Potsdam has always provided an escape from Berlin. In the 18th century, Frederick the Great, trying to be more French than the French, hoped to run a court there similar to the one Louis XIV had established a century earlier in Versailles. For Friedrich Wilhelm IV in the 19th century, however, it was different. He knew that however turbulent the mob would become in Berlin, the Potsdam garrison would protect him and his lifestyle. For the victors at the end of the Second World War, planning the future of Germany in July 1945, the Cecilienhof Palace provided a luxurious refuge from all the surrounding devastation. For East Germans, it was like the Baltic republics to the Russians, a "near abroad" providing glimpses of a world they would never otherwise see. Now the escapes are daily; commuters unwilling to restrict themselves to a flat near their office buy the houses which Soviet officers had to give up on German reunification. Although written documentation on Potsdam goes back about 1,000 years, it was Frederick the Great who converted a small textile centre into a unique display of ostentation and military power by building a palace and a barracks here. Both would continue to play equal roles in the town's history until 1990. Not until then did the military retreat, certain that Potsdam could assert its past without their presence. The main station in Potsdam (Potsdam Hauptbahnhof) is reached by the S-Bahn 7 from Zoo Station (30 mins) and a network of local railways, buses and trams connect the various sights. A more original way to arrive is to take a bus to Schloss Glienicke, walk across the Glienicke Bridge (previously only opened for swapping spies) and then to take a local tram. For tours, tickets and information. SightsSans Souci Tue-Sun 0900-1700. E8. S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, then bus 695. The French name, meaning carefree, which Frederick the Great chose for his palace, sums up much of what took place there. Whether the rooms are of marble or wood, decorated in a Roman or Greek style, it is clear that this is a palace of pleasure, not of work. It also shows how international a figure Frederick the Great was. If he conquered his neighbours militarily, he drew from them culturally, and this palace is a reflection of his varied tastes. The back entrance, which is used for visitors, gives no idea of its opulence. It is better viewed from the terraces at the front, which is how visitors would have originally first seen it. The library is the only modest room of the 12 shown and, significantly, many more books are in French than in German. The designs in the Voltaire room result from the bitter end of his three-year stay in Potsdam. They show monkeys and parrots, with whom Frederick the Great equated him. Frederick the Great is now buried just outside the palace as he had wished. He had first been buried in the city, then was taken to western Germany at the end of the Second World War, before being brought back here in 1991 to join his dogs, whose tombs had never been moved. Neues Palais (New Palace) Sat-Thu 0900-1700. E6. S-Bahn Park Sanssouci then bus 695. This was Frederick's reward to himself for his successful military campaigns during the Seven Years’ War (1756-63). It has 200 rooms and a theatre. Sandstone is the predominant material for many of the statues, which shows the meagre finances available at the end of this war. One room, however, was decorated in marble from Carrara in Italy. The most unusual room is decorated as a grotto. This started fairly modestly with a collection of shells and corals but by the end of the 19th century was embellished with minerals and jewels. The members of the royal family who lived in Britain introduced baths and flushing toilets to the building during the 19th century. The theatre, modelled on a Roman amphitheatre, holds around 300 people and is used frequently for concerts during the summer months. The Communs, the building behind the Palace, were servants' quarters. Chinesisches Haus (Chinese Tea House) Tue-Sun 1000-1700. E1. S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then bus 695. This is the caricature that was to appear all over Western Europe during the 18th century. China is portrayed as a land of constant tea- drinking and music-making, interspersed with an occasional walk under a parasol. The porcelain exhibited is also from this period. Orangerie Tue-Sun 1000-1700. E1. S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then bus 695. Dating from the 1850s, the Orangerie design shows the emperor Friedrich Wilhelm IV was as infatuated with Italy as Frederick the Great had been with France. The architect August Stüler, Schinkel's most famous pupil, was clearly influenced by the design of the Uffizi in Florence. It is worth climbing the tower since this gives the best view of the whole park. The façade is 300 m long, about the same length as the New Palace, so presumably Friedrich Wilhelm felt the need to endow Potsdam