September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024

This morning we took the subway and commuter train to the Berlin suburb of Potsdam. We caught each one with seconds to spare. Our luck caught up with us in Potsdam when we found the tram line we wanted was down for construction. So we hailed a cab that took us to Glienicke Bridge.

The many lakes around Potsdam formed the western edge of the former West Berlin. Because the Glienecke Bridge crossing remained under Soviet control during the Cold War it was often used for prisoner exchanges. The captured U-2 pilot Gary Powers was transferred back to US control over it. The 2015 Tom Hanks movie Bridge of Spies is a great retelling.

We then walked west along the formerly-fenced lakefront to Neues Garten. The Potsdam area was a summer playground for the Prussian Hohenzollern Kings. This new park was a late addition. We ended our walk at the newest palace in this World Heritage Complex of Palaces. The Celienhof was built for the last prince heir of Kaiser Wilhelm.

After Germany surrendered in 1945, the three Allied powers needed a place to meet to decide Germany’s fate. Berlin was in ruins so they chose this newest of Potsdam palaces. We followed an audio guide tour through the Celienhof and the role of the Potsdam Conference in history.

The most important room was the main conference chamber. Here Stalin, Truman, and Churchill met. Unfortunately Truman was new, and Churchill lost his reelection and was replaced mid-meeting with Attlee. Stalin got his way. 14 Million Germans had to migrate west from their former homes. The borders of Poland were shifted dramatically west to allow Soviet expansion.

Finished with our excellent audio tour, we walked the length of the New Garden southwest. Along the way we stopped at the Orangerie (citrus greenhouse) to briefly view an exhibit on Immanuel Kant, a famous German Enlightenment philosopher. This is the 300th anniversary of his birth. I can’t get excited about philosophy.

We crossed Potsdam town to Park Sanssouci. We are too early for our timed ticket to tour the next palace so we have a Caesar salad lunch at the historic windmill restaurant. I tried another version of Radler beer with Orange soda. Not as good. We are sticking to the Lemon soda standard.

After lunch we ran through the kitchen and wine cellar of Sanssouci Palace and then entered the main palace at our assigned time. The tour is by audio guide again. Sanssouci was built by the most famous Prussian King Frederick the Great. Sited on a low hill, he called it ‘his Vineyard’. It was his summer escape from the political pressures of Berlin. Hence the French name ‘without care’.

Sanssouci has a modest ten main rooms. He had no children, his wife lived in the city, and there were few invited guests. He loved music, the arts, and Rococo decoration. There are lots of gold accents. A little gaudy for my tastes. Both Aimee and I liked the last room we toured best. It was decorated with colorful Porcelain chandelier and accents.

After the tour we crossed the large Park Sanssouci only stopping at the China House. This is a gold leafed four-lobed fantasy house built for guests to party in.

We finished our walk at the Neues (New) Palace. Frederick built this palace later in life to entertain and house guests away from his personal retreat. It is oversize and also decorated in Rococo even though this style was on the outs being replaced by Pompeii-inspired Neoclassical. There are also two grand Neoclassical service buildings across the courtyard.

We have to walk across the grounds to get a timed ticket even though every time slot has open spaces. Back at the entrance we follow the German tour listening to an English audio guide. By this time Aimee and I are tired of palaces and we both think the tour and audio are unexciting. There is an interesting Grotto room with lots of inlaid shells and fossils. And the required large nicely decorated ballroom. Most rooms have lots of French paintings. Interestingly this Prussian king spoke better French than German.

We took the train and subway back to Berlin and had another Tapas meal by Checkpoint Charlie. It was a long day with lots of walking.