2024-09-11 12:22:06
The reconstructed tower of the Garrison Church in Potsdam has been open to visitors since August. But there are a number of other places in the city from which you can enjoy panoramic views. Some are always accessible and free of charge, others only on special occasions.
57 meters high, 365 steps – and a lot of controversy: Potsdam has a new viewpoint. The reconstructed tower of the garrison church is open to visitors from the end of August. They enjoy a wide panoramic view from the platform at the top: Havel shines in the sun, behind it rises the Brauhausberg, which Alexander von Humboldt once called the “Potsdam Chimborazo”. In the west behind the Sanssouci Palace rises the Ruinenberg and in the north the Pfingstberg.
The design of the tower of the former Prussian military church from 1735 is very controversial, not only because the art and theater building was supposed to make way for it. Opponents of the reconstruction warn of the symbolic power of the building, which represents the Prussian war like no other. On March 21, 1933, “Potsdam Day,” Adolf Hitler and Reich Chancellor Hindenburg shook hands here. Proponents, on the other hand, describe the Garrison Church as a place of reconciliation.
But Potsdam can also be experienced from a bird’s eye view from other, lesser-known places: the tower of the Garrison Church is one of at least a dozen striking places with panoramic views. Some are always accessible and free of charge, others only on special occasions. Many are seen as always open views, some are enjoyed with coffee or food – such as the restaurant “Loft” and “Residenzcafé” in the tower of the Tower of the Holy Spirit.
The climb to the Nikolaikirche is an experience in itself
On a walking tour or a bike tour, you can easily move from tower to tower, from belvedere to belvedere – starting with St Nicholas Church, where the ride is an experience in itself: through the clubhouse and through the attractive tower you reach. platform visitors, do not come with an audio system.
Once you have overcome approximately 200 steps, you find yourself face to face with the atlas on the neighboring Old Town Hall. Angel figures almost three meters high on the outer towers of St. And under the feet of visitors, members of the Brandenburg state parliament work in the reconstructed city palace.
The “Hotel Mercure”, one of the last remaining relics of Potsdam’s GDR architecture, is also within sight. “You still have dreams on the 17th,” is sometimes written on the facade of this old Interhotel – many adults remember with nostalgia the youth meetings, tête-à-têtes or lavish parties in the bar on the 17th floor. Today there are conference rooms – if you want to have a visual experience, you have to book a room.
Further to Sanssouci Park, it is worth taking the road to Mühlenberg. Surrounded by tall trees, the view here extends over the downtown skyline with a selection of church towers and pre-built buildings.
Special event in Sanssouci Park
Now it is only 300 meters to Sanssouci Park, where the ruined hill with the Norman tower opposite rises. “This is a small piece of furniture within our homes – after all, we don’t just have big, shiny rooms,” said Klaus Dorst, curator for the monument’s preservation. “Here you can experience a special surprise as a tower in the landscape is always called next.”
The combination with the monopteros, the wall of the theater, which seems to be a ruined group of columns and a basin of water is done with the charm of decay. “It’s the first British landmark on the continent,” enthuses Dorst. “In England at that time people were still building with wood and with plays, but here they were building with stone.”
But the material was not only used for decoration, but also for military purposes: from a platform in the theater wall, Frederick the Great followed the instructions of the Prussian regiments on the Bornstedter Feld area. During his research, Klaus Dorst discovers previously unknown historical facts. “It’s a fascinating job because I can get into so much detail,” he said.
The curator was also one of the first to be able to look into the “hollow tooth” of the Norman Tower from the vault after the fall of the Wall: “During the GDR, all the mezzanines and steps were torn out. they collapsed,” he explained that no one should be able to see the Russian army nearby. Parts of the steps that have disappeared over time have now been replaced with wood – a sensitive reflection of the wounds.
The most amazing Belvedere in Potsdam
After descending, immerse yourself in the Volkspark, in which the green belt you can walk up to the 76 meter high Pfingstberg, the location of what is probably the most impressive Belvedere in the city. But this house from the time of Friedrich Wilhelm IV is also a lost place after the fall of communism: although it was protected from the war, it was later dried up by the ravages of time and overgrown by forests.
Climbing the tower was strictly forbidden before the fall of the Berlin Wall because from there you could see the nearby KGB position. “But in the midst of it all, people were working and doing the damage,” Rotraut Kautz recalled. When the native of Potsdam happened upon the Pfingstberg workers’ union, it was like an anchor for her to cling to: “We arrived, and she made us strong enough to stay in the GDR,” said the woman in her sixties.
The monument’s custodians are under Stasi surveillance: “The mountain is a great playground for anyone who wants to do something dangerous, something forbidden in the dark.” And then we beg here in broad daylight – we don’t panic, we don’t want to run away, we can’t be caught,” Kautz said with a smile.
The commitment of a small group set a success story in motion: donations from citizens, foundations and donors financed the renovation of the Belvedere and the neighboring Pomona Temple. When it opened in 2001, Potsdam residents stood in line for hours to enjoy for the first time a wide view of the New Palace and Babelsberg Park, over the Havel lakes and the Berlin skyline.
The support group still manages the collection today: identified by a green button on their belongings, members look after visitors – a unique feature among all Potsdam World Heritage Sites. “We are nursing care insurance for old lady Belvedere. We put him in a wheelchair really well, but my job as a team member is fun, easy and fun,” Kautz said. “And so Belvedere is my little castle!”
More information:
Views: Garrison Church Tower: garrisonkirche-potsdam.de
Cycling tours: “Potsdam for Pedales” rent bicycles and e-bikes at the main train station (from 16 euros per day, potsdam-for-pedales.de
Explanation: Potsdam Tour, potsdamtourismus.de
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