GERMANY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 231

Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
www.potsdam.de or www.potsdam-tourism.com
E-mail: [e-mail]
Hours: April-October: 0930-2000 Monday-Saturday; November-March: 0930-
1800 Monday-Saturday, 1000-1600 Sunday year round
Notes: The office is located in the old market, a 5- to 10-minute walk from the rail-
way station. Turn right out of the station and walk across the Lange Brucke (Long
Bridge) and up the Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse to the center, which is located on the
right side of the street. Ask for the illustrated pamphlet Info— Stadtplan Potsdam.
Originally a small settlement of Slavs, Potsdam first appeared in German chron-
icles under the name Poztupimi (Under the Oak Trees) in a Deed of Gift dated July
3, 993. There are virtually no oak trees left in present-day Potsdam, but from days
gone by you will find a large number of handsome oak mansions and palaces sur-
rounded by beautiful parks.
After a period of almost total insignificance during the Middle Ages, Potsdam
eventually entered the sphere of German history in the 17th century when Fred-
erick William, the Elector of Brandenburg, decided to make Potsdam his place of
residence.
In the 18th century, during the reigns of King Frederick William I and his son Fre-
derick II, known as Frederick the Great, Potsdam grew to be a prestigious royal
seat and garrison town. Frederick William I established a military orphanage where
the boys “learned to work” in nearby factories and also drilled in “square bashing,”
which came in handy whenever the impoverished peasants could no longer stand
their plight and chose to demonstrate in the town square.
Unlike many towns emerging from the Middle Ages, Potsdam was not surroun-
ded by a wall until the 18th century. Oddly enough, the wall served not so much
as a military protection as it did a device to prevent soldiers from deserting and
dishonest folks from smuggling. Whether the wall contributed to the growth of
the town is not known, but Potsdam did flourish under the Fredericks. The Alten
Markt (old market), the Hollandisches Viertel (Dutch quarters), the Brandenburger
Strasse, and the Sans Souci Park and Palace date from the era of their reign.
Frederick II was growing a bit “long in the tooth” and decided he wanted to live
“without cares” ( sans souci ). So, beginning in 1744 and during the following three
decades, “Old Fritz” supervised the building of the palace and several other build-
ings, including his own tomb as a last resting place beside the palace.
The Rococo Sans Souci Palace was built from sketches by the king himself, to-
gether with designs by his architect, Knobelsdorff. With further additions made dur-