Potsdam’s Cultural Landscape

The New Palace in Sanssouci park (© Michael Hübner, 'Märkische Allgemeine' newspaper)

 

The Church of the Redeemer at the banks of the Havel river near Sacrow (© Bernd Gartenschläger, 'Märkische Allgemeine' newspaper)

Even the Prussian kings were enchanted by the natural beauty of Potsdam - an island in the middle of the chain of Havel-river lakes and surrounded by forests. Thus Potsdam became their second residence after Berlin, and the natural beauty was supplemented by fascinating palaces and parks. A marvellous cultural landscape was created in which Sanssouci park is the heart. Far-ranging lines of view across idyllic lakes and rivers, to palaces and gardens, and a vibrant inner city make Potsdam an unforgettable experience. "The whole island must become a paradise," the widely-travelled Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen demanded in a letter to the Great Elector in 1664. This desire was fulfilled by famous architects, artists of gardens and landscapes, sculptors, painters, and craftsmen and their royal clients for whom all was being built. Thus they created in the course of three centuries, a unique object of art known as Potsdam. Significant portions of it today belong to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.