Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (1990, 1992, 1999)
Germany

Back to index

With 500 ha of parks and 150 buildings constructed between 1730 and 1916, Potsdam's complex of palaces and parks forms an artistic whole, whose eclectic nature reinforces its sense of uniqueness. It extends into the district of Berlin-Zehlendorf, with the palaces and parks lining the banks of the River Havel and Lake Glienicke. Voltaire stayed at the Sans-Souci Palace, built under Frederick II between 1745 and 1747. 

In contemporary history, the city of Potsdam is most famous for housing The Potsdam Agreement, signed at a meeting between the American, British, French and Russian delegations, concerning Germany at the end of WWII, and concluded at Cecilienhof Castle in Potsdam. 

• German Democratic Republic 1970. Strip of three se-tenant stamps. 25th anniversary of the signing of the Potsdam Agreement. 

  • 10pf. Cecilienhof Castle. 

  • 25pf. The delegations signing the agreement. 

  • 20pf. "Potsdam Agreement" in German, French, English and Russian. 

Potsdam is a city in northeastern Germany, capital of the state of Brandenburg after the German unification in 1990 (formerly the capital of Potsdam District, East Germany). Potsdam is located on the Havel River, near Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate (1770) and several palaces, including Sans Souci Palace (1745-1747) and the New Palace (1763-1769), both built by Frederick II, are among the architectural features of the city. 

• German Democratic Republic 1983. Sans Souci. 
• German Democratic Republic 1968. Sans Souci, New Palace. 
• German Democratic Republic 1983. Film Museum. 

• German Democratic Republic 1983. China Teahouse. 
• German Federal Republic 1982. Charlottenburg. 
• German Democratic Republic 1983. Charlottenhof. 

It is also the site of the College of Film and Television (1954), the Institute for International Relations and Legal Studies (1948), and a history museum. 

• German Federal Republic 1993. Potsdam. Old Market Place and View of the Nicholas Church. After a painting by Ferdinand von Arnim (1814-1866). 
• Germany 2007. Bellevue Castle, Potsdam. Image by courtesy of Peter Smeets (Belgium). 

The city was badly damaged by bombing in World War II (1939-1945) and rebuilt only recently; in 1945 it was the site of the Potsdam Conference. 

In 1993 the city of Potsdam celebrated its 1000th anniversary. 

Sources and links: 

• Microsoft Encarta 2002. 
• Schlösser und Parks von Potsdam-Sanssouci und Berlin (Glienicke und Pfaueninsel) (Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission - german only) 
• Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin 
• Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (Cartographic Information System on European Affairs) (EUROCIS) 
• UNESCO Commission of Germany 
• Die offiziellen Seiten der Stadtverwaltung Potsdam 

Other World Heritage Sites in Germany (on this site). Inactive links are not described on stamps. Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, section Germany for further information about such sites.