Kings

The biggest problem in visiting Potsdam is minding your Fs and Ws. Since 1657 the kings of Prussia, all residing in Potsdam, exclusively used various combinations of "Friedrich" and "Wilhelm" for their names. The following people are all different and lived in Potsdam in the order shown:

• F W, the "Great Elector"
• F III, duke of Prussia, was promoted to King F I of Prussia
• F-W I, the "King Sergeant"
• F II, the "Great"
• F-W II ... and III ... and IV
• W I
• F III
• W II

Once you've mastered the concept that 250 years of palaces were not built by a single hoary sovereign, then you are on the way to appreciating this World Heritage City.

Palaces

Potsdam is probably most famous for the palaces built by monarchs in residence.

Schloss Sanssouci

F II built this palace in 1747 as a modest retreat where he could reside "without cares", sans souci in the French vernacular of the court. Modesty in this case includes a rococo music room where F II could play his flute accompanied by C. P. E. Bach, a hall of Carrara marble, a guest room for Voltaire, and fake classical ruins disguising reservoirs and pumps for fountains.

New Palace

Fifteen years later, coming out of the Seven Years War, F II wanted the world to know that Prussia was still OK. What better way than to build another palace--the New Palace. (When visiting, don't mistake the palace for the "Communes" across the road; they were quarters for servants and courtesans.) The palace is deliberately extravagant, built in a rococo style that was already decades out of style. The "Grotto" is a room where the walls are inlaid with semi-precious stones.

Sanssouci Park

FW IV completed the grounds around Schloss Sanssouci and the New Palace. Some of the outbuildings are remarkable: the Roman Bath is is modeled on a 19th century Italian villa, but never actually used as a bath; the Chinese Teahouse has porches supported by golden trees surrounded by life-sized golden figures making (golden?) tea; Schloss Charlottenhof is a neoclassical palace built for FW IV while he was crown prince.

New Garden

The Schloss Cecilienhof (see "Cold War" below) and the Marble Palace were built for FW II and his wife at the end of the 18th century. Notable outbuildings include a Pyramid and the Goethe Library.

Cold War

During the Cold War, Potsdam was in East Germany separated from the Western zone of Berlin by the Havel River. The Glienicker Bridge was the site of the Francis Gary Powers spy swap and, later, the release of Anatoly Scharansky.

Schloss Ceciliehof was the site of the famous Potsdam conference where Stalin, Truman and Churchill decided on the division of Germany following World War II. The palace is now a luxury hotel, but a large red star of begonias can still be found in the courtyard, just as Stalin ordered in August 1945.