with a building as grand as that left by Frederick the Great. It was used to entertain and to accommodate guests of the Kaiser, including the Russian royal family. Schloss Cecilienhof (Cecilienhof Palace) 0900-1700. E5. S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then bus 692. Built during the First World War for the son and daughter-in-law of the Kaiser, it took the latter’s name, Cecilie. Although they went into exile with the rest of the family in 1918, they were allowed to return in 1923 and stayed until April 1945. It is clearly modelled both outside and inside on a "stockbroker Tudor" English country house. In the simplicity of its design and the modesty of its furnishings, it could not be a greater contrast to the other Potsdam palaces. Princess Cecilie was keen on yachting, which explains the decor of several rooms. The palace is best known as the setting for the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 when the three allied powers confirmed the post-war fate of Germany. Many rooms have been left exactly as they were then and the table at which the treaty was signed is among many contemporary exhibits. By around 2000 the gardens had been restored to their original condition. As the former border to West Berlin ran along the shore of the lake, the defence installations which the East Germans set up, led to the removal of most of the trees. The new administration of Potsdam is proud of the 10,000 trees planted since 1990, many at the former border. The palace is now a luxury hotel; its restaurant regularly serves the "neutral" menu prepared for the conference – Russian fish soup, American steak and British whisky syllabub. Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter) S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof. The last major RAF raid over Germany struck Potsdam on 14 April 1945; as with the attack on Dresden two months earlier, it savagely damaged the town but did not destroy it. In the case of Potsdam, only the town and not the palaces was hit. Much restoration was done towards the end of the East German regime during the 1980s. The pace of this increased after reunification, greatly encouraged by developers who quickly saw the commercial potential. The Dutch Quarter now shows the results. Restoration has been so effective that this area is second only to Prague in its use as a film set. Friedrich Wilhelm I went to Holland in 1732 to recruit masons and woodworkers and civil engineers. The royal family had already married into their Dutch opposite numbers so this was not a particularly surprising move. The canals, lakes and rivers in Potsdam gave rise to problems with which the Dutch were all too familiar. This quarter, which only has 150 houses in it, was built as an inducement for these recruits and was completed by 1749. Jan Bouman was the most famous recruit and his house at 8 Mittelstrasse is now a museum on the history of this area. The colourful stories told about Frederick the Great have led to a booming souvenir industry which displays its wares in this area. More serious visitors dismiss this material as "Fritz Kitsch". Alexandrowka S-Bahn Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then tram 90, 92 and 95. This small Russian settlement of 12 wooden houses dates from 1826 and is named after Czar Alexander I who had died in the previous year. In 1812 the Prussians, as reluctant allies of Napoleon, had taken prisoner about 60 Russians who were brought to Potsdam. Friedrich Wilhelm III liked Russian songs and a choir was formed for his benefit from this group. For the 12 still alive in 1826 these houses were built, following exact Russian models. Even their names were written in Cyrillic. The Alexander Nevsky Church, an equally faithful reproduction, was completed three years later in 1829. Babelsberg Filmpark August-Bebelstr., T 0331-7212755, F 0331-7212755, http://www.filmpark.de Daily from 15 Mar-31 Oct 1000-1800. E15. S-Bahn Griebnitzsee (not Babelsberg which is a stop further on towards Potsdam). The Babelsberg Filmpark has adapted better than any other Berlin institution to each change in regime. It was as important to the East Germans as it had been to the Nazis and a quick privatization in the early 1990s made it an early and lasting beneficiary of reunification. For all too long, its productions were analysed for political trends, and mementoes of these earlier periods are displayed, but it is now an exciting day out for families and for the older still pretending to be young. The “Vulcano” crater is the high point of any visit where light and sound create an environment that nobody would want to experience in real life. Young children can be taken to the Sandmann-Studio to be greeted by elves and fairies whilst older ones can descend in a submarine. For adults, stick to the stunt shows and special effects. (Roman Polanski’s 2002 award-winning The Pianist was part filmed at Babelsberg.)
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