alexandrowka colony is a large park, the [[New Garden (Potsdam)|New Garden]] (''Neuer Garten''), which was laid out from 1786 in the [[English landscape garden|English style]]. The site contains two palaces; one of them, the [[Cecilienhof]], was where the [[Potsdam Conference]] was held in July and August 1945. The ''[[Marmorpalais]]'' (Marble Palace) was built in 1789 in Neoclassical style. Nearby is the ''[[Biosphäre Potsdam]]'', a tropical [[botanical garden]].

[[Potsdam-Babelsberg|Babelsberg]], a quarter south-east of the centre, houses the [[Universum Film AG|UFA]] film studios ([[Babelsberg Studios]]), and an extensive [[Babelsberg Park|park]] with some historical buildings, including the [[Babelsberg Palace]] (Schloß Babelsberg, a [[Gothic revival]] palace designed by Schinkel).

The [[Einstein Tower]] is located within the [[Albert Einstein Science Park]], 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 [[UNESCO]]'s [[Creative Cities Network|Network of Creative Cities]] as a Design City on October 31, 2019, on the occasion of World Cities' Day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-celebrates-world-cities-day-designating-66-new-creative-cities|title=UNESCO celebrates World Cities Day designating 66 new Creative Cities|date=2019-10-30|website=UNESCO|language=en|access-date=2019-11-05}}</ref>

==Parks==
There are many parks in Potsdam, most of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among their attractions are:
<gallery mode="packed" heights="96px">
2010 Park Sanssouci - Potsdam.jpg|The [[Chinese House (Potsdam)|Chinese House]] in [[Sanssouci Park]]
Hunting Lodge Glienicke 2.jpg|[[Jagdschloss Glienicke|Glienicke Hunting Lodge]], as seen from [[Babelsberg Park]]
2020-09-23 Potsdam 1DX 1634 by Stepro.jpg|The [[Marmorpalais]] in [[New Garden, Potsdam|New Garden]]
Orangerie Schloss Spielstätte.JPG|[[Sanssouci]]: the [[Orangery Palace]]
Potsdam BelvedereKlausberg1.jpg|The [[Belvedere auf dem Klausberg]]
Schloss Babelsberg 3.jpg|[[Schloss Babelsberg|Babelsberg Palace]]
</gallery>

==Sports==
* [[1. FFC Turbine Potsdam]], one of the most successful German female football clubs ([[Fußball-Bundesliga (women)|Bundesliga (women)]])
* [http://potsdamroyals.de Potsdam Royals], American football team competing in the [[German Football League]].
* [[SV Babelsberg 03]], football club [[Regionalliga Nordost]]
* {{ill|Olympic Training Centre Potsdam|de|Olympiastützpunkt Brandenburg}}
* [[USV Potsdam]], [[rugby union]] ([[2nd Rugby-Bundesliga]]) and [[Association football|football]] ([[Kreisklasse]])
* [[List of football clubs in Potsdam]]
* The {{ill|Potsdamer Schlössermarathon|de}} (''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==
{{See also|Category:People from Potsdam}}

'''18th century'''<br />
[[File:Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck LM FWzeK.jpg|thumb|140px|Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck]]
[[File:W.v.Humboldt.jpg|thumb|140px|Wilhelm von Humboldt]]
*[[Abraham Abramson]] (1754–1811), medalist
*[[Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg]] (1759–1830), Prussian field marshal
*[[Wilhelm von Humboldt]] (1767–1835), scholar and statesman, founder of the Berlin [[Humboldt University]]
*[[Frederick William III of Prussia]] (1770–1840), King of Prussia 1797–1840
*[[Wilhelm Ludwig Viktor Henckel von Donnersmarck]] (1775–1849), Prussian general lieutenant
*[[Eleonore Prochaska]] (1785–1813), woman soldier during the [[liberation war]], unrecognized as a man disguised as a drummer, later as an infantryman in the Prussian army against [[Napoléon Bonaparte|Napoleon]]
*[[Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch (1790–1850)|Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch]] (1790–1850), lieutenant general in the Prussian Army
*[[Heinrich Wilhelm Krausnick]] (1797–1882), lawyer and [[Governing Mayor of Berlin|Lord Mayor of Berlin]]

'''19th century'''<br />
[[File:Kaiser Friedrich III Porträt.jpg|thumb|140px|Frederick III]]
*[[Moritz Hermann von Jacobi]] (1801–1874), physicist and engineer
*[[Ludwig Persius]] (1803–1845), architect
*[[Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi]] (1804–1851), mathematician
*[[Adolf von Rauch (1805–1877)|Adolf von Rauch]] (1805–1877), Prussian cavalry officer 
*[[Philipp Galen]] (1813–1899), writer and physician
*[[Julius Lange (numismatist)|Julius Lange]] (1815–1905), numismatist
*[[Hermann von Helmholtz]] (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)|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]] (1834–1919), zoologist, philosopher
*[[Gottlieb Graf von Haeseler]] (1836–1919), Prussian field marshal
*[[Hermann Schubert]] (1848–1911), mathematician
*[[Castor Watt]] (1858-1932), German actor, humorist, imitator and internationally known quick-change artist
*[[Wilhelm II, German Emperor]] (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)|Friedrich Wilhelm von Rauch]] (1868–1899), Prussian officer
*[[Friedrich Ludwig (musicologist)|Friedrich Ludwig]] (1872–1930), music historian and rector of the University of Göttingen
*[[Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing]] (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]] (1884–1968), German-Finnish figure skater
*[[Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg]] (1886–1974), general of tank troops and military attachée
*[[Luise Schulze-Berghof]] (1889–1970), German composer and pianist
*[[Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck]] (1892–1955), general
*[[Paul Blobel]] (1894–1951), Nazi war criminal, hanged for war crimes
*[[Hans-Karl Koch]] (1897–1934), SA general killed in the [[Night of the Long Knives]]
*[[Hasso von Manteuffel]] (1897–1978), General in the Wehrmacht, and later spokesman for defense of the [[Free Democratic Party of Germany|Free Democratic Party]] in the [[Bundestag]]

'''20th century'''<br />
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Margarete Buber-Neumann]] (1901–1989), writer
*[[Egon Eiermann]] (1904–1970), architect
*[[Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia|Louis Ferdinand of Prussia]] (1907–1994), German and Prussian heir to the throne and head of the [[House of Hohenzollern]]
*[[Princess Marie Eleonore of Albania|Marie Eleonore of Albania]] (1909–1957), princess
*[[Adam von Trott zu Solz]] (1909–1944), lawyer, diplomat and resistance fighter
*[[Carol Victor, Hereditary Prince of Albania|Carol Victor]] (1913–1973), Hereditary Prince of Albania
*[[Peter Weiss]] (1916–1982), writer, graphic artist and painter
*[[Hans Richter (actor)|Hans Richter]] (1919–2008), actor
*[[Bernhard Hassenstein]] (1922–2016), biologist and behaviorist
*[[Burkhard Heim]] (1925–2001), theoretical physicist
*[[Günther Schramm]] (born 1929), actor
*[[Bernd and Hilla Becher|Hilla Becher]] (1934–2015), photographer
*[[Nicole Heesters]] (born 1937), actress
*[[Klaus Katzur]] (1943–2016), swimmer and Olympic medalist
*[[Sabine Uecker]] (born 1943), politician
*[[Manfred Wolke]] (born 1943), boxer and boxing coach
*[[Wolfgang Joop]] (born 1944), fashion designer
*[[Oliver Bendt]] (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]] (born 1953), politician, Minister President of Brandenburg
*[[Klaus Thiele]] (born 1958), athlete
*[[Gabriele Berg]] (born 1963), biologist and biotechnologist
*[[Jens-Peter Berndt]] (born 1963), swimmer
*[[Ralf Brudel]] (born 1963), rower
*[[Birgit Peter]] (born 1964), rower
*[[Carsten Wolf]] (born 1964), cyclist, world champion
*[[Daniela Neunast]] (born 1966), steward in rowing
*[[René Monse]] (born 1968), heavyweight boxer
*[[Klara Geywitz]] (born 1976), politician
*[[Aleksandr Sayenko]] (born 1978), footballer
{{div col end}}

'''21st century'''<br />
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Margarita Kolosov]], rhythmic gymnast and [[2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Olympian]]
*[[Melissa Kössler]] (born 2000), footballer for the [[Germany women's national football team|Germany national team]]
*[[Ermyas Mulugeta]], assaulted in a nationally significant case
{{div col end}}

===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: [[Hermann von Helmholtz]], naturalist
* 1905: [[Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg]], president of the province of Brandenburg
* 1933: [[Paul von Hindenburg]], Fieldmarshal and Reichspräsident (withdrawn 12 December 2021 by decision of the Potsdam City Council)
* 1933: ''[[Adolf Hitler]]'', chancellor (withdrawn 15 August 1990 by decision of the Potsdam City Council)
* 1938: [[Josef Goebbels]],<ref>{{cite web |title=City Hall shocked to find Goebbels still honorary citizen of Potsdam|url=https://www.dpa-international.com/topic/city-hall-shocked-find-goebbels-still-honorary-citizen-urn:newsml:dpa.com:20090101:211005-99-492675|website=dpa-international.com|access-date=2021-10-06}}</ref> [[Minister of Propaganda]] (withdrawn 3 November 2021 by decision of the Potsdam City Council)
* 1955: [[Max Volmer]], physical chemist
* 1960: [[Hans Marchwitza]], writer and proletarian poet
* 1965: [[Otto Nagel]], painter

{{Clear}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Germany}}
*[[Mostar Friedensprojekt]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Paul Sigel, Silke Dähmlow, Frank Seehausen und Lucas Elmenhorst, Architekturführer Potsdam Architectural Guide, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 2006, {{ISBN|3-496-01325-7}}.

==External links==
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|de}} and [https://en.potsdam.de/ English] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812081646/https://en.potsdam.de/ |date=2022-08-12 }}
*[http://www.medienarchiv.com/Deutschland/Brandenburg/Index-Brandenburg-Potsdam.htm Extensive photoarchive about Potsdam]

